It probably shouldn’t be a major surprise that U18 Stellazzurra Rome guard Emmanuel Innocenti values defense more than offense. 

Stellazzurra’s Innocenti appreciates the fight for what he has

The energy and fight it takes to play at the defensive end of the court fits with the trials the guard has gone through to reach the level needed to play at the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Finals.

 

Innocenti’s effort helped Stellazzurra take first place at the ANGT Patras, knocking off U18 Maccabi Tel Aviv 62-74 as the club took the top spot in an ANGT qualifying tournament for the first time since ANGT Rome 2014-15.

 

“The ANGT Patras was a good experience as we were a group and had a good time. Winning it was exciting as it hadn't happened for a long time. So I'm happy for myself and my teammates,” said Innocenti, who averaged 9.5 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.8 steals.

 

The Italian club, which reached the ANGT Championship Game in 2018, is now preparing for its fourth appearance at the ANGT Finals.

 

“I am very excited for the Finals and Final Four because I was unable to participate last year, so it is a rematch,” Innocenti said. “I am looking forward to playing against strong teams.”

Facing strong teams in the ANGT last season in the Istanbul qualifying tournament - where he averaged 7.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.3 steals - helped him improve.

 

“Since last year I have become more aware of the quality of the team and my own. I understand better that if we play together, we can do great things. Compared to last year, I think I have improved in staying focused until the end of the game and always bringing energy,” he said.

 

Innocenti experienced challenges growing up. He was born in the Ivory Coast but moved to Italy when he was 5 years old because of war raging in the western African country.

 

“I don't remember much about Ivory Coast except the war. When my dad came to get me, I was happy because it was like god gave me a chance to have a better life,” Innocenti remembered.

 

It was a life without his mother and grandmother though as both stayed behind in Ivory Coast.

 

“I was still a child so I didn't understand the dangers of certain things but when I grew up I prayed that nothing would happen to them and we kept in touch.”

 

At age 10, Innocenti and his father moved to Senegal to be closer to his mother. Emmanuel, who had started playing basketball at age 6 in Italy, also played the game in Senegal.

 

“I continued to play basketball there too. I adapted quickly and felt at home. I felt like I was back in Ivory Coast without the war. I liked Senegal,” he recalled.

 

After two years in Senegal, it was back to Italy - still without his mother though as she could not get a visa to travel. Innocenti ended up landing at Stellazzurra three and a half years ago. And that’s when his basketball career started to really take off.

 

But he always tried to remember the trials he has faced. Innocenti's Instagram profile contains the quote: “If you don't fight for what you want, don't cry for what you lose.”

 

“Since I was little, I have been used to fighting for the things I wanted. That sentence represents a bit of who I am. I think it is normal to make mistakes or fail in things but it is better to fail by trying to do things and get them than not to do them and then complain about having lost an opportunity. If I got this far, it is thanks to this idea.”

 

It is that mindset that helps Emmanuel Innocenti excel at defense and helps Stellazzurra Rome win games.

ANGT Finals: Stellazzurra’s Innocenti appreciates the fight for what he has

Emmanuel Innocenti - U18 Stellazzurra Rome - ANGT Patras (photo Nikos Karapanos - Patras) - JT21

Emmanuel Innocenti - U18 Stellazzurra Rome - ANGT Patras (photo Konstantinos Katsiras - Patras) - JT21

U18 Stellazzurra Rome Champ ANGT Patras 6 (photo Nikos Karapanos - Patras) - JT21

U18 ASVEL Villeurbanne point guard Romain Parmentelot will have revenge on his mind when he takes the floor at the ANGT Finals later this month. 


ASVEL's Parmentelot finally gets his chance to shine as “Vi||ain”

Parmentelot played a major role in getting ASVEL back to the ANGT Finals as he collected 10.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.3 steals as the French powerhouse took first place at the ANGT Belgrade – the first time the club won a qualifying tournament. Now, he and his teammates can go back to the Serbian capital for the finals, from May 18 to 21, knowing they've had success there earlier this year.

"It meant a lot to win in Belgrade because it was the first time that ASVEL won a title like this. It was very nice. Playing at the ANGT Finals at the Final Four is important to take the next step as a player," said Parmentelot, who tied for sixth in assists and eighth in steals at the ANGT Belgrade while averaging a 12.0 performance index rating.

