Czechia U18

Ilias Van Hecke took over in the first half and our young Lions never let Czechia back into it. The 21-point, 6-rebound, 3-assist performance from Van Hecke set the tone early, and a 17-point halftime lead proved too much to overcome for the Czechs. Final score: 81–64. It was the kind of dominant, two-way showing that moves games out of reach before the fourth quarter matters. Van Hecke's efficiency across the board — scoring off the dribble, moving the ball, defending with intent — gave our side control from start to finish. This is what a U18 tournament performance looks like when a prospect plays within the flow of the game rather than chasing numbers. Next up for our boys: the closing round of group play.

Belgium's young Lions dominated Czechia in Division B play, cruising to an 81–64 win that was never in doubt after the opening minutes. Our youngsters raced to a 28–18 first-quarter lead and never surrendered it. Czechia briefly threatened early (trailing 0–6 at one stage) but Belgium methodically expanded their cushion through the second and third quarters, leading 68–52 entering the final period. The fourth quarter saw our boys seal it with a devastating 12–0 run that turned a comfortable lead into a 20-point margin at its peak. Aaron Ona Embo was the engine, posting 26 points, 9 assists and 5 rebounds on efficient free-throw shooting (11/12 from the line), though his overall field-goal accuracy (6/20) showed Czechia's perimeter defense had moments of bite. Ilias Van Hecke proved far more reliable from deep, hitting 7 of 11 three-pointers for 21 points. Tim Waerniers contributed 17 points and 9 rebounds to control the glass. Marek Houska led Czechia with 21 points on solid 9-of-16 shooting, but support dried up around him — no other Czech player reached double figures in a true bench effort. Belgium moves forward with this commanding performance in hand.

Aaron Ona Embo has been unstoppable for our young Lions in Division B — 25.1 points per game on a 66.7 TIB Efficiency rating that sits well clear of the field. He'll face a sterner test of his scoring instincts tonight when Czechia U18 sends Marek Houska onto the floor. Houska is the Czech orchestrator, threading 7.9 assists per game while chipping in 14.3 points of his own (58.5 TIB EFF). The mismatch is real: we have a volume scorer operating at elite efficiency; they have a floor general. It's the kind of personnel duel that tends to set the tone for entire stretches. Belgium and Czechia tip off in just over three hours. Watch how our youngsters navigate the pressure on the perimeter.