FIBA U16 EuroBasket (Division A)

Maor Sela orchestrated Israel U16's 85–68 win over Belgium U16 with a triple-double that defined the Classification Game 13–14: 27 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists across 31 minutes, shooting 10/14 from the field and 6/6 from the line. His control of the game at both ends—two steals to one turnover ratio—gave the hosts a commanding 17-point margin. The result secured 13th place for Israel U16 in FIBA U16 EuroBasket Division A, with Belgium U16 finishing 14th. For Israel, it was a closing statement after a grueling campaign; for Sela, the performance crystallised what he had brought throughout—efficient scoring paired with the kind of playmaking and awareness that kept the team's offence fluid even when the outcome was already settled.

Benjamin Berrouet a dominé la finale du FIBA U16 EuroBasket Division A : 22 points, 13 rebonds, 3 passes, 3 contres en 34 minutes, avec un redoutable 10 sur 14 au tir. Un festival offensif et une présence écrasante à la rebonde qui ont porté la Lettonie à la victoire 75–69 sur nos jeunes Bleus. La performance du Letton n'a laissé aucune marge de manœuvre. Il a capté les ballons importants au moment où la France tentait de revenir, et son efficacité a étouffé tout élan. Face à cette supériorité physique et technique, nos jeunes Bleus n'ont pas trouvé la solution pour le contenir, malgré un écart final resserré. La Lettonie remporte le titre. La France termine deuxième de cette compétition, avec une leçon qui vaut son pesant d'or avant les prochaines échéances des moins de 16 ans. #FIBAU16EuroBasket #BenaminBerrouet #Lettonie #JeunesBleusU16 #FranceBasket #Division A

Benjamin Berrouet a fait le strict nécessaire quand la Lettonie U16 en avait besoin. Avec dix points d'avance à l'entrée des cinq dernières minutes, les Lettons avaient la main sur la finale — mais la France U16 tentait encore d'y croire. C'est dans ce contexte que Berrouet s'est montré impeccable : 6 points en 3/3 au tir, 1 rebond et 1 passe décisive, sans perte de balle et sans faute. La Lettonie a tenu bon jusqu'au bout. Le score final de 75–69 confirme la supériorité affichée, et surtout : la Lettonie U16 est championne de l'FIBA U16 EuroBasket Division A. Nos jeunes Bleus terminent deuxième, battus loin de leurs terres à Oradea.

Latvia U16 a remporté le titre en dominant nos jeunes Bleus en deuxième mi-temps. Le score final, 75–69, raconte une histoire de contrôle tardif : après un premier quart équilibré (21–19), la France restait au contact à la pause (33–32), mais s'est effondrée au troisième quart, encaissant 24 points pour seulement 11, creusant un écart de 12 longueurs (44–56). Le quatrième quart a livré une version plus compétitive. Nos jeunes Bleus ont marqué 25 points — un sursaut bienvenu — et sont revenus à une possession dans les deux dernières minutes. Trop tard. Latvia a tenu bon malgré sept changements de leader et autant d'égalités au cours du match. Benjamin Berrouet a été le pilier des Lettons : 22 points (10/14 au tir) et 13 rebonds. Markuss Jahovics a ajouté 15 points. Côté français, Messie-Guethan Iwani a mené l'attaque avec 19 points et 8 rebonds (6/15 FG, 6/6 FT), tandis qu'Emmanuel Destom Alger a compilé 13 points, 7 rebonds et 4 passes. La France U16 finit deuxième de cet Eurobasket Division A, une belle campagne tempérée par ce revers en finale.

Maor Sela orchestrated a complete performance to steer Israel U16 to a 17-point victory over our young Lions. The 16-year-old finished with 27 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in 31 minutes, shooting 10 of 14 from the field and a perfect 6 for 6 from the line—a near-flawless efficiency that defined the gap between the two sides in Oradea. Belgium U16 couldn't sustain enough offensive rhythm to mount a serious challenge as the match slipped away. The final scoreline, 85–68, reflected a performance where Israel's control and our youngsters' inability to capitalize on their moments proved decisive. The defeat closes the campaign with a 14th-place finish at FIBA U16 EuroBasket Division A. It's a tournament our squad will need to learn from as they build toward the next cycle.

Benjamin Berrouet pose un problème à la France. L'arrière letton affiche un TIB EFF de 108.8 — une domination mécanique à la création — avec 23.8 points et 4.3 passes en récent. Face à lui, Liham Eleka (53.3 EFF, 13.2 PPG, 4.3 APG) devra imposer un rythme que nos jeunes Bleus ne peuvent pas se permettre de perdre. C'est le duel au cœur de ce France U16 - Latvie U16. Le bilan global penche net du côté des Lettons, mais c'est justement là que réside l'enjeu : arrêter la machine adverse en défense, chercher des appuis en transition, et donner à Eleka les espaces pour créer. Coup d'envoi dans trois heures à l'Oradea Arena. À suivre en direct.