Parmentelot is playing his third ANGT season after picking up 3 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal in 17 minutes over three games at the 2019-20 ANGT Valencia and then averaging 9.7 points, 1.3 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 0.7 steals at the 2020-21 ANGT Finals.

"In my first year, Matthew Strazel was in front of me, and now I am better than the other two years because I have more confidence from my teammates and coach," said Parmentelot.

The 1.90-meter guard may have put up solid numbers in Belgrade but he still has not received a lot of attention. That is not necessarily because of his subpar play but more because of the elite potential of many of his teammates, including Kymany Houinsou, Killian Malwaya and Zaccharie Risacher.

"I can't think too much about that because they are my teammates, so I am happy for them if they get attention. If the attention is not on me right now, I will work harder so it will be on me later," Parmentelot said.

Parmentelot is used to people doubting him, which is the reason why he included "Vi||ain" in his Instagram profile.

"When I started to take basketball very seriously a lot of people gave up on me because they didn't believe in me. So I have to be the best villain to take my revenge," he said.

Parmentelot used that drive to keep working on his game and he eventually landed with ASVEL, which is a club that gives its youngsters a chance to play on the first team if they deserve it. And Parmentelot made his French League debut on November 21, 2021, in ASVEL's showdown with top-ranked team Boulogne Metropolitans 92.

"I was very excited when Coach \[T.J. Parker\] said I would be on the roster. It was the first time. I was used to training with them during the season, but when the coach said I would be on the roster I was very, very happy," said Parmentelot, who picked up 1 steal and missed his one three-point attempt in 3 minutes.

"It was very special when he called my name. The thing I will remember is the atmosphere, and I hope I will be able to feel that atmosphere again."

Parmentelot will be experiencing his first EuroLeague Final Four as the ANGT Finals last season took place separately from the Final Four due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Of course, that will be special to experience, but he and his teammates will also have some revenge on their minds.

At the 2020-21 ANGT Finals, ASVEL lost a back-and-forth game with eventual champion U18 Real Madrid 82-80 in the group stage. Parmentelot poured in a team-high 19 points to go with 2 assists but it wasn't enough in the end. And ASVEL will be heading to Belgrade with extra motivation.

"We are hungry to win the title because we couldn't stop thinking about last year when we lost to Real Madrid. We were so close. That is why we are hungry to win," he said.


Whenever Romain Parmentelot needs some motivation, he only needs to go to his Instagram account. The U18 ASVEL Villeurbanne point guard has "Vi||ain" listed in his profile, and it reminds him of those who doubted him. Parmentelot has another chance to silence his critics at the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Finals.


ASVEL's Parmentelot finally gets his chance to shine

Romain Parmentelot - U18 ASVEL Villeurbanne - Belgrade 2022 (photo Djordje Kostic - Zvezda) - JTB21

## GROUP A

U18 Maccabi Tel Aviv

U18 Mega Mozzart Belgrade

U18 PFYM INSEP Paris

U18 Real Madrid

## GROUP B

U18 ASVEL Villeurbanne

U18 Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade

U18 Next Generation Select Team

U18 Stellazzurra Rome

### WEDNESDAY 18 MAY 2022

09:00 U18 Mega Mozzart Belgrade vs. U18 PFYM INSEP Paris

11:00 U18 Maccabi Tel Aviv vs. U18 Real Madrid

13:00 U18 Stellazzurra Rome vs. U18 Next Generation Select Team

15:00 U18 Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade vs. U18 ASVEL Villeurbanne

### THURSDAY 19 MAY 2022

09:00 U18 PFYM INSEP Paris vs. U18 Maccabi Tel Aviv

11:00 U18 Real Madrid vs. U18 Mega Mozzart Belgrade

13:00 U18 Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade vs. U18 Stellazzurra Rome

15:00 U18 Next Generation Select Team vs. U18 ASVEL Villeurbanne

### FRIDAY 20 MAY 2022

09:00 U18 Mega Mozzart Belgrade vs. U18 Maccabi Tel Aviv

11:00 U18 PFYM INSEP Paris vs. U18 Real Madrid

13:00 U18 ASVEL Villeurbanne vs. U18 Stellazzurra Rome

15:00 U18 Next Generation Select Team vs. U18 Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade

### SATURDAY 21 MAY 2022 (Championship Game)

12:30 1st Placed Team Group A vs. 1st Placed Team Group B

2022 Belgrade ANGT Finals calendar

The future of European basketball will take center stage at the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four from May 18 to 21, when the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Finals brings to Belgrade, Serbia, the best and brightest talents from four qualifying events to determine a champion of the 19th edition of the continent's top junior event.

