Young Eagles, It's Time for the Real Deal: Serbia Eyes World Throne Via New Zealand!

Following their victory over Ivory Coast, coach Stevan Mijović's squad secured second place in Group D. In the Round of 16, scheduled for Wednesday at 5:00 PM, they will face the third-placed team from Group C, New Zealand. The Kiwis suffered losses to Turkey and Puerto Rico but clinched a crucial win against Slovenia in their final group stage match, enough to advance.

After an evenly contested start, Serbia managed to establish a seven-point lead by the end of the first quarter, finishing 24:17.

Early in the second quarter, specifically in the 12th minute, Nikola Kusturica's three-pointer extended our team's lead to double digits for the first time, making it 29:19.

The lead stretched to 11 points on two occasions, but their African rivals managed to close the gap, reducing the deficit to five points. Nevertheless, Serbia headed into halftime with an eight-point advantage after Matija Lukić's three-pointer, making the score 47:39.

The "Young Eagles" built a crucial lead in the third quarter. Kusturica brilliantly opened the second half, with his teammates joining in, as Serbia went on a 9:0 run to establish an 18-point lead by the 23rd minute, 61:43. Our team successfully maintained a significant lead until the end of the third period (77:59), then further extended it in the remaining ten minutes to a final score of 97:71.

Nikola Kusturica was the most efficient player for Serbia, tallying 17 points, 11 rebounds, and four assists.

Matija Lukić contributed 16 points (5 rebounds), Petar Bjelica added 13 points (6 rebounds), Luka Galić scored 11 points (7 rebounds), and Lazar Miličić chipped in with 10 points. Ognjen Simjanovski's performance also stands out with nine points, eight assists, and five rebounds.