WC Qualifiers roundup: Ukraine hand Greece third straight loss, Queta and Portugal stun Spain

By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net

Ukraine defeated Greece 82-76 in Riga to strengthen their position in Group I of the 2027 FIBA World Cup European Qualifiers.

Oleksandr Kovliar led Ukraine with 18 points, six rebounds and four assists, while Maksym Shulga added 14 points, four rebounds and four assists. Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk finished with 13 points and Andrii Voinalovych contributed 11 points.

Nick Calathes paced Greece with 17 points and eight assists, followed by Tyler Dorsey with 16 points. Konstantinos Mitoglou added 13 points and six rebounds in the losing effort.

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Greece remained competitive throughout the first half and briefly moved ahead 37-36, but Ukraine took control after the break. Ainars Bagatskis’ team capitalized on several empty possessions by the visitors and built a 62-54 advantage entering the fourth quarter. Ukraine extended the difference to 13 points at 79-66 and still led 80-66 with just over four minutes remaining. Greece responded with a 10-0 run and cut the deficit to four in the final minute, but Oleksandr Kovliar converted two free throws with 11 seconds left to secure the win.

Ukraine improved to 5-2, while Greece dropped to 3-4 after its third consecutive defeat in the qualifiers. With five games remaining, Greece now faces an increasingly difficult battle for a top-three finish and a place at the 2027 World Cup.

Portugal produced one of the biggest upsets of the World Cup Qualifiers by defeating Spain 95-89 in Zaragoza and improving to 4-3 in Group I.

Neemias Queta made a major impact with 16 points, nine rebounds, including five on the offensive glass, and two steals in under 25 minutes. Travante Williams led Portugal with 22 points, Diogo Ventura added 19 and Ruben Prey scored 15.

Portugal led by as many as 10 points and held its nerve at the free-throw line in the closing seconds to secure the victory. Dario Brizuela paced Spain with 19 points, while Alvaro Cardenas added 18 as the hosts dropped to 5-2.

FIBA World Cup 2027 European Qualifiers

Group I

Georgia 101–74 Montenegro
Ukraine 82–76 Greece
Spain 89 – 95  Portugal
Greece – Spain (31/8, 18:00 CET)
Portugal – Georgia (31/8, 20:00 CET)
Montenegro – Ukraine (31/8, 20:30 CET)

Standings

1. Spain 12 (5-2)
2. Ukraine 12 (5-2)
3. Montenegro 11 (4-3)
4. Portugal 11 (4-3)
5. Georgia 11 (4-3)
6. Greece 10 (3-4)

Group J

Turkiye 94–66 Lithuania
Serbia 102–73 Iceland
Bosnia-Herzegovina 78–76 Italy
Lithuania – Bosnia-Herzegovina (31/8, 17:30 CET)
Italy – Serbia (31/8, 19:30 CET)
Iceland – Turkiye (31/8, 21:30 CET)

Standings

1. Turkiye 14 (7-0)
2. Italy 12 (5-2)
3. Serbia 12 (5-2)
4. Lithuania 10 (3-4)
5. Iceland 10 (3-4)
6. Bosnia-Herzegovina 10 (3-4)

Group K

Croatia 115-80 Latvia
Germany 99-83 Netherlands
Israel 86-106 Poland
Netherlands – Croatia (30/8, 14:30 CET)
Poland – Germany (30/8, 14:45 CET)
Latvia – Israel (30/8, 18:00 CET)

Standings

1. Poland 14 (7-0)
2. Croatia 13 (6-1)
3. Germany 13 (6-1)
4. Latvia 10 (3-4)
5. Netherlands 9 (2-5)
6. Israel 9 (2-5)

Group L

Finland 81-86 Sweden
Hungary 85-67 Estonia
France 92-67 Slovenia
Sweden – France (30/8, 17:30 CET)
Estonia – Finland (30/8, 18:00 CET)
Slovenia – Hungary (30/8, 20:00 CET)

Standings

1. France 13 (6-1)
2. Sweden 11 (4-3)
3. Finland 11 (4-3)
4. Hungary 11 (4-3)
5. Estonia 10 (3-4)
6. Slovenia 10 (3-4)

The top three national teams from each group advance to the 2027 FIBA World Cup.