Lithuanian U18 Basketball Team Ends European Championship Group Stage with Loss to Germany

The Lithuanian U18 men's basketball team concluded the group stage of the European Championship with a defeat against Germany. The Lithuanians started strong, leading by eight points after the first quarter, but Germany rallied to narrow the gap to a single point by halftime. In the second half, Germany intensified its play, outscoring Lithuania by 18 points across the third and fourth quarters to secure the win. Lithuania managed only 28 points after the break.

This loss follows a mixed performance in the group stage. Earlier, the team suffered a narrow defeat to Slovenia (76:83) but bounced back with a decisive victory over Bulgaria (90:69). All four teams from their group are set to advance to the knockout stage.

In the round of 16, Lithuania will face the second-place team from Group D, which could be Spain, Italy, Latvia, or Estonia. The team had recently triumphed in the Baltic Cup, defeating Latvia, Estonia, and Poland, and also participated in a preparatory tournament in Spain against Serbia, Spain, and Latvia.

The coaching staff for the Lithuanian U18 team includes Head Coach Gintaras Kadžiulis and assistants Žygimantas Janavičius, Aistis Pilauskas, Martynas Liuima, Paulius Steponavičius, Dominykas Bručas, and Lukas Pupeikis. The roster for the European Championship features players such as Emilis Prekevičius, Kornelijus Snitka, Galius Černeckis, and others from various Lithuanian and international academies.