The blue-yellows lost twice to the Israelis in qualifying for EuroBasket 2025
Head coach Ukrainian national basketball team Vitaly Stepanovsky commented on the second defeat from the national team Israel (75:88) in qualifying for European Championship 2025.
“I agree that in both matches we played better in the first 20 minutes. In the first game, three minutes before the end of the third quarter, three blunders were made. They did not follow the rules in defense that were agreed upon. They missed points from their leaders after screens and handoffs, as a result of which they gained a 10-point advantage. In the future, it was difficult to win back this gap.”
“In the second match we had a 10-point advantage in the first half, but we should have won much more – about 20 points. In this case, the game could have turned out completely differently. We understood that in the second half they would give their best and do everything to reduce this handicap. In the second match, we adhered to the rules of defense better, but one on one the Israeli team showed their class, especially Madar and Safar. We couldn’t contain them.”
“Against a team like Israel, which brought a top squad and naturalized an American, in order to win, you need to be focused for all 40 minutes and not allow yourself to make mistakes, because the opponent will immediately punish.”
“It’s clear that the guys were very disappointed. Nobody likes to lose, everyone understands who we played with. Of course, after the match we talked about the need to assemble the strongest squad in February. We have every chance to win two matches and everyone is getting ready for further struggle. “I, in turn, want to thank all the players who paid attention to the national team and worked in this window.”
Ukraine continues to remain an outsider in its Quartet A – it lost all four matches. Let us remind you that in February the blue-yellows lost away to Slovenia (73:87), and then lost to Portugal (77:79). Also, Stepanovsky’s team lost to Israel in the first meeting with a score of 73:86.
Ukraine’s chances of qualifying for EuroBasket 2025 have dropped to theoretical. Israel and Portugal each have two victories after four rounds, while Slovenia is in the lead with three victories to its credit. Three of the four best quartet teams will advance further.
The Ukrainian team has two final games left to qualify, which will take place next year. On February 20 there will be a match with Slovenia, and on February 23 – with Portugal.
Source: Sportarena
I’m Todderic Kirkman, a journalist and author for athletistic. I specialize in covering all news related to sports, ranging from basketball to football and everything in between. With over 10 years of experience in the industry, I have become an invaluable asset to my team. My ambition is to bring the most up-to-date information on sports topics around the world.
