Croatia U-18 team opens EuroBasket in Rijeka in convincing fashion with a 107:60 victory over Norway
The Croatian men's under-18 basketball team opened its FIBA U18 EuroBasket Division B campaign with a victory that immediately underlined its ambitions in front of the home crowd. Head coach Luka Kralj's team defeated Norway 107:60 on Saturday, July 25, 2026, at the Zamet Sports Hall in Rijeka, after building a 32-point advantage by halftime. Official FIBA data show that Croatia won three of the four quarters by a double-digit margin, while Norway was more evenly matched only in the third period. The final 47-point margin was also Croatia's largest lead of the game. The convincing result gave the home national team important early momentum in Group A, while also allowing all 12 players to receive minutes and get on the scoresheet.
Croatia decided the game long before the closing stages. After a brief opening period in which both teams searched for confidence in attack, the home defense increased the pace of the game, forced Norway into mistakes and created opportunities for easy transition points. The first quarter ended 26:9, while the second was even more convincing at 30:15. The scoreboard showed 56:24 after 20 minutes, meaning the rest of the game was more about the final margin and the distribution of playing time than uncertainty over the winner. Croatia nevertheless maintained its seriousness until the final minute and won the fourth quarter 27:14.
Defense and transition immediately dictated the game
According to official FIBA statistics, Norway led for only 13 seconds during the game, while Croatia was ahead for 37 minutes and nine seconds. After Norway's only brief lead, the home team responded with a 9:0 run and took control that it never relinquished. Aggressive defense on the first passing line, timely help in the paint and quick closeouts toward opposing shooters limited Norway to only nine points in the first quarter. Such a defensive start allowed Croatia to turn steals and rebounds into quick attacks before the Norwegian defense could get set. By the middle of the second quarter, it was already clear that Luka Kralj's team would be able to expand its rotation without losing control of the score.
The difference in the organization of play was particularly evident in the number of turnovers and assists. According to the official scoresheet, Croatia finished with 25 assists and 14 turnovers, while Norway recorded nine assists alongside as many as 29 lost possessions. The home national team registered 18 steals, which explains the large number of open opportunities and the balanced distribution of points. Croatia outrebounded Norway 51:38, with 18 offensive rebounds proving particularly important by creating additional opportunities and maintaining pressure. Nine blocks further confirmed control of the area around the rim, although Norway's Mathias Flesche was statistically very prominent for his team with six blocks.
Croatia made 39 of 80 field-goal attempts, slightly less than 49 percent, and converted ten of its 25 attempts from beyond the three-point line. Norway was held to four made three-pointers from 18 attempts, which prevented it from reducing the deficit with a run of outside shots. The home team could have been more efficient from the free-throw line, where it converted 19 of 30 attempts, but in a game with such a large margin that segment had no influence on the outcome. More important was the fact that the offense did not rely on a single scorer, but on ball movement and a broad rotation. Such a distribution of responsibility is particularly valuable in a tournament with a congested schedule and several games over a short period.
Every Croatian player among the scorers
Croatia's leading scorer was Zdravko Perić with 14 points, while he also distributed five assists and showed composure in directing the team in just over 16 minutes. Patrik Dorotić added 12 points, five rebounds, three steals and two blocks, recording the highest efficiency rating in the Croatian lineup. Frane Bajković scored ten points on only four field-goal attempts, making both three-pointers he attempted. Martin Salamunić, Ante Garac and Luka Jerak scored nine points each, while Tomislav Vučković, Matej Lauš and Šime Grbin finished with eight apiece. Josip Santro and Filip Bilokapić scored seven each, while Marko Čuvalo added six points.
The breadth of the contribution can also be seen in the Croatian Basketball Federation's figure showing that nine players scored at least eight points. Nobody had to spend more than 23 minutes on the court, allowing the coaching staff to distribute the workload evenly ahead of the continuation of the group stage. Ante Garac added five assists to his nine points, while Santro complemented his seven points with five rebounds, three assists and three blocks. Grbin and Čuvalo collected six rebounds each, while Jerak and Bilokapić recorded three steals apiece. Such a contribution from the bench was one of the main reasons why the tempo did not drop even after victory had effectively been secured.
Norway was led by Jakob Ellingsen with 17 points, while Flesche scored 16 alongside six rebounds and six blocks. Malik Rauf collected 11 rebounds but scored only two points, while Evert Dahlberg added nine. Norway managed to stabilize its offense during the third quarter and lost that period by only 22:24, but the deficit was already too large by then. Croatia did not allow that brief period to turn into a more serious comeback and instead raised the intensity again at the beginning of the final quarter. The closing 27:14 confirmed the difference in squad depth, physical conditioning and the ability to maintain the pace.
