Valerii Plekhanov's young squad battled hard but ultimately couldn't overcome a determined Serbian team, falling 61:75 in their European Championship U-20 match in Heraklion, Greece. The defeat ended Ukraine's hopes of advancing to the quarterfinals despite showing moments of resilience throughout the contest.
"We had difficult stretches at the beginning of both quarters that ultimately cost us, but I'm proud of how our players fought back each time," – a sentiment surely shared by the Ukrainian coaching staff watching their team's determination.
The game started poorly for "Ukraine" as they managed just two points in the opening four and a half minutes, allowing Serbia to build an early 11-2 advantage. Though the Ukrainian squad regrouped to cut the deficit to five points by the first break, they struggled again early in the second period.
Another offensive drought hit the blue and yellow team in the second quarter, scoring only three points over a 5.5-minute stretch. Yet again, Plekhanov's players showed character by preventing Serbia from breaking the game open completely.
After halftime, the Ukrainians noticeably increased their defensive intensity. This aggressive approach forced the Balkan side into more mistakes and fouls. The score stood at 58:48 for Serbia at the major break.
Despite remaining within 5-7 points for much of the contest, Ukraine couldn't close the gap further. Their push for a comeback in the final quarter fell short as the Serbian team maintained control to secure the win.
Interestingly, Ukraine's tournament isn't over yet. They'll face Czech Republic in the classification rounds for positions 9-16 on Thursday, July 17.
Can Plekhanov's squad bounce back against the Czechs? The answer will come soon as they look to finish the European Championship on a positive note.