Field for 2021-22 ANGT Finals announced

Three teams – U18 Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade, U18 Maccabi Tel Aviv and U18 Mega Mozzart Belgrade – received wild cards to complete the eight-team field, which includes three former champions. The three invitees will join the four teams that booked their tickets for Belgrade by taking first place at their respective qualifying events: U18 ASVEL Villeurbanne (ANGT Belgrade), U18 Stellazzurra Rome (ANGT Patras), U18 PFYM INSEP Paris (ANGT Varese) and U18 Real Madrid (ANGT Ljubljana). The eighth team at the finals will be made up of players from the four different U18 Next Generation teams that participated at the qualifying events and were coached by Vassilis Spanoulis, the newly-named Euroleague Basketball Legend who will lead them again in Belgrade.

Real – winner of the last two titles, in 2019 and 2021, as well as 2015 – is tied with U18 CSKA Moscow for a record three ANGT crowns. PFYM has claimed the trophy in 2010 and 2017 and Zvezda did so in 2014. Mega has twice reached and lost the ANGT Championship Game – in 2017 and 2019 – and Stellazzurra came up one step short in 2018.

In Belgrade, 12 group games will be played over the first three days at the Ranko Zeravica Arena, which will also host Saturday's ANGT Championship Game between the two group winners.

The nearly two decades of the ANGT have seen a host of tomorrow's biggest and brightest stars pass through. The ever-growing list of players currently on EuroLeague rosters who previously dazzled in the ANGT includes:

• Marcus Eriksson, Jonas Mattisseck, Tim Schneider and Yovel Zoosman (ALBA Berlin)

• Vasilije Micic and Yigitcan Saybir (Anadolu Efes Istanbul)

• Danilo Andjusic, Rudy Demahis, Donatas Motiejunas and Armel Traore (AS Monaco)

• Davide Alviti, Luigi Datome, Riccardo Moraschini and Giampaolo Ricci (AX Armani Exchange Milan)

• Simone Fontecchio and Vanja Marinkovic (Bitci Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz)

• Ognjen Dobric, Marko Gusic, Stefan Lazarevic, Branko Lazic, Luka Mitrovic and Aleksa Uskokovic (Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade)

• Marius Grigonis, Alexander Khomenko, Nikita Kurbanov, Andrei Lopatin, Nikola Milutinov and Alexey Shved (CSKA Moscow)

• Michael Caicedo, Rokas Jokubaitis, Nikola Mirotic and Sergi Martinez (FC Barcelona)

• Nihad Dedovic, Jason George, Ognjen Jaramaz, Leon Radosevic, Adreas Obst and Zan Sisko (FC Bayern Munich)

• Ismet Akpinar, Tarik Biberovic, Metecan Birsen and Marko Guduric (Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul)

• William Howard, Elwin Ndjock, Matthew Strazel and Victor Wembanyama (LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne)

• Ante Zizic (Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv)

• Livio Jean-Charles (Olympiacos Piraeus)

• Eleftherios Mantzoukas and Nemanja Nedovic (Panathinaikos OPAP Athens)

• Alberto Abalde, Thomas Heurtel and Juan Nunez (Real Madrid)

• Mario Hezonja and Artem Komolov (UNICS Kazan)

• Marek Blazevic, Niels Giffey, Mantas Kalnietis, Lukas Lekavicius, Karolis Lukosiunas and Edgaras Ulanovas (Zalgiris Kaunas)

• Arturas Gudaitis and Dmitry Kulagin (Zenit St Petersburg)

Entrance to all ANGT Finals games is free of charge, allowing both local and visiting fans to see many elite young talents in European basketball, the future stars of the EuroLeague and the 7DAYS EuroCup, compete against each other.