Israel's U16s never let our young Lions get within striking distance. A 26-point lead at one stage in the second quarter—35-9 at that moment—set the tone for a wire-to-wire win that finished 85-68, comfortable and controlled from start to finish. Belgium came out cold. The first quarter ended 24-8, and a devastating 15-0 run pushed Israel's advantage to 33-8 mid-second before settling into a 46-23 halftime lead. Our boys fought back in the third, outscoring their opponents 26-18 to make it 64-49 heading into the final frame, but Israel held firm in the fourth, 21-19, to seal the 17-point margin. Maor Sela ran the show for Israel: 27 points on efficient 10/14 shooting, 10 rebounds and 10 assists—a triple-double performance that dictated pace and accuracy. Ido Ziv added 20 points on 8/13 from the field, including 4/9 from three. Youssef Zagdoud led Belgium with 20 points—though 11 of his 14 shots missed—and 6 assists, while Alexander Triki (11 points on 5/8 shooting) and Mats Pepermans (10 points, 4 steals) provided solid support. The gap in execution, especially early, proved too wide to overcome. Our young Lions finish 14th in Division A. A tough campaign ends here.

Youssef Zagdoud delivered 37 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists to steer Belgium U16 past Slovenia U16 85–82 in a Classification round fixture. Shooting 16 of 31 from the field, Zagdoud ran the offense with precision and converted consistently inside the arc. He added 8 steals and committed zero turnovers across 37 minutes, a control figure in a three-point result that required his ballhandling and decision-making down the stretch. Slovenia stayed within reach but Belgium's ball security—anchored by Zagdoud's mistake-free play—proved decisive in a tight contest. The margin reflected the thinness of separation at this level; both teams executed, but Zagdoud's volume and care with the basketball shifted the balance.

Youssef Zagdoud has put together a different class of tournament so far. The Belgian playmaker sits at 70.5 TIB Efficiency with 22.5 points and 5.3 assists per game — numbers that will draw heavy scrutiny when Israel U16 arrives in Oradea with Maor Sela, who's averaging 14.7 points and 3 assists at 57.7 TIB Efficiency. This is the matchup that defines the game. Sela is a capable all-around guard for the Israelis, but he's operating at a different tempo than our young Lion. When Zagdoud's at the controls, the entire Belgian offense moves with intent; when he's off, the rhythm stalls. Israel will likely target him defensively and dare the supporting cast to beat them. Our boys have answered that call elsewhere in the tournament, but the consistency will matter here. Tip-off is in just under three hours. Catch it live.

Messie-Guethan Iwani a porté les jeunes Bleus jusqu'au bout. 21 points, 16 rebonds, 4 passes : la performance brute d'une ailière qui n'a laissé aucune marge à la Lituanie U16 en demi-finale. Loin d'être une statistique gonflée — 8/11 au tir, dont 2/3 de loin, 3/4 aux lancers — elle a frappé là où il fallait. La France s'impose 92–82 en Roumanie. Dix points d'écart, c'est le reflet d'une domination tranquille plutôt que d'une lutte crispée. Iwani a fourni le travail de recyclage sur le verre (16 rebonds en 34 minutes) et s'est montrée propre dans la gestion du ballon pour un arrière en position offensive. Nos jeunes Bleus terminent cette compétition sur une note positive. Une demi-finale remportée, une équipe qui a su trouver ses ressources quand elles comptaient.

Emmanuel Destom Alger a fermé les débats quand tout se jouait. Avec la France U16 déjà maîtresse d'un avantage de quatre points à l'entrée des cinq dernières minutes, le jeune intérieur tricolore a cimenté la victoire par la présence et l'efficacité : 2 points, 3 rebonds et 1 contre dans ce dernier acte, sans ballon perdu. Sur ses deux tentatives en zone, il en a converti une. Discret au scoring, mais utile là où ça compte — un profil de rôle player qui pèse quand les possessions deviennent précieuses. La Lituanie U16 n'a pas trouvé la ressource pour revenir : nos jeunes Bleus se sont imposés 92–82, à Oradea. Avec cette demi-finale remportée, la France U16 boucle sa campagne à l'EuroBasket Division A sur une note de succès. Un parcours à valoriser pour une génération qui commence à prendre forme.

