The Cyprus national team suffered a heavy 123-50 loss to Croatia at “Spyros Kyprianou” Arena, in the fifth round of Group 5 of the 2027 World Cup qualifiers.
Croatia demonstrated its quality early on, coming out strong and closing out the first quarter with a 35-12 lead. Our national team tried to find its rhythm in the second quarter, but the visitors maintained control, heading into halftime with a 59-26 lead.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
In the second half, the picture didn’t change, with Croatia capitalizing on its size, experience, and offensive quality. The Croatians scored 33 points in the third quarter and 31 in the fourth, securing a 123-50 victory.
For Cyprus, Stefanos Tigkas had 10 points, Filippos Tigkas had 7, Ioannis Pasialis 6, while Simon Michael and Paris Maragkos each added 5 points.
For Croatia, Ivica Zubac stood out with 24 points and 11 rebounds, Dario Saric with 21 points and 10 rebounds, David Skara with 18 points, and Luka Božić with 14.
Our national team takes away the experience of facing a very high-level opponent and is now turning its attention to the next game against Germany.
Quarter scores: 12-35, 26-59, 36-92, 50-123
Cyprus (Antonis Konstantinidis): Loizidis, Pasialis 6, Michael 5, Iliadis 3, Giannaras 3, F. Tigkas 7, Maragkos 5, Aggeli 2, S. Tigkas 10, Tretyakov 2, Mantovani 4, Stylianou 3.
Croatia (Tomislav Mijatovic): Smith 4, Jordano 5, Sikiric, Hezonja 11, Saric 21, Radovcic 5, Badzim 11, Mavra, Brankovic 10, Skara 18, Bozic 14, Zubac 24.
