Israel’s Under-19 Women’s National Team adventure at the FIBA World Cup came to an end this Wednesday with a heartbreaking 83-80 loss to Portugal. The dream run of Israel’s Under-19 Women’s National Team at the FIBA World Cup came to an end on Wednesday in the Czech Republic with a heartbreaking 83-80 loss to Portugal in the Round of 16.
Israel’s Under-19 Women’s National Team adventure at the FIBA World Cup came to an end this Wednesday with a heartbreaking 83-80 loss to Portugal.
The dream run of Israel’s Under-19 Women’s National Team at the FIBA World Cup came to an end on Wednesday in the Czech Republic with a heartbreaking 83-80 loss to Portugal in the Round of 16.
In a back-and-forth battle that featured momentum swings, clutch shooting, and a near-comeback, the Israeli squad showed resilience and fight but ultimately fell just short in the final moments.
With the loss, Israel drops into the 9-12 classification round and, due to Mali’s withdrawal from the tournament (visa issues), automatically advances to play again on Saturday.
The loss to Portugal followed the blue-and-whites' concluding the group stage with a heavy 114-40 loss to tournament favorite Team USA late Tuesday.
On Wednesday, Israel got off to a promising start after falling behind early, with Ayala Oren and Gal Raviv fueling an 8-0 run to take a 12-10 lead. Oren dominated the opening quarter with 14 points, and Israel led 29-25 after the first 10 minutes.
Israel's girls fought until the last minute, but it wasn't enough to beat Portugal
Portuguese center Clara Silva, who caused problems for Israel throughout the game, tied the score 39-39 at the buzzer with a layup, capping a first half in which she scored 18 points.
Portugal opened the third quarter with an 11-0 run to pull ahead by double digits, but Israel responded with back-to-back threes to cut the deficit.
Maayan Cohen sank two more triples to keep Israel within striking distance, and Oren brought it to 60-59 with a deep shot of her own. The teams traded baskets from long range, and the quarter ended with Portugal leading 66-62.
Portugal struck again to open the fourth, stretching the lead to 75-64, but Israel refused to go quietly. A quick 6-0 burst cut the gap to four, and Tamara Carmi’s midrange jumper made it 82–80 with just under two minutes to play. On Israel’s next possession, Raviv had a clean look from three but missed. Portugal regained possession, and Israel’s defense failed to commit a foul in time to stop the clock, allowing the Portuguese to hold on for the win.
Category: General Sports
