Spain lost only one game at this EuroBasket—the semifinal against Latvia after dominating much of the contest and falling in a tight finish. Against Lithuania, they controlled the game until the 35th minute and had to withstand the Baltic comeback to claim bronze, the fifth medal for Spain's youth teams this summer.
Five medals out of six possible: gold in U18 Women, silver in U17 Women, and bronze in both U20 divisions and this U16 Men's team. The youth summer is proving successful once again, with only the U16 Women's team left to compete, having started their European championship this weekend like a hurricane.
The U16 Men's team took the court in Oradea eager to erase the memory of those final minutes against Latvia. A strong start from Rhys Robinson and Jan Cerdán, who took control in the opening possessions. 31 points by the end of the first quarter with a reassuring +12 lead.
With momentum on their side, this team is unstoppable. Intense pace, quick possessions, and solid defense to keep extending the lead, aided by talented players like Pablo Mera, Izan Pérez, and Ryan Vincent. At halftime, the bronze medal was already within reach (35-60).
After the break, the game changed tone. Lithuania refused to play at Spain's pace, instead slowing things down for a lower-scoring affair with fewer possessions. The lead wasn't growing, but victory never seemed in danger, always maintaining a 20-point cushion until 70-92 at the 36-minute mark.
But in the final four minutes, the game shifted once more. Spain turned the ball over several times and Lithuania clawed back to within 8 points with a minute and a half remaining after another steal (84-92). The run continued to grow as Spain struggled to score while the Lithuanians kept adding points until 90-92 (a 20-0 run). Pablo Mera scored with 17 seconds left to make it 90-94, but Jan Martín had to convert two free throws to seal the victory.
A smart performance from a team that bounced back from a win 20 hours earlier against a competitive Latvia that played better in the final minutes, but was not superior to Spain's 2010 generation with great future prospects and a solid foundation to build upon.
Pablo Mera was once again one of the best players on the court with 14 points and a rating of 19. Ryan Vincent had a strong game (10+9) while Rhys Robinson led the scoring with 16 points.