The journey came to an end for Israel’s Under-20 national team on Sunday as it wrapped up their European Championship campaign with a 92-82 loss to host nation Greece in the fifth-place game in Heraklion.
Despite the defeat, it was a strong showing overall for Sharon Avrahami’s squad, which won its group with a perfect record and earned a statement victory over Romania in the Round of 16.
The game against Greece started evenly, tied 21-21 after the first quarter, but the hosts pulled away in the second behind the energy of the home crowd and the stellar play of Alexandros Smordov and Naoklis Avdales. By halftime, Israel trailed 49-40, and the gap only grew in the third quarter, peaking at 17 points.
Mounting a comeback
Israel mounted a spirited comeback attempt in the final frame, led by Alon Michaeli and Omer Mayer. A 12-0 run trimmed the deficit to just five points midway through the fourth, and Jonathan Abulof’s free throws brought it down to six with time winding down. But Greece had an answer every time, with Avdales – who finished with a near triple-double – delivering clutch buckets and free throws down the stretch to seal the win.
Michaeli led Israel with 22 points and 10 rebounds, Mayer added 19, and Shachar Doron scored 16. Despite falling short of a top-five finish, the team leaves the tournament with pride after a strong showing and promising performances from its young core.