Standing through a thousand waves, the incomplete National basketball team remained against the Netherlands: 72-74, led by the surprising Vassilis Toliopoulos. At halftime, the score was 39-32 in favor of the home team.
Now, Vassilis Spanoulis’ team has 2 wins in as many matches for the EuroBasket 2025 qualifiers. Among the 6,000 fans who filled the stadium in The Hague were hundreds of Greeks.
The National team appeared very frivolous in the first half and with cheap mistakes gave the hosts … air: 31-18 with a 17-0 run. Lountzis, Kalaitzakis reduced the score to 37-32, Giorgos Papagiannis scored for 41-37 and Vassilis Toliopoulos made it 53-49 with back-to-back baskets.
The overtaking came in the 28th minute with another three-pointer by the unstoppable Toliopoulos: 53-56. The Dutch regained the lead with Franke, 63-62, and the match went point-to-point. Moraitis scored 68-69 with a three-pointer and Toliopoulos scored again 29” before the final: 71-72. Franke missed and Charalambopoulos gave the free kick with a nail.
The Greek team was presented with many absences and a composition of “windows”, since Walkap, Papanikolaou, Mitoglou and the injured Larentzakis stayed in Athens to rest. Slukas, Kalathis, Papapetrou were excluded from the start.
Vassilis Toliopoulos was the leader of the National team with 26 points, 4/9 three-pointers and 8 assists. Dimitris Moraitis scored 14 points, Panagiotis Kalaitzakis 9, Vassilis Charalambopoulos 10, Michalis Lountzis 5 and Yiannis Kouseloglou 4.
Rogavopoulos, Mantzoukas, Zougris were also used without scoring. Naz Mitrou-Long did not play because he injured his shoulder in practice yesterday. Kostas Antetokounmpo left in the first half with a knee injury. Giorgos Papagiannis also played injured, who scored 6 points and helped a lot in the end.
From the Netherlands of the Israeli coach Arik Sivek, which now counts two defeats in as many matches, Schaftenaar 13, Kraach 10, Franke 9, van der Furst 9 stood out.
The next matches of our national team for the same event are scheduled for next November (21 and 24), against Great Britain. The first three teams from the Group will qualify. EuroBasket 2025 will start in four countries (Cyprus, Poland, Finland, Latvia) and the finals will be held in Riga.
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