Romania secures first victory in U16 EuroBasket with a narrow win over Bulgaria

Romania celebrated a much-anticipated victory against Bulgaria, winning 75-71 in a thrilling match held Saturday in Mioveni. This marks Romania's first win after a difficult streak of six consecutive losses in the ongoing FIBA U16 EuroBasket 2026.

Throughout the tournament, Romania had struggled to maintain a lead, having only been in front for less than four minutes in their previous six games. However, this time they managed to take a significant lead, reaching a score of 70-56 at one point during the match.

The game was intense, with Bulgaria narrowing the gap to just one point at 72-71 in the final moments. Despite the pressure, Romania held their ground to secure the crucial win.

Sara-Maria Druțu emerged as the standout player for Romania, contributing an impressive 24 points and 16 rebounds. She was well-supported by Bianca-Ioana Stan, who added 16 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists, and Carina Ungureanu, who scored 15 points along with 9 rebounds and 3 assists.

Other noteworthy performances came from Raisa-Maria Suller, who scored 12 points and grabbed 6 rebounds, as well as Anelia Iordanova and Karmen Gheorghieva, both scoring 16 points each.

As the tournament progresses, Romania has retrograded to Division B, along with Bulgaria and the team that loses in the match between Italy and Israel. The road ahead will be challenging, but this victory provides a much-needed boost to the team's morale.