Serbia men's basketball 3 x 3 team
Serbia men and France women made major statements at the FIBA 3×3 U23 World Cup, completing perfect pool-phase campaigns to secure their places in the quarter-finals.
Serbia swept Men’s Pool A with a 4-0 record, while France did the same in Women’s Pool A. The Netherlands, Australia, China, Spain and Latvia also booked their places in the knockout stage as Pools A and C reached their conclusion.
Last year’s Men’s runners-up continued their impressive campaign by completing a perfect run through Men’s Pool A, defeating Germany 21-13 before closing out the day with a 21-15 victory over the Netherlands.
The win over Germany set the tone, with Miloš Cvrkota leading Serbia with nine points. Serbia then saved another strong performance for their last pool game, with Vuk Vukićević scoring nine points and producing seven highlights against the Netherlands. The two victories took Serbia to 4-0, making them and Australia the first Men’s teams to complete a perfect pool phase run, sending them through to the Quarter-Finals.
Vukićević was at the heart of Serbia men’s success on Day 3. The Serbian star produced a total of 17 points on Day 3, helping his team finish the pool phase without a defeat. That result capped a strong pool campaign for Vukićević, who had already made his presence felt on Day 1 with 10 points against Kazakhstan and six against Tonga. He ends Day 3 as tied with Australia’s William Mahoney as the Men’s Tournament top-scorers with 33 points apiece.
With Serbia now through to the Quarter-Finals, Vukićević and his teammates have completed the first step toward their goal of going one better than last year’s silver medal.
France matched Serbia’s achievement on the Women’s side, sweeping Pool A with a 4-0 record after defeating Italy and Egypt on Day 3.
France opened the day with a commanding 21-9 victory over Italy, with Eléna Zemoura leading the way with seven points. Zemoura was again among France’s key contributors in their final pool game, adding six points, five rebounds and six highlights in a 16-10 victory over Egypt. The two wins completed France’s perfect campaign and secured their place in the Quarter-Finals.
Zemoura was one of France’s standout performers throughout Day 3, combining scoring with all-around production in both games. She opened with seven points against Italy before following that up with a triple-five effort against Egypt. Her 13 points across the two games helped France maintain their momentum as they closed out Pool A unbeaten and advanced to the knockout stage. She currently leads the Women’s Tournament in total player value with 42.9.
Australia also completed a perfect Men’s Pool C campaign, defeating Kenya 21-8 before beating Algeria 21-13. Mahoney was the leading scorer in both games, putting up nine points against Kenya and another nine against Algeria, including three two-pointers in the latter victory. Griffin Gerald Biwer also produced a strong performance against Kenya, recording six points, 11 rebounds and six highlights as Australia controlled the game from the start.
Spain also completed an unbeaten Women’s Pool C campaign, defeating Uganda 19-10 before edging Madagascar 17-14. Elena Rodríguez Domínguez contributed six points, five rebounds and five highlights against Uganda. Elena Moreno led Spain with five points against Madagascar. The two victories moved Spain to 4-0 and into the Quarter-Finals.
Latvia also secured their place in the Women’s knockout rounds after finishing Pool C with a 3-1 record. They defeated Uganda 21-8 before beating Tonga 21-4, with Ieva Korzāne producing 10 points, five rebounds and three two-pointers in the latter game.
Hosts China advanced from Women’s Pool A after ruling their two Day 3 games. They edged Italy 18-16 before defeating the Philippines 18-9, with Wu Mengjie erupting for 13 points and seven rebounds in the second victory.
The Netherlands completed a 3-1 Pool A record and advanced to the Men’s Quarter-Finals after beating Kazakhstan 22-9. Wessel Vankan led the way with 11 points and five highlights as the Netherlands bounced back from their defeat to Serbia.
France also booked their place in the Men’s knockout stage after finishing Pool C with a 3-1 record. They defeated Poland 20-13 before closing their campaign with a 21-6 win over Kenya.
Teams through to the knockout stage
Men’s Quarter-Finals
Serbia, Netherlands, Australia, France
Women’s Quarter-Finals
France, China, Spain, Latvia
