Diego Niebla's 32 Points Not Enough as Spain Falls Short of U18 Euros Final

Spain missed out on the U18 European Championship final despite a stellar performance from Diego Niebla. The Joventut wing scored 32 points and kept the team competitive for much of the game, but it wasn't enough to overcome Slovenia's 90-71 victory.

The game was decided where it hurt most: after halftime. Spain had competed well during the first half, even leading 41-44 at the break, with Niebla as the primary offensive weapon and solid contributions from Chiek Diallo near the basket and Hugo Alonso running the offense.

Slovenia had started stronger, but Spain responded with character. Niebla changed the game's tempo from beyond the arc, took important shots, and reached halftime with 15 points. The feeling was clear: the team was in it, had energy, and could fight for a spot in the final.

Everything changed in the second half. Spain got as close as 45-50, but from there lost rhythm, stalled on offense, and Slovenia began to run. The final 45-21 run summarizes Spain's collapse over the last 17 minutes.

Niebla tried again when things looked darkest. He strung together plays to bring Spain within 56-55, but the team went more than four minutes without scoring and Slovenia opened up a lead they never relinquished.

The Slovenian team had Stefan Joksimovic as one of its standout names with 26 points, but also found solutions from other players when the game began to slip away. Spain, meanwhile, relied too heavily on Niebla's brilliance and couldn't find collective continuity in the crucial stretch.

The loss eliminates Víctor García's team from the final, but not without an objective. Spain will fight for bronze on Sunday against France at 18:00. A victory would give the team its 16th historical medal in the U18 European Championship.

Niebla has already made his statement. Now it's time to close out the tournament on the podium.