Turkey – Greece 55-65
The Greek National Junior Team (U16) got off to a winning start at the international tournament in Istanbul, defeating hosts Turkey 65-55.
Greece showed strong character from the beginning, taking an early 4-0 lead and controlling the tempo with solid defense and effective offense. Although Turkey mounted several comebacks, the Greek side repeatedly responded with key contributions from Spanos, Monamas, Charalambidis, and others.
The first half ended with Greece narrowly ahead 33-30. In the third quarter, Turkey closed the gap to just one point (32-33), but Greece quickly regained momentum and extended the lead to double digits once again (36-46).
In the final period, Turkey made one last push, closing to 47-48, but Greece pulled away decisively. Christodoulou scored seven straight points and Spanos added six, securing a comfortable 65-55 victory.
Standout Performers for Greece:
- Spanoulis: 13 points, 9 rebounds
- Christodoulou: 11 points
- Spanos: 10 points, 8 rebounds
- Monamas: 6 points, 10 rebounds, 4 blocks
Quarter Scores: 14-22 | 30-33 | 44-48 | 55-65
Greece will face Latvia next on Saturday, July 18 at 16:00.
This victory marks a promising start for the Greek team in the tournament.