France U16 a arraché la victoire en demi-finale. Nos jeunes Bleus se sont imposés 92-82 face à la Lituanie, après un scénario qui s'est décidé dans le dernier quart-temps. Le match a longtemps tenu ses promesses : huit changements de leader et cinq égalités ont animé une rencontre équilibrée jusqu'à la mi-temps, où la France menait 47-37. La Lituanie s'est complètement réveillée au troisième quart-temps pour inverser la tendance. Menée 69-70 après trois périodes, la France a basculé le match avec une série dévastratrice de 13-0 en début de quatrième quart, passant de 77-78 à 90-78. La domination de nos Bleus pendant ce tiers quart — où ils ont signé un +22 — a scellé l'affaire malgré une ultime réaction lituanienne. Liham Eleka a porté le succès avec 25 points en 6/10 au tir et un parfait 12/12 aux lancers francs, complété par 8 passes décisives. Messie-Guethan Iwani a dominé les débats avec un double-double de 21 points et 16 rebonds. Pour la Lituanie, Danielius Jasikevicius a tenu son équipe à flot : 21 points, 9 passes et 6 rebonds, soutenu par Rapolas Klisauskas (17 points, 7 passes). Nos jeunes Bleus terminent leur campagne avec cette médaille en demi-finale remportée.

Youssef Zagdoud carried our young Lions to a 85–82 win over Slovenia U16 on the final day of their Division A campaign, posting 37 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists and 8 steals across 37 minutes at Arena Antonio Alexe in Oradea. The performance was as complete as it gets in a three-point finish. Zagdoud shot 16 of 31 from the floor and 5 of 7 from the line — efficient enough when the margin was this tight — and his eight steals were the real standout, turning the ball over just once in the process. He ran the offense when needed and took what the defense gave him, neither forcing nor disappearing when the game tightened in the final moments. It was exactly the kind of individual display our boys needed in a classification game that mattered for their seeding. Zagdoud's work across the full span — scoring, facilitating, defending — is what got them over the line.

⚔️ Danielius Jasikevicius vs Liham Eleka — the duel to watch. Lithuania U16 vs France U16, tipping off in 3h.

Zagdoud carries 55.4 TIB Efficiency into the Slovenia matchup tonight — 19.6 points and 5.2 assists per game lighting up our youngsters' offense. But he'll face a Blazic in sharper form: the Slovenian guard sits at 57.6 efficiency, averaging 15 points with the kind of court vision that's made him the quieter architect in their attack. This is the duel that decides tempo. Zagdoud thrives in space, running the pick-and-roll and finding cutters; Blazic moves fewer bodies but runs tighter sets. Neither is a shot-volume scorer — both operate as primary facilitators first — which means the game hinges on who controls the rhythm and forces the other into isolation ball. Belgium U16 and Slovenia U16 tip off in Oradea in roughly three hours. Our young Lions have the offensive artillery, but Blazic's efficiency rating suggests Slovenia won't roll over. Worth your attention.

Benjamin Berrouet carried Latvia U16 past Greece U16 with 25 points, 14 rebounds and 5 blocks in 33 minutes, anchoring a 92–80 quarter-final win at Oradea Arena. The Latvian forward shot 9 of 13 from the floor—including 6 of 6 from the free-throw line—to power a 12-point margin that never truly tightened in the second half. Berrouet's work on the glass and at the rim proved decisive. Fourteen rebounds, five rejections: the kind of interior presence that closes out a tight competition when shooting efficiency matters. He turned it over three times against a defence that Greece U16 tried to tighten late, but the offensive balance—nearly 70 per cent accuracy overall—left little room for a Greek comeback. The margin held. Latvia U16 advances to the semi-finals.

⭐ Player of the Game: Messie-Guethan Iwani — 18 PTS, 8 REB, 6 AST, 2 STL, 1 BLK. France U16 take it, 108–69.

🏀 Final: Romania U16 69–108 France U16. Top: Sebastian-Petru Lapuste 19 PTS.

Youssef Zagdoud carried our young Lions on his shoulders in Oradea, finishing with 35 points, 8 assists and 3 steals across 39 minutes—but it was not enough. Belgium U16 fell 88–93 to Czechia, a five-point defeat that closed out their campaign in the classification round of the FIBA U16 EuroBasket Division A. Zagdoud shot 14 of 24 from the field and made 6 of 11 free throws, though he managed only 1 three-pointer on six attempts. Seven turnovers and four fouls marred an otherwise dominant individual showing; his playmaking—eight assists in a tight game—kept Belgium competitive, but Czechia's depth proved decisive down the stretch. It was a strong individual tournament for Zagdoud. This result marks the end of the road for our boys at this level, and a chance to build on what these young talents have shown over the past week.

Matyas Kubjat steadied Czechia when the margin was thinnest. Entering the final five minutes down a single point against Belgium, the young Lions clawed toward the line — and Kubjat answered. In that closing stretch and overtime, he put up 8 points on 3-of-4 shooting, added 3 rebounds and a helper, and committed no turnovers across 1 foul. His 1-of-2 from distance and 1-of-2 free throw helped tilt the balance as Czechia closed out a 93–88 win. It was a composed finish when composure mattered most. Belgium came up five short, but Kubjat's efficiency in the crunch — shooting at 75 percent from the floor when possession counted — proved the difference in a tight classification game. For our young Lions, the loss closes their FIBA U16 EuroBasket campaign in Division A. The hunt for a better seeding in the final standings continues elsewhere.