Eli Ndiaye is heading back to the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Finals with U18 Real Madrid, looking for a record fourth continental junior title for the club and a second in a row for himself.

Ndiaye dreams of ANGT-EuroLeague double for Real in Belgrade

But this time the 17-year-old center hopes that Real Madrid can make it a double of the ANGT title and the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague crown in Belgrade next month.

[Eli Ndiaye](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/eli-ndiaye/profile/009213/) took home the Most Valuable Player award for helping Real take first place at the ANGT Ljubljana qualifying event last week and book its ticket to the finals, which will be held during the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four in the Serbian capital. He collected 14 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals for a performance index rating of 22 in Real's thrilling 60-61 victory over Zalgiris in Sunday's first-place game in Ljubljana.

"It was amazing. We played a very difficult game against a great opponent, and in the end we got the win in a really tough game. We suffered together, we worked together, and we got the win as a team, together," said Ndiaye, who averaged 14.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.8 steals for a PIR of 19.5 in the tournament.

Those numbers earned him what was his second MVP award at an ANGT qualifier, after the one he received at the ANGT Istanbul last season.

"It's always special to receive an MVP trophy, but it makes it more special to get this award with the teammates and coaching staff that I have. I won it because of their job. I want to thank them all," said Ndiaye, who ranked fourth in index rating, sixth in scoring and ninth in rebounds in Ljubljana.

This is just the latest highlight of the season for the Senegalese big man, who will turn 18 in late June. The first one came on September 12, 2021, when Real's first team faced FC Barcelona in the preseason Spanish Supercup. Ndiaye made his senior debut in the game, in which Real came back from 19 points down in the third quarter to win 88-83.

"I remember how we were losing the Supercup final against Barcelona and we got back in the game to get the victory. It was very special to me to make my debut in such a big game: against Barcelona, getting the win, the title, and sharing those incredible moments with the great players of Real Madrid," said Ndiaye, who played 1:27 minutes and picked up 1 rebound in that game.

Ndiaye has spent most of this season with Real's second team in the Spanish fourth division. But he also has practiced with the first team. He says everyone on the team has been giving him tips.

"They all help me all the time and make me feel comfortable when I practice or play with them. I must thank them all because they teach me, they help me, they give me advice and they try to make me better all the time," Ndiaye said.

Real Madrid head coach Pablo Laso has chosen Ndiaye to play in four EuroLeague games this season. In the first, at home against Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul in Round 5, he picked up 2 points, 1 rebound and 1 steal in 7 minutes.

"I enjoy every moment and I always try to give the best of myself and learn in every situation."

"The best moment for me – the one I remember the most – is the first basket that I scored. But everything is special: being with the first team, playing with the best players of Europe," Ndiaye said. 

Ndiaye said he is enjoying the tough road that is the transition from junior to senior player.

"It's always difficult to face a challenge like this, but it's a great experience. I enjoy every moment and I always try to give the best of myself and learn in every situation," he said.

Ndiaye has already locked up a ticket to next month's EuroLeague Final Four in Belgrade, where he will be shooting for his second ANGT title. But he also hopes that Real Madrid's senior team can be in the Serbian capital and try to repeat the trophy it won there in 2018.

"I'd love it, of course," he said. 

If both could celebrate titles on Saturday, May 21, at Stark Arena, it would be a repeat of 2015, when Real doubled up and won the ANGT and EuroLeague titles at home in the Spanish capital.

"It would be incredible and very special," Ndiaye said. "We'll give our 100 percent over there, knowing that's a really difficult challenge."

Eli Ndiaye - U18 Real Madrid - ANGT Ljubljana (photo Marin Susic) - JT21

### [U18 Zalgiris Kaunas 60-61 U18 Real Madrid](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/ngt/game-center/2021-22-ljubljana/u18-zalgiris-kaunas-u18-real-madrid/JTL21/16/)

Real wasted a 14-point first-quarter lead and could never shake off Zalgiris, which made just 1 of 3 free throws with 1.7 seconds left, missing a chance to win or at least send the game to overtime. Eli Ndiaye collected 14 points and 11 rebounds and Urban Klavzar and Sediq Garuba both scored 11 points as Real finished first in its ANGT qualifying tournament for the ninth straight season. Paulius Murauskas drained 6 three-pointers in scoring 22 points with 11 rebounds in a losing effort.


