Israel’s senior men absorbed a 92-86 loss to Germany in a FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 European qualifier at the Xiaomi Arena in Riga on Friday night, dropping to 2-3 in Group E ahead of a Monday road game in Croatia. Two days later, Israel’s U20 women won their own cliffhanger, beating Croatia 87-85 in Lithuania on Ayala Oren’s two free throws with 1.2 seconds left.
Both Israeli basketball programs enter the new week with one game left in their opening stages, and both seasons hinge on how those games break.
How Israel Fell Behind in Riga on Friday Night
Germany opened with a 10-0 run in the opening minutes and never trailed on its way to a 92-86 win over Israel in the Group E qualifier, per Eurobasket.com’s recap. The reigning FIBA Basketball World Cup champions led by eight points after the first quarter and pushed the gap as large as 22 points through three quarters before absorbing a fourth-quarter rally built on Yam Madar, Khadeen Carrington, and Tomer Ginat.
Israel’s designated home game was moved to the Latvian capital because of the security situation in the country, the Jerusalem Post reported. The FIBA box score for the Israel vs Germany game shows the final margin, with the loss dropping Israel to 2-3 in Group E and into the third seed behind Germany and Croatia, who both sit at 4-1.
Madar’s 31 Points and the German Counterpunch
Madar led all scorers with 31 points on 11-of-19 shooting, adding five assists and two steals per Eurobasket.com. Carrington finished with 21 and Ginat added 16, the three combining for 68 of Israel’s 86 points. The guard trio carried the offense against a German defense that kept the rest of the Israeli roster quiet through three quarters. Madar’s stat line was the highest individual total for either side.
Dennis Schroder paced Germany with 21 points, while Christian Sengfelder scored 16 and Kay Bruhnke added 15. Eurobasket.com credited Bruhnke’s hot start with sparking the opening 10-0 burst. Sengfelder’s efficient shooting kept the German offense rolling through the middle quarters, when Israel could not get closer than 15.
Beit Halachmi, Israel’s head coach, addressed the gap in perimeter shooting and on the boards in his postgame comments. He called Germany “a team of this caliber” and acknowledged that the loss came against the reigning FIBA Basketball World Cup champions. The Jerusalem Post published the comments in a recap on Sunday, two days after the game. The comments also previewed Monday’s matchup in Croatia.
I’m proud of the players, and I’m proud of where we are. Obviously, it wasn’t enough to beat a team of this caliber. We struggled on the boards, but especially with their 3-point shooting. Now we’re looking ahead to the next game. Every game is different. Croatia is a very good and talented team, and it’s also a road game in front of their crowd.
Israel head coach Ariel Beit Halachmi delivered the comments in the postgame press conference, the Jerusalem Post reported. Staff member Yair Kravitz, in the same outlet, also pointed forward to Monday’s matchup: “We’ll go to Croatia determined to give everything we have and earn a victory. We know it won’t be easy, but we’ll come ready to give 100%, just like we do in every game.” Croatia is the last Group E opponent for Beit Halachmi’s side. The team played its designated home game against Germany in Riga, the Jerusalem Post reported, due to the security situation in Israel. The seniors now travel to Zagreb to close the first round.
Where Group E Stands Going Into Monday
Israel has secured a place in the second round of FIBA World Cup 2027 qualifying, the FIBA standings page shows. Germany and Croatia, both 4-1, sit one game ahead of Israel at 2-3, with Cyprus, 0-5, rounding out the group. The first round closes this week, with each team playing one more game.
| Team | W-L | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Germany | 4-1 | Qualified for second round |
| Croatia | 4-1 | Qualified for second round |
| Israel | 2-3 | Qualified for second round |
| Cyprus | 0-5 | Eliminated |
Monday’s matchup in Croatia is Israel’s last first-round contest, a road game Beit Halachmi called “in front of their crowd” in his postgame remarks. The seniors travel to Zagreb for a Monday tipoff. Croatia, like Israel, already has a place in the second round, per the FIBA standings page. Cyprus, 0-5, rounds out the group.
The week is not over for Israeli basketball after Monday. Israel’s U20 women play their final group-stage game Tuesday in Lithuania. Tal Natan’s team dropped its opener 68-66 to defending champion Spain, the Jerusalem Post reported, then bounced back with an 87-85 win over Croatia. The U20 women will face host Lithuania on Tuesday, the Jerusalem Post reported, to close Group A play. The men’s and women’s programs both have one game left in their respective opening rounds.
The U20 Women Open, Collapse, and Steal a Win
The FIBA U20 Women’s EuroBasket 2026 is being played in Lithuania, with Israel’s group including Spain, Croatia, and the host Lithuanians. Tal Natan’s team dropped its opener 68-66 to defending champion Spain after Gal Raviv missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer, the Jerusalem Post reported. The U20 women bounced back two days later against Croatia. The Jerusalem Post called the 87-85 win “dramatic.”
