New Zealand beats Spain
The Quarter-Finals cast for the FIBA 3×3 U23 World Cup is complete after a dramatic day of pool phase action at the Hongshan Riverfront Park in Wuhan.
New Zealand and Latvia advanced from Men’s Pool B, while Lithuania and United States survived Pool D. Over in the Women’s competition, Canada and the Netherlands advanced from Pool B, while Australia and the United States secured the knockout round spots from Pool D.
New Zealand produced one of the biggest performances of the day in Men’s Pool B, defeating Spain 20-15 before overcoming Egypt 21-16 to secure their place in the Quarter-Finals. Joshua Book was instrumental in both victories, scoring a total of 21 points and hitting a total of 7 two-pointers in their last two Pool B games. The back-to-back wins gave New Zealand a 3-1 record and a place in the knockout rounds.
Latvia, meanwhile, swept Pool B after defeating the Philippines 21-11 and beating Spain 18-12. Dāvis Skreivers led Latvia against the Philippines with nine points and five rebounds, while Mārtiņš Bumbieris added seven points against Spain as Latvia closed out their Day 4 assignments with two wins.
In Men’s Pool D, defending champions Lithuania completed a perfect run with victories over the United States and Argentina. Rokas Jocys exploded for 13 points, including five two-pointers, in Lithuania’s 21-14 win over the USA. Paulius Velutis then added eight points in the 21-12 victory over Argentina as Lithuania finished 4-0. The USA and Argentina both ended 2-2, but the United States owned the tie-breaker advantage and claimed the pool’s last Quarter-Final spot.
Women’s Pool B delivered plenty of drama, with Canada and the Netherlands both finishing 3-1 and advancing to the Quarter-Finals. Canada opened Day 4 with a 21-9 victory over Chinese Taipei before narrowly falling 14-13 to the Netherlands. The Netherlands then closed out the pool phase with an 18-13 victory over Poland, securing their own 3-1 record and advancing alongside Canada.
Australia completed a perfect Women’s Pool D campaign, defeating Slovenia 20-17 before winning their last game against the United States via forfeit. The Australians finished 4-0 and advanced as pool winners. Tayla Jean Brazel continued her strong tournament with 10 points against Slovenia, including four two-pointers. The United States also advanced after defeating Kenya 21-12 and finishing with a 3-1 record.
Men’s Quarter-Finals Matchups
QF1: Serbia vs France
QF2: Lithuania vs New Zealand
QF3: Latvia vs United States
QF4: Australia vs Netherlands
Women’s Quarter-Finals Matchups
QF1: France vs Latvia
QF2: Australia vs Canada
QF3: Netherlands vs United States
QF4: Spain vs China
