Gold Medal: Israel's Youth Women's Basketball Team Wins European Championship Division B
A day after securing their return to Division A, the blue-and-white team impressed with an 85:66 victory over Romania to claim the title. Maya Zilbershlag was named the tournament's MVP.
The women's youth national team concluded a perfect tournament this Sunday by winning the European Championship Division B. After securing their promotion to Division A yesterday, the team defeated the host nation, Romania, 85:66 in the final, finishing the tournament undefeated with seven wins in seven games. Next summer, Israel will return to the top stage of the European Championship.
Israel started the game brilliantly, leaving the Romanians no time to settle. Maya Zilbershlag, who was named the tournament's MVP, led the charge with excellent offensive play, putting the blue-and-white team ahead 13:6. A timeout by the hosts did not disrupt the momentum, and Maayan Gorin, who was selected alongside Zilbershlag for the tournament's All-Star Five, added a three-pointer to extend the lead to 18:6. Although Romania managed to score twice from beyond the arc, Zilbershlag and Gorin continued to dominate, ending the first quarter with an impressive 30:14 lead.
Israeli dominance persisted in the second quarter. Mika Kanitz and Rotem Shtiklaro made significant impacts as the hosts struggled to generate points against the Israeli defense. The gap widened to 47:29 before Tamar Karmi added points in the paint to set the halftime score at 51:29. The second half turned into a celebration for the blue-and-white team, with the lead growing to 69:38 and reaching nearly 40 points by the end of the third quarter (76:44).
Though the hosts attempted a comeback with a 17:0 run at the start of the final quarter, reducing the deficit to 76:57 with six minutes remaining, Israel regained control. A crucial basket by Rotem Shtiklaro restored confidence, followed by her three-pointer and a three-point play by Mika Kanitz, which effectively sealed the victory.
Key individual performances:
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Maayan Gorin: 22 points
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Maya Zilbershlag: 21 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists
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Mika Kanitz: 14 points, 10 rebounds
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Rotem Shtiklaro: 13 points, 9 assists
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Tamar Karmi: 12 points
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Mika Yanai: 3 points
Cadet Team Defeated by Spain
In other action, the cadet national team was defeated 101:62 by Spain in their final group stage match of the European Championship. The Spaniards started strongly, ending the first quarter 30:12, and continued to increase their lead throughout the game. Israel, finishing second in Group C, will face Germany (third in Group D) in the round of 16.
