Serbia U18 women lose European semifinal to Spain

Serbia lost 79-56 to Spain in the semifinal of the Women's U18 EuroBasket. The Serbian team remained competitive during the opening quarter before Spain created a clear lead.

Nevena Petrovic led Serbia with 15 points and five rebounds. Spain advanced to the final, while Serbia moved into the bronze-medal game against Finland.

Serbia stayed close during the opening quarter

Serbia began with accurate shooting from outside the paint. That early success kept the score balanced through the first ten minutes. The team coached by Miljana Bojovic moved the ball well during this period. Spain had not yet established control around the basket.

The pattern changed during the second quarter. Spain increased its defensive pressure and used its size more effectively near the rim. A double-digit difference appeared before halftime. Serbia entered the break needing a strong response against an increasingly confident opponent.

Spain extended the lead after halftime

Spain continued to control the paint during the third quarter. Its defenders also interrupted several Serbian possessions before a shot appeared. The difference reached twenty-five points after thirty minutes. That margin left Serbia with little time for a complete recovery.

Spain protected the advantage during the final quarter. The game ended with a difference of twenty-three points. The 79-56 result sent Spain into the title game. Serbia's tournament continued in the match for third place.

Turnovers damaged the Serbian attack

Serbia committed 26 turnovers across the semifinal. Spain recorded 19 steals and created many attacks from those mistakes. A lost possession removes the chance to attempt a shot. It can also leave the defence without enough time to organise.

Serbia's under-18 women's basketball team gathers for a team photograph.

Spain used both effects during its decisive run. Quick points followed several interceptions before Serbia could protect the basket. The turnover count therefore explains part of the final margin. Serbia's outside shooting was not enough to replace so many lost attacks.

Petrovic led the Serbian scoring

Nevena Petrovic finished with 15 points, five rebounds and two steals. She remained Serbia's main scoring option during a difficult second half. Jovana Ilic added nine points and five rebounds. Milica Mazic contributed eight points and three assists.

Kalina Kozul and Ana Mutavdzic scored seven points each. The Serbian points were spread across several players behind Petrovic. Spain received 17 points and seven rebounds from Somto Okafor. Marta Llompart added eleven points and five assists.

The bronze game offers one more medal chance

Serbia did not reach the final, but the team remained one victory from a medal. Finland became the opponent in the third-place game. The semifinal provided clear information before that match. Ball security and defensive transition were the two main areas visible in the score.

Serbia had already advanced through the earlier stages to reach the last four. The defeat did not remove that achievement. The next game determines the final position at the championship. Serbia enters it after facing the strongest Spanish performance of the semifinal.

The score changed after the first ten minutes

Serbia finished the opening quarter four points ahead. Accurate perimeter shooting produced the team's best period of the semifinal. Spain then moved thirteen points ahead by halftime. The second quarter therefore created a seventeen-point change in the match position.

The lead reached twenty-five points after the third quarter. Spain had controlled two consecutive periods before the final ten minutes. Serbia reduced the final difference slightly during the last quarter. The earlier Spanish runs had already decided access to the final.

Spain combined scoring with work around the basket

Okafor added two assists and two steals to her seventeen points. Her seven rebounds also supported Spain on both ends of the court. Llompart recorded four rebounds beside her eleven points and five assists. Adriana Diaz finished with ten points and eight rebounds.

Those performances gave Spain several productive options. Serbia could not focus its defence on only one scorer. Petrovic still produced the leading Serbian total. Her scoring and rebounding remained valuable while the team struggled with turnovers.

The championship is taking place in Stockholm

The U18 event is being held in Kista, a district of Stockholm. Serbia reached the semifinal after progressing through the earlier tournament rounds. Spain moved into the final against France. Serbia and Finland entered the separate game for the bronze medal.

Those matches determine all four leading positions. The semifinal winners compete for the title, while the defeated teams retain one medal opportunity. Serbia's next opponent arrives from the other side of the bracket. The final position therefore remains undecided despite the semifinal loss.

Spain created the decisive gap after a close opening

Serbia remained near Spain during the first quarter. The difference increased later as turnovers gave the Spanish team more attacking possessions.

Petrovic led Serbia's scoring in the semifinal. The defeat moved the team into the bronze match instead of ending its tournament immediately.