Classification Roundup

by Dan Casey

Nikita Klyundikov dished out 4 assists for Russia, going with his 4 points and 6 rebounds

Russia claimed 5th place in the tournament with a win over Latvia, and Turkey finish 7th after victory over Germany in Pardubice.

Russia beat Latvia 84-70 after a dominant first half display. A 13-1 run in which Pavel Sizov scored 11 points gave Russia a 47-29 half-time lead.

Latvia attempted to come back in the third quarter, but top scorers Davis Geks and Rolands Smits picked up their fourth fouls during the period to stall their efforts.

The Russian team had 54% shooting in the win, Sizov shooting 9-18 including 4 three-pointers on his way to a game-high 24 points. Alexander Martynov added 13 points, and Alexander Gankevich had 12 points, 7 rebounds and 2 steals.

Kristaps Gluditis top-scored for Latvia with 18 points, and Jorens Dulevskis added 13 points and 6 assists as Latvia claimed their best tournament finish since 1999 despite the loss.

Earlier on Sunday, Turkey claimed 7th place in the competition after a dominant third quarter in which they held Germany to 5 points on the way to a 66-41 win.

Ismet Akpinar and Metecan Birsen exchanged three-pointers in the second quarter before a Dogukan Sanli steal put Turkey up 21-20. The Turkish team then finished the half strongly with a Birsen jump-shot followed by a Kartal Özmizrak lay-up with 6 seconds remaining to give Turkey a 31-25 lead at half-time.

In the third quarter, Turkey surged ahead with a 7-0 run, holding the German team scoreless for 5:55. Adnan Mustafa finished the quarter with consecutive jump-shots to give his team an unassailable 46-30 lead. The Turkish team continued their defensive intensity in the final period to confirm the victory, holding Germany to just 25% shooting for the game.

Birsen top-scored for Turkey with 12 points, and Mustafa finished with 11 points. Akpinar led Germany with 12 points and Niklas Ney added 7 points and 10 rebounds.