Israel built an 11-3 lead inside the first four minutes against Croatia, forcing an early Croatian timeout, per the sportsrabbi recap. Maya Elmaliah caught fire for eight consecutive points, and Israel took a 26-19 lead after the first quarter. The lead was built behind 3-pointers from Maya Zilbershlag and Maayan Cohen and full-court pressure that produced turnovers leading to easy baskets, per the same recap. Croatia gradually settled into the game, exploiting its size advantage inside. The Jerusalem Post reported Raviv starred throughout, with sportsrabbi adding that 25 of her 26 points came after halftime.
Raviv scored Israel’s first 11 points of the third quarter, per the sportsrabbi recap, helping Israel push the lead to 66-55 heading into the fourth. Li Teichman and Maayan Cohen sparked another Israeli run in the period. Croatia’s 3-point play by Bozan cut the deficit to 51-50 with four minutes left in the third, but Israel answered. The Jerusalem Post reported Raviv finished with 26 points and 9 assists in the win.
Croatia opened the final frame with a 10-3 run, catching fire from beyond the arc to take a 78-76 lead with 3:47 left, per the sportsrabbi recap. Raviv answered with five straight points to put Israel back in front 85-80. Croatia refused to fold and tied the game at 85-85 with under a minute to play.
Croatia controlled the glass all night, finishing with 55 rebounds led by Petra Bozan’s 13-point, 11-rebound performance. Maayan Cohen scored 14 and Ayala Oren added 11 for Israel in the win, the Jerusalem Post reported. The closing seconds would belong to Oren. The win evened Israel’s group record at 1-1 ahead of Tuesday’s game against host Lithuania.
How Israel Won the Game in 1.2 Seconds
On Israel’s final possession, Raviv drove and kicked to Ayala Oren, who drew a foul on a 3-point attempt with 1.2 seconds remaining. Oren calmly sank the first two free throws and intentionally missed the third to run out the clock. The sequence sealed an 87-85 victory and Israel’s first win of the tournament. The Jerusalem Post reported the win evened Israel’s record at 1-1 in the group. The win also kept the team’s hopes of advancing from the group stage alive.
Credit to the players and my coaching staff. Croatia is a very tall and physically strong team. We’ll have to improve our defense and rebounding, but I’m happy the players followed the tactical game plan and managed to win an important game. We’re already preparing for Lithuania.
Israel U20 women’s head coach Tal Natan made the comments to the Jerusalem Post after Sunday’s win. The Jerusalem Post published the comments in a Sunday recap. Natan’s team faces host Lithuania on Tuesday in its final group-stage game.
The win evened Israel’s record at 1-1 in Group A and kept the team’s hopes of advancing from the group stage alive. The U20 women face host Lithuania on Tuesday, the Jerusalem Post reported, in their final group-stage game. The seniors, meanwhile, have their own final group-stage game in Croatia on Monday. Both teams are one game from closing their opening rounds.
What This Week Carries for Both Programs
Israel’s two basketball programs are separated by age and stage, but their opening rounds run on the same clock. The senior men play Croatia on the road in Zagreb on Monday. The U20 women face host Lithuania on Tuesday, per the Jerusalem Post.
The men entered the weekend 2-2 in Group E, lost to Germany 92-86, and now sit at 2-3 with one matchup left. The U20 women entered at 0-1 after a two-point loss to defending champion Spain, beat Croatia 87-85, and are now 1-1. Each team has one game to set the table for what comes next. Both seasons hinge on a single game.
The seniors travel to Zagreb for a Monday tipoff, the final first-round contest of the FIBA World Cup 2027 European qualifiers. The U20 women wrap their group stage in Lithuania on Tuesday. The FIBA U20 Women’s EuroBasket 2026 began July 4, per the sportsrabbi preview, and runs through the second week of the month. The seniors already have a place in the second round of World Cup qualifying, the FIBA standings page shows. Both Israeli programs have one game to define their seasons.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does Israel play next?
The Israel men’s team plays Croatia on the road on Monday in the final first-round game of the FIBA World Cup 2027 European qualifiers. The U20 women face host Lithuania on Tuesday in their final group-stage game of the FIBA U20 Women’s EuroBasket 2026 in Lithuania.
How did Yam Madar perform against Germany?
Madar led all scorers with 31 points on 11-of-19 shooting, adding 5 assists and 2 steals per Eurobasket.com. Khadeen Carrington added 21 and Tomer Ginat finished with 16 for Israel.
What is Israel’s record in Group E now?
Israel sits at 2-3 in Group E, the FIBA standings page shows, behind Germany and Croatia at 4-1 each and ahead of Cyprus at 0-5. The team has already clinched a place in the second round of qualifying.
What was the final play of the U20 women’s win over Croatia?
Ayala Oren drew a foul on a 3-point attempt with 1.2 seconds left and made two free throws. She intentionally missed the third to run out the clock, sealing an 87-85 win over Croatia.
When did the FIBA U20 Women’s EuroBasket 2026 begin?
The tournament tipped off on July 4, 2026, in Lithuania, per the sportsrabbi preview of the competition.
