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.