4 Sept 2016
BUCHAREST (FIBA 3x3 European Championships) – Hungary’s women and Slovenia’s men won the second edition of the FIBA 3x3 European Championships in Bucharest, Romania on 2-4 September 2016.
After winning the U18 European title last year, Hungary confirmed their new hegemony on women’s 3x3 in Bucharest.
The team had a perfect 5-0 record, including a 21-14 win in the final against Romania and a loud supporting crowd, which came to pack the bleachers of the imposing AFI Palace Cotroceni shopping mall.
The pin-sized (1.73m) playmaker Dóra Medgyessy had a game-high 9 points in the final and was named MVP of the tournament.
The event top scorer Gabriela Marginean (Romania) and Alexia Rol (Switzerland) joined her on the Team of the Tournament.
Rol was spectacular in the bronze-medal game, sending the game to overtime at the buzzer but could not stop 2014 European Champions Russia from striking bronze.
After finishing second in 2014, Slovenia won gold this time around in the men’s category after a hard-fought 19-17 victory against Serbia.
The tournament MVP Gasper Ovnik scored a game-high 8 points in the final and got a little help from event top scorer Anze Srebovt (5 points), Simon Finzgar and Adin Kavgic (4 and 2 points respectively).
The number one 3x3 player in the individual world ranking Dusan Domovic Bulut joined Ovnik and Dutch star Jesper Jobse in the Team of the Tournament.
The Netherlands secured the bronze medal with a 22-16 success against Russia after a game-winning two-pointer courtesy of Joey Schelvis.
The 27-year-old was on target on Sunday and brought the Netherlands a second medal after collecting gold at the Shoot-Out Contest. 3x3 legend and Romanian star Angel Santana and Spain’s Vega Gimeno won silver and bronze respectively.
The FIBA 3x3 European Championships brought together the best 12 women’s and the best 12 men’s teams after a series of three qualifying tournaments, which took place in Andorra, France and the Netherlands.
3x3 European national team action continues next week with the 2016 FIBA 3x3 U18 European Championships, which will take place in Debrecen, Hungary on 9-11 September.
Final Standings of the 2016 FIBA 3x3 European Championships:
Women
1. Hungary
2. Romania
3. Russia
4. Switzerland
5. Czech Republic
6. Ukraine
7. Serbia
8. Spain
9. Italy
10. Slovenia
11. Belgium
12. Austria
Men
1. Slovenia
2. Serbia
3. Netherlands
4. Russia
5. Italy
6. Spain
7. Romania
8. Poland
9. Czech Republic
10. France
11. Ukraine
12. Slovak Republic
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ABOUT FIBA 3x3
Exciting, urban and innovative, 3x3 is inspired by several forms of streetball played worldwide and is considered the world’s number one urban team sport. Steered by FIBA, games see two teams of three players face off on a basketball half-court.
It was played successfully for the first time in international competition at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games in Singapore and since then has benefitted from the launch of a yearly city-based FIBA 3x3 World Tour (www.fiba.basketball/3x3worldtour) and national-team world championships.
Nike is FIBA 3x3's Founding Partner.
FIBA 3x3 events are played on Sport Court's floors with Schelde backstops and benefit from Wilson's innovative and specially-made ball for 3x3.
For further information about 3x3, visit fiba.com/3x3, FIBA3x3 accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube or contact 3x3@fiba.com.