Israel defends FIBA U20 European crown

Team Israel successfully defended their FIBA U20 European Championship title on Sunday in a thrilling 92-84 victory over Spain. The last team to repeat as champions was Serbia in 2008.

Israel has a bright future ahead. They have a stacked roster of promising young talent, making them a force to be reckoned with in the international stage in the near future.

The game was a hotly contested one, with the first and second quarters ending in deadlocks. Both teams headed to their respective locker rooms for the halftime break all tied up at 42-42.

The Israeli squad seized the advantage in the third quarter and outscored Spain 24-17 in this period to pull ahead. From there it was a matter of taking care of their lead and holding off Spain’s offense.

Israel got huge games from the 2020 NBA draft prospect Deni Avdija and Yam Madar. Avdija exploded for a game-high 23 points while adding five rebounds, seven assists, and three 3-pointers to the box score. Madar dropped an efficient 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting from the field, along with eight dimes of his own.

Spain’s Carlos Alocen did a good job quarterbacking his team’s offense with a 10-point, 11-assist double-double night. Miguel Gonzalez paced the team with 14 points while Arnau Parrado and Josep Puerto added 13 points apiece.

Israel now celebrates this successful title defense and will look to the next FIBA U20 European Championship.