Luka Kralj satisfied with the approach and distribution of minutes
Following the game, head coach Luka Kralj assessed that Croatia had opened the championship very well, according to a report by the Croatian Basketball Federation. He emphasized that there had been some expected nervousness and several disorganized attacks in the opening minutes, but that the team subsequently found the right rhythm. He described Norway as the weakest opponent in the group, which made the game suitable for a gradual introduction to the demands of the tournament. The large advantage allowed every player to experience the competitive rhythm, the refereeing criteria and the specific characteristics of a EuroBasket game. It was equally important for the coaching staff that the match ended without the leading players needing to play heavy minutes.
That development followed the final preparation game, in which Croatia defeated Belgium 85:66 on July 21. The Croatian Basketball Federation reported at the time that the team gradually took control after an even first quarter and won the second half 48:32. Lauš scored 15 points and collected eight rebounds in that game, Salamunić added 13, while Dorotić and Santro scored ten each. The victories against Belgium and Norway were achieved in different ways, but in both games defensive intensity and contributions from a larger number of players came to the fore. The real test of stability, however, will only follow in the remainder of the group, when opponents will have greater quality and more opportunities to punish mistakes.
It is particularly useful for the youth national team that it was able to complete its first competitive game without a dramatic ending. At youth tournaments, the rhythm changes quickly and the schedule leaves little time for recovery and tactical adjustments. A convincing start reduces the initial pressure, but it does not change the fact that qualification for the final stages is decided throughout the entire group stage. Croatia will therefore have to maintain its defensive aggression while reducing the fluctuations that Norway was unable to punish more seriously. Particular attention will be paid to rebounding control, defending without unnecessary fouls and more efficient free-throw shooting.
EuroBasket Division B brings together 22 national teams
The FIBA U18 EuroBasket Division B is being held in Rijeka and Opatija from July 24 to August 2, 2026. According to the official competition overview, 22 national teams are participating and are divided into four groups, with two groups containing six teams and two containing five. Croatia is in Group A with Switzerland, Montenegro, Norway and Romania. The group stage is played during the first six days of the tournament, with rest days on July 27 and 30, followed by classification games and the final stages. The top three national teams at the end of the competition will earn promotion to Division A for the following season.
Croatia's objective is to return to the top tier of European junior basketball, so the victory over Norway represents only the first step. The competition format leaves little room for error because only the best national teams from the groups advance into the battle for medals and promotion. In a five-team group, each national team plays four games, and head-to-head results and point difference may become important if several teams finish with the same win-loss record. For that reason, the 107:60 result carries additional value beyond the victory itself. Croatia has already built a very favorable point difference at the beginning, although the final standings will primarily depend on its performances against Switzerland, Romania and Montenegro.
Hosting the tournament provides the advantage of a familiar arena, shorter journeys and crowd support, but it also raises expectations. All of Croatia's group-stage games are being played at the Zamet Centre in Rijeka. FIBA recorded an attendance of 250 spectators for the game against Norway, while greater interest can be expected as the tournament progresses and the games gain greater competitive importance. Playing in front of a home crowd can provide additional motivation for young players, but it may also create pressure that must be controlled. That is precisely why a calm opening to the championship, without uncertainty over the result, was especially useful.
Switzerland the first more serious test in Group A
Croatia faces Switzerland at Zamet as early as Sunday, July 26, 2026, at 18:00. Switzerland opened the tournament with two narrow defeats: Romania defeated it 71:64, while Montenegro won 64:62. The results show that this is an opponent that remained competitive until the closing stages in both games, meaning the Croatian team faces a considerably different challenge than it did against Norway. Switzerland will attempt to slow the pace, reduce the number of turnovers and keep the game balanced on the scoreboard. Croatia, on the other hand, will seek to impose defensive pressure again and make use of the depth of its rotation.
The game against Switzerland will be followed by a rest day and then a meeting with Romania on July 28 at 18:00. Croatia completes the group stage against Montenegro on July 29, with the game beginning at 20:30. Both games will also be played at Zamet, meaning the team will not change arenas during the opening phase. The schedule allows the coaching staff to maintain an established routine between games, but it leaves only a short period for analyzing opponents and making corrections. After the convincing opening, the most important task will be to carry the same level of concentration into games in which every poor period will have greater consequences.
A 47-point victory over Norway guarantees nothing in advance, but it shows that Croatia arrived at the tournament prepared, physically fresh and with several available options. The defense produced easy points, the ball moved well and no player had to take on a disproportionately large share of the offense. Such a model of play can be sustainable throughout the tournament only if it is repeated against higher-quality opponents. The first confirmation will be sought against Switzerland, when the home national team will attempt to turn its strong opening into early control of Group A.
Sources:
- Croatian Basketball Federation – report from the game between Croatia and Norway, player performances and a statement by head coach Luka Kralj (link)
- FIBA Basketball – official Croatia – Norway game page with quarter-by-quarter scoring, statistics and game information (link)
- FIBA Basketball – official overview of the format, participants, schedule and promotion system at the 2026 U18 EuroBasket Division B (link)
- Croatian Basketball Federation – schedule of Croatia's group-stage games at the championship in Rijeka and Opatija (link)
- Croatian Basketball Federation – report from Croatia's final preparation game against Belgium (link)