The Ukrainian boys' cadet basketball team was defeated by Belgium with a score of 51:77 in the quarterfinals of the U-16 European Championship in Division B. This is reported by 'Glavcom' citing the FBU.
The start of the match was equal – Belgium started slightly better, leading 6:0, but soon Ukraine came back ahead 7:6. In the first 17 minutes, the teams took turns leading (12 lead changes), but neither could make a run. The decisive run of the match was made by Belgium at the end of the second quarter – the Ukrainians scored no points in the last three minutes, while the opponents executed a 15:0 run and went into halftime with a 37:25 lead.
U-16 European Championship. Men, Quarterfinal
Skopje, North Macedonia
Belgium – Ukraine 77:51 (17:18, 20:7, 19:11, 21:15)
Ukraine: Petryuk 0, Sviridov 0, Datsenko 19 + 8 rebounds, Tatunchak 14 + 11 rebounds, Pokoyny 0 – starting; Hanichskiy 8 + 9 rebounds, Kravtsov 7, Sherstyuk 3, Semenov 0.
The start of the third quarter finally killed the intrigue in the match – Belgium won the first five minutes 12:4, increasing its lead to 20 points and then controlled the game, bringing it to victory. Dmytro Datsenko was the top scorer for the Ukrainian team with 19 points and 8 rebounds, while Yevgeniy Tatunchak recorded a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds.
Next in the consolation tournament for 5-8 places, the Ukrainian team will play against the national team of Bosnia and Herzegovina on August 15.
The Ukrainian youth team lost to Belgium in the quarterfinals of the U-16 European Basketball Championship. Despite attempts to turn the game in their favor, the Ukrainian athletes faced defeat against their opponents. The best players in the Ukrainian squad were Dmytro Datsenko and Yevgeniy Tatunchak, but this did not help the team avoid defeat. The next match will determine the team's further fate in the tournament.