<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Eli Ndiaye captured another Most Valuable Player award as he helped U18 <a href="https://twitter.com/RMBaloncesto?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RMBaloncesto</a> take first place at the Euroleague Basketball <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/adidasNGT?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#adidasNGT</a> Ljubljana.</p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1515744189400633346?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 17, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### [U18 Next Generation Team Ljubljana 81-69 U18 ALBA Berlin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/ngt/game-center/2021-22-ljubljana/u18-next-generation-team-ljubljana-u18-alba-berlin/JTL21/15/)

NGL secured third place with an 81-69 victory over ALBA. NGL fell behind 0-16 to start the game but took the lead in the third quarter and never trailed in the fourth. Luis Garcia paced the selection team with 27 points and 12 rebounds while Urban Kroflic scored 15 points and Alvaro Folgueiras added 9 points and 11 rebounds. Nils Machowski and Linus Ruf both scored 18 for ALBA.


### [U18 Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana 77-95 U18 Basket Brno](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/ngt/game-center/2021-22-ljubljana/u18-cedevita-olimpija-ljubljana-u18-basket-brno/JTL21/14/)

Brno locked up fifth place with a 77-95 victory over host Cedevita. Simon Svoboda poured in 26 points to lead Brno while Jakub Necas collected 24 points, 11 rebounds, 7 rebounds and 4 steals and Josef Svoboda chipped in 15 points. Tomas Belina paced Cedevita with 21 points.

### [U18 GAK Basketball Academy Gdynia 82-71 U18 Orange1 Bassano](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/ngt/game-center/2021-22-ljubljana/u18-gak-basketball-academy-gdynia-u18-orange1-bassano/JTL21/13/)

Gdynia captured seventh place by knocking off BASSANO 82-71. Maksymilian Wilczek drained 5 three-pointers in a 22-0 fourth-quarter run to decide the game. Wilczek fisnihed with 23 points, Mateusz Samiec scored 16 and Szymon Nowicki and Antoni Siewruk both added 13. Dame Sarr totaled 18 points for BASSANO, which failed to get a win in its first appearance at the event.




U18 Real Madrid booked its ticket to the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Finals after defeating U18 Zalgiris Kaunas 60-61 in a thrilling ANGT Ljubljana first-place game on Sunday evening.

ANGT Ljubljana first place game: Real edges Zalgiris!

U18 Real Madrid champ ANGT Ljubljana  (photo Marin Susic) - JT21

Eli Ndiaye captured another Most Valuable Player award as he helped U18 Real Madrid take first place at the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Ljubljana.

Ndiaye wins MVP as leader for Real

Ndiaye, who was MVP for the ANGT Istanbul last season, was joined on the All-Tournament Team by teammate Urban Klavzar, Paulius Murauskas and Motiejus Krivas from U18 Zalgiris Kaunas and Jakub Necas of U18 Basket Brno.

EB ANGT Ljubljana MVP Highlights: Eli Ndiaye, U18 Real Madrid

Ndiaye collected 14 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals for a performance index rating of 22 in Real’s thrilling 60-61 victory over Zalgiris in the first-place game. For the tournament, the center averaged 14.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.8 steals for a PIR of 19.5. That ranked him fourth in index rating, sixth in scoring, ninth in rebounds and tied for 10th in steals. Klavzar tallied 11 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists for a PIR of 11 against Zalgiris. In the four games, the Slovenian guard averaged 12.0 points, 1.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists and an index rating of 11.3, ranking tied for 10th in assists.

Murauskas did all he could in the first-place game, totaling 22 points with 6 three-pointers, 11 rebounds, 1 steal and 2 blocks for a PIR of 25. That culminated a great tournament for the forward as he averaged 18.0 points, 13.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.8 blocks while shooting 52.4% on three-pointers for an average PIR of 26.8. He led the tournament in index rating, scoring, rebounds and three-point shooting percentage while ranking tied for sixth in blocks.

