HAMBURG (FIBA U17 World Championship) - The second game of Group A action between Serbia and Egypt was a surprise for most of the spectators as the Africans managed to get an early lead after being quickest out of the gates, but Serbia used their power to restore order and roll to a 99-67 win.

It took Serbia a few minutes to find their rhythm on both ends of the floor.

The Europeans took pride in defending well in the halfcourt, but could not stop Ahmed Moustafa Elsayed Gazar from scoring easy buckets in transition.

However, the Serbs did a great job in the rebounding department, overpowering their opponents to take a 42-30 lead at the break. 

After the intermission, everything seemed to go Serbia's way. Coach Nenad Trunic's troops controlled the pace of the game and made the most of their height advantage while also showcasing their individual skills.

Guard Nikola Radicevic tried to get his team-mates involved and distributed the ball well. With three quarters in the books, Serbia already had five players with 10 points or more.

After what has been a furious and hugely encouraging start, Egypt was not able to sustain that intensity and crashed to a lopsided defeat.


Quotes:

Nenad Trunic (Serbia head coach): "It is important to win win the first game of the tournament. I am not satisfied with the way we played today. Our defensive effort was ok, but on offense we have have to do a lot better. We have to concentrate on the next games to come. This U17 World Championship is a big opportunity for our players."

Hesham Aboserea (Egypt head coach): "My team can do better than this. Now we have to study the other teams and prepare for our game two."


FIBA / JB