HAMBURG (FIBA U17 World Championship) – Going into the second half with an eleven point lead, Serbia could not stand the Lithuanian push as they lost 71:74 in a thrilling battle. Despite being the last game of the day, this European clash displayed tremendous basketball.

Either team had a 2-1 record going into this matchup, knowing a win would most likely secure a spot in the quarter-finals. To Serbia it was even more urgent, as they will face the U.S. in their respective finisher of the group stage.

Coach Nenad Trunic tried to set the tone through throwing the ball into the hands of his many gifted frontcourt plyaers. Lithuania had no answer to these big bodies, as Serbia was twtice as effective underneath the basket (36-18) as their opponents.

In the second half Lithuania controlled the pace much better, ran the floor quicker, forcing Serbia to switch to a smaller lineupl. Led by Mantas Mockevicius (18 points), the northern Europeans finished strong, drove for the hoop to exhaustion. Serbia was in shock and had the chance to tie the game with one last possession in regulation, but two three point attempts just hit the rim, leaving the Lithuanians elated and the Serbians on the brink of elimination.

Quotes:

Nenad Trunic, Serbia head coach: „Lithuania played a good game. We didn't find a proper solution on offense. Our point guards did not play well in the third and fourth quarter.“

Egidijus Zenevicius, Lithuania assistant coach: „This game was all about defense.“

FIBA / JB