Israel secured its place in EuroBasket 2025 with an 88-75 win over Ukraine, as Yam Madar and Ben Saraf spearheaded a second-half comeback to overturn an 11-point halftime deficit.
The blue-and-white improved their Group A record to 3-1, joining Slovenia (also 3-1) in qualifying for the European Championships. Portugal holds third place at 2-2, while Ukraine remains winless at 0-4.
In the second meeting between the two teams in as many days – this time with Israel hosting – the visitors started strong. Ukraine controlled the pace early, with Artem Pustovyi, Oleksandr Kovliar, Issuf Sanon, and Ivan Koniev leading the charge to give their team a commanding 40-29 lead at halftime.
However, the tide turned in the third quarter, as Yam Madar, Khadeen Carrington, and Roman Sorkin helped cut the deficit to a single point, 57-56, by the end of the period. In the final frame, Ben Saraf took charge with support from Sorkin, Tomer Ginat, Madar, and Carrington, all contributing to Israel’s decisive run to secure the win.
Israel’s next challenge will come in February, with a pair of home games against Portugal and Slovenia. These matches will provide Head Coach Ariel Beit Halachmi with an opportunity to prepare his squad for the European Championships, set to begin in late August.
Key Performances
Yam Madar starred for the second consecutive game, scoring 24 points. Carrington and Ginat each contributed 16 points, Sorkin added 14, and Saraf chipped in 11. Pustovyi and Kovliar scored 15 points apiece for Ukraine, while Sanon added 12 in the loss.
Post-Game Reactions
Coach Ariel Beit Halachmi expressed his pride after the victory: “I feel such satisfaction – we did this in style and as a team. This was a great week, with everyone, from players to staff, showing tremendous dedication to achieve our goal.
We have a lot of talent on this team, and if we continue to defend and control the rebounds like we did, we’ll find great success. I’m so proud of the guys; we deserved this moment, and I hope there will be many more to celebrate. The atmosphere throughout this window, whether at the hotel or on the court, was incredible. Everyone contributed, and we achieved this as a united group.”
Game MVP Yam Madar reflected on the team’s effort: “We had a great game, and I’m so happy we advanced—it’s an amazing feeling. We worked so hard, and everyone gave their best in this window. I’m thrilled to be part of this national team. Each player contributed in important ways, and we did it together.”
Tomer Ginat also shared his thoughts on the achievement: “This is amazing. After a poor first half, we managed to turn things around and qualify for EuroBasket in just four games. From the moment we came together last week, the team atmosphere was special, and we all wanted to succeed together. This was a fantastic window for us.”
Game Highlights
Artem Pustovyi opened the scoring for Ukraine, while Tomer Ginat notched Israel’s first points. Contributions from Andrii Voinalovych, Kovliar, and Saraf kept the game competitive, but Ukraine held a 16-11 lead after the first quarter.
Carrington hit a fadeaway in the second quarter, but Pustovyi continued his dominance, adding dunks and points inside. Kovliar and Carrington traded triples, but Ukraine extended its lead to 40-29 at halftime with additional scoring from Sanon and Koniev.
The third quarter saw Israel’s comeback begin. Carrington opened with a layup, and Madar added points from inside and out. Sorkin contributed a crucial deuce and triple to close the gap, while Madar’s hot shooting pulled Israel within a single point, 57-56, after 30 minutes.
In the fourth quarter, Saraf took control. He opened the scoring, delivered a perfect assist to Ginat, and added a triple to put Israel ahead. Itay Segev added key points, while Saraf continued to dominate with a layup and another three-pointer. Madar and Carrington sealed the victory with clutch 3-pointers, and Sorkin contributed crucial inside points to cap off the win.
With the victory, Israel now turns its attention to preparing for the European Championships, confident in the strength and unity of its team.
This article was originally published at www.jpost.com