Against Real, Krivas collected 16 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 blocks and 8 fouls drawn for an index rating of 28. The big man averaged 15.8 points, 9.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.5 steals and 3.0 blocks for an index rating of 23.8 for the weekend. He ranked second in PIR, rebounds and blocks, third in scoring and eighth in assists.

Necas helped Brno to fifth place by averaging 17.8 points, 8.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.3 steals for an index rating of 23.5. That left him second in scoring, third in PIR, tied for fourth in assists, tied for fifth in steals and sixth in rebounds.

EB ANGT Ljubljana All-Tournament Team

Eli Ndiaye MVP - U18 Real Madrid champ ANGT Ljubljana (photo Marin Susic) - JT21

All-tournament team ANGT Ljubljana (photo Marin Susic) - JT21

Best 5, Paulius Murauskas - Zalgiris Kaunas ANGT Ljubljana (photo Marin Susic) - JT21

Best 5, Urban Klavzar - U18 Real Madrid - ANGT Ljubljana (photo Marin Susic) - JT21

Best 5, Jakub Necas - U18 Basket Brno - ANGT Ljubljana (photo Marin Susic) - JT21

Best 5, Motiejunas Krivas - Zalgiris Kaunas ANGT Ljubljana (photo Marin Susic) - JT21

Best 5, Eli Ndiaye - U18 Real Madrid - ANGT Ljubljana (photo Marin Susic) - JT21

Two-time reigning continental champion U18 Real Madrid booked its ticket to the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Finals after defeating U18 Zalgiris Kaunas 60-61 in a thrilling ANGT Ljubljana first-place game.

Real survives thriller with Zalgiris to reach ANGT Finals

Real wasted a 14-point first-quarter lead and could never shake off Zalgiris, which made just 1 of 3 free throws with 1.7 seconds left, missing a chance to win or at least send the game to overtime. Eli Ndiaye collected 14 points and 11 rebounds and Urban Klavzar and Sediq Garuba both scored 11 points as Real finished first in its ANGT qualifying tournament for the ninth straight season. The victory was also Real’s 17th straight in qualifying games dating back to a loss at the ANGT Munich in 2017-18. Real will next play at the ANGT Finals at the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four in May in Belgrade, where it joins U18 ASVEL Villeurbanne, U18 Stellazzurra Rome and U18 PFYM INSEP Paris, the teams which took first place at the ANGT Belgrade, ANGT Patras and ANGT Varese, respectively. Real will be shooting for its fourth ANGT title following 2015, 2019 and 2021. Zalgiris failed to knock off Real and has not finished first at an ANGT qualifier since the 2018-19 ANGT Kaunas. Paulius Murauskas drained 6 three-pointers in scoring 22 points with 11 rebounds and Motiejus Krivas had 18 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 blocks in a losing effort.

EB ANGT Ljubljana Final Highlights: U18 Zalgiris Kaunas-U18 Real Madrid

Krivas hit a jumper on the game’s first possession and Klavzar matched him at the other end. Zalgiris committed 2 turnovers before Kajus Kublickas’s free throws made it 4-6. Kaya Shona Mutambirwa scored 4 points as Real surged ahead 4-13 thanks to forcing 5 more turnovers. Ndiaye joined the scoring with 6 straight points and Klavzar’s three-pointer pushed the advantage to 10-24. Rokas Civilis answered with a triple but Zalgiris was still down 13-25 after 10 minutes.

Real failed to score on its first five possessions of the second quarter and Murauskas drained 3 three-pointers and the score was 24-25. Garuba scored inside to finally give Real its first points of the quarter after nearly 4 minutes, but Murauskas scored a fastbreak layup and Joshua Bonga’s three-pointer had Zalgirs up 31-29. The lead switched hands three times and Henri Veesaar’s basket gave Real a 33-34 edge at halftime.

Bonga hit a jumper to start the second half and Murauskas drained another triple as Zalgiris went up 38-34. Ismaila Diagne’s free throw finally got Real on the board after more than 2 minutes only to see Civilis also hit from deep and the lead was 41-35. Ndiaye scored the next 3 points but Kublickas drained a triple to put Zalgiris up 44-38. Garuba stepped up with a triple to pull within 44-42 but Murauskas was there again and answered from deep. Garuba punched back with another three-pointer and the game was tied, 47-47, after 30 minutes.

