EuroBasket U16: France Secures Silver Medal

The Latvian team delivered a basketball masterclass against a predictable French side, whose offense relied heavily on drives and produced only two three-pointers out of thirteen attempts, both late in the game. France struggled significantly in the third quarter, falling behind by as much as 14 points.

The highly anticipated matchup between Messie Guethan Iwani and Benjamin Berrouet was dominated by the Latvian prodigy, who was undoubtedly the tournament's MVP. Berrouet showcased an exceptional performance with 22 points, 13 rebounds, and an evaluation score of 36, in contrast to Iwani's 19 points, 8 rebounds, and an evaluation of 17.

This marks a significant achievement for the French U16 team, although they fell short of gold.

Despite an aggressive defense, France held a slight lead for most of the first quarter (21-19). However, recurring finishing issues, exemplified by Messie Guethan Iwani missing his first six shots, led to a scoring drought of over five minutes and a five-point deficit (21-26). While not flawless, with an 11-for-32 shooting record and no three-pointers in the first 20 minutes, the French team managed to regain the lead against the Baltic nation, heading into halftime up 33-32.

The French players appeared sluggish coming out of the locker room, losing ground again and facing increasingly concerning margins, trailing 38-49. The Latvian duo of Benjamin Berrouet and Matiss Preimanis were instrumental in this surge, scoring 24 points combined. France continued to struggle with their outside shooting.

Although Taig Nonga Drieux managed to block Benjamin Berrouet twice consecutively, his teammates squandered numerous opportunities to capitalize, leaving France with a 12-point deficit at the end of the third quarter (44-56).

The French team attempted a full-court press, and Liham Eleka converted all 10 of his free throws, sparking hopes of a comeback (53-60, 66-70). However, their overly simplistic offensive strategy proved insufficient. Their first three-point basket didn't come until 3 minutes and 33 seconds remained in the game. Benjamin Berrouet, with two successful one-on-one plays, delivered the final touches to Latvia's masterful performance.

In the bronze medal match, Spain defeated Lithuania 96-93.

The box score is available HERE.