Ukraine Defeats Greece in Riga (82-76) and Ties Spain Atop Group I

Ukraine defeated Greece 82-76 in Riga and closed out the first matchday of the second phase that has completely reshuffled Group I. Ainars Bagatskis' team sits at 5-2, tying Spain at the top of the standings; the Greeks, meanwhile, suffer their third consecutive loss and drop to last place

A straightforward game for Ukraine

The scoreline tells the story well: 24-19, 40-37 at halftime, 64-59 after the third quarter, and 82-76 final. Greece led only briefly in the second quarter, with Nick Calathes pulling the team and Antonis Karagiannidis providing defensive help, but never truly took control.

The difference came from three-point shooting. Ukraine finished 13 of 33 from three and systematically punished Greek turnovers, while the Greeks went 9 of 32 from beyond the arc and accumulated fouls. The third quarter brought the decisive run, and in the fourth the Ukrainians extended to 80-66 with just over four minutes remaining. Greece's comeback came too late: a 10-0 run tightened it to 80-76, but Oleksandr Kovlyar sealed the win from the free-throw line with eleven seconds left.

Kovlyar led Ukraine with 18 points, followed by Maxim Shulga (14, with 4 of 6 from three) and Andriy Voinalovich (11). Svi Mykhailiuk, the usual reference point, scored 13 points but on a disastrous 3 of 17 from the field, a sign that Ukraine won without relying on him. For Greece, Calathes led with 17 points, 8 assists, and 3 rebounds, followed by Tyler Dorsey (16) and Dinos Mitoglou (13).

What It Means for Spain

Group I's standings after the first matchday: Spain and Ukraine tied at the top with 5-2; Montenegro, Portugal, and Georgia at 4-3; and Greece falling behind at 3-4. Six teams separated by two wins, three tickets to Qatar, and five matchdays remaining.

For Chus Mateo's team, the result has a double edge and neither side is good. Spain loses sole possession of first place and, more importantly, faces a desperate Greece on Monday in Athens: Vassilis Spanoulis' team has no margin for error and must win all five remaining games while hoping for favorable results elsewhere. The OAKA will not be a welcoming place at 18:00 Spanish time (19:00 in Greece). The matchday is completed by Portugal-Georgia and Montenegro-Ukraine.