Both teams struggled to execute on offense in the final frame with Krivas opening the quarter and Ndiaye scoring Real’s first points after more than 2 minutes. Krivas converted a three-point play for a 52-49 lead, but Real continued to fight and reclaimed the lead, 52-53, on Nikolas Cebrian’s layup with under 6 minutes to play. Zalgiris came up empty on its next three possessions and Jan Vide’s three-point play increased the lead to 52-56. Zalgiris fought on defense and Krivas scored 4 points to tie the game again 56-56. Ndiaye hit a tough fade-away jumper with 56 seconds left and then Vide stole the ball from Bonga and threw down a dunk for a 56-60 lead with 38 seconds remaining. Zalgiris was not done yet with Murauskas knocking down his sixth three-pointer to pull within 59-60. The drama would not stop with Garuba missing 2 free throws only for Vide to steal the ball from Murauskas and then draw an unsportsmanlike foul on Bonga with 9.2 seconds to play. Vide split his free throws and then Ndiaye missed twice from the foul line, giving Zalgiris a lifeline. Krivas was fouled shooting a three-pointer with 1.7 seconds left but only made the middle free throw and Real was left celebrating.

U18 Real Madrid champ ANGT Ljubljana (photo Marin Susic) - JT21

U18 Zalgiris Kaunas v U18 Real Madrid (2022-04-17T14:00:00.000Z)

U18 Real Madrid champ ANGT Ljubljana 2 (photo Marin Susic) - JT21

U18 Real Madrid champ ANGT Ljubljana 3 (photo Marin Susic) - JT21

U18 Real Madrid champ ANGT Ljubljana 4 (photo Marin Susic) - JT21

Baba Miller - U18 Real Madrid champ ANGT Ljubljana (photo Marin Susic) - JT21

U18 Real Madrid champ ANGT Ljubljana 5 (photo Marin Susic) - JT21

Nikolas Cebrian - U18 Real Madrid champ ANGT Ljubljana (photo Marin Susic) - JT21

U18 Next Generation Team Ljubljana secured third place at the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Ljubljana with an 81-69 victory over U18 ALBA Berlin. NGL fell behind 0-16 to start the game but took the lead in the third quarter and never trailed in the fourth. Luis Garcia paced the selection team with 27 points and 12 rebounds while Urban Kroflic scored 15 points and Alvaro Folgueiras added 9 points and 11 rebounds. Nils Machowski and Linus Ruf both scored 18 for ALBA and Rikus Schulte had 11 points in the defeat.

NGL rallies back to beat ALBA, take third place

Ruf and Machowksi both made 2 three-pointers as ALBA scored the first 16 points of the game. Alessandro Chapelli finally scored after more than 4 minutes and then Garcia drained 2 three-pointers among his 8 points in a 15-3 run to pull within 17-21. The score was 17-23 after 10 minutes. Mario Saint-Supery and Kroflic both drained triples to keep NGL close at 23-29. After Machowski scored 5 straight points and ALBA led 27-39, NGL trimmed the deficit to 33-39. It was 33-42 at intermission.

The surge continued in the second half with Garcia scoring 5 points in a 12-2 run to put NGL in front 45-44. Kroflic knocked down 2 triples in a 14-5 run as the selection team’s lead moved to 59-51, and it was 61-55 after 30 minutes. ALBA fought to get closer and made it 63-59 early in the final frame. Four straight points from Schulte trimmed the gap to 70-67, but NGL held ALBA scoreless for five possessions and Garcia had 4 points to push the margin to 75-67 with 87 seconds left. Ruf converted 2 free throws, but Garcia drained a three-pointer with 69 seconds remaining to make it 78-69 and the German side did not score the rest of the way.

Luis Garcia 2- U18 Next Generation Team Ljubljana - ANGT Ljubljana (photo Marin Susic) - JT21

U18 Next Generation Team Ljubljana v U18 ALBA Berlin (2022-04-17T12:00:00.000Z)