Israel's under-16 women's national team, the cadets, closed out the group stage of the FIBA U16 Women's EuroBasket 2026 Division B in Konya with a 72-61 defeat to hosts Turkey on Sunday, finishing third in Group B.
Turkey set the early tone, opening up a lead of as much as 12 points during the first half as Israel struggled to find rhythm against the host nation in front of a home crowd.
The cadets responded with their best spell of the game in the third quarter, clawing their way back into contention and going into the final period trailing by just a single point, 49-48, according to ONE.
Turkey had the answers when it mattered most, though, taking control of the fourth quarter and outscoring Israel 24-12 down the stretch to pull away for the 72-61 win.
Michal Abuderham was Israel's standout performer, finishing with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Rona Tzalal added 13 points and three assists, while Ella Maoz Bardea contributed 10 points and five assists, per ONE and IBBA, the Israel Basketball Association.
The result left Israel with a 1-2 record in Group B. The team had opened the tournament with a lopsided win over Italy before losing to Latvia 74-63, IBBA reported, and now falls to Turkey to round out the group phase.
Despite the third-place finish in the group, the cadets advance to the knockout rounds, where they are set to face Serbia in the round of 16 on Tuesday.
It is the second defeat of the tournament for the young Israeli side, but the group stage has shown a squad capable of trading blows with stronger opposition, with the third-quarter comeback against Turkey offering encouragement heading into the knockout phase.
