The junior basketball team of Macedonia achieved the first victory at the European Championship under 18 years A-division, which is held in Izmir, Turkey. The team of coach Toni Simic defeated Montenegro 65:62 and tomorrow they will face Croatia for survival in the A-division.

The young basketball players played well in the first half, which they won with seven points (32:25), even though they had a double-digit advantage.

But in the second half, a completely different picture, the play of the juniors was far from good for our junior selection, and many things went bad after Teodor Simic received his fourth personal foul, after which he had to sit on the bench. Without our highest player in the defense, the Montenegrins found their way to the opponent's basket more easily. They used that to turn things around with a run of 14:24 for a 56:59 lead.

However, in the finish Simic was brought back into the game, the risk paid off and Macedonia managed to celebrate. First, after Šoškić's points, Macedonia won at 59:59, and then took the lead with 61:59, although Simic received the fifth personal foul.

In overtime, Shoškić scored for 64:62 at 55 seconds to the end of the match, and in the next attack Bashoski made one of the two free throws for 65:62, a result that turned out to be final.

Andrej Šoškić was the most efficient with 16 points, followed by Teodor Simić with 13 points and 14 rebounds, Petar Bošaleski with 13 points and Toma Stojanoski with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Tomorrow at 12.45 p.m., the juniors will face Croatia for survival in the A-division.