#FIBAWC Qualifiers: Serbia, Montenegro and Romania celebrate important wins
Wins for Romania, Serbia, and Montenegro in the #FIBAWC qualifiers, while Bosnia and Herzegovina was defeated in Tuzla.
(Photo: FIBA)
The fifth round of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 European Qualifiers produced several high-quality contests featuring numerous AdmiralBet ABA League players. Serbia secured qualification for the Second Round with a convincing road win over Switzerland, while Türkiye, Montenegro and Romania also celebrated important victories in a night full of standout individual performances.
Serbia delivered another dominant display by defeating Switzerland 97:73 away from home. Nikola Jokić once again showed why he is one of the world’s best players, finishing with 22 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists, while Nikola Jović also scored 22 points. Switzerland stayed competitive early behind Alex Schumacher’s 19 points and Selim Moise Fofana’s 15, but Serbia gradually took complete control and sealed the win with a 31-point fourth quarter.
Türkiye earned a valuable 82:75 road victory against Bosnia and Herzegovina. Luka Garza kept the hosts in contention with a game-high 27 points, while Amar Gegić added 19. However, Türkiye’s balanced attack proved decisive, with Şehmus Hazer scoring 16 points and Cedi Osman contributing 15 as the visitors pulled away after a strong third quarter.
Romania claimed one of the biggest results of the window by defeating Greece 73:66. Fatts Russell led the Romanian offense with 20 points, while Dan Lucas Tohătan added 13. Greece was paced by Giannoulis Larentzakis with 16 points and Vassilis Charalampopoulos with 13, but the visitors managed only eight points in the final quarter as Romania closed the game with authority.
Montenegro edged Portugal 72:68 in another closely contested encounter. Igor Drobnjak led the winning side with 18 points and Yogi Ferrell added 14, while Travante Williams scored 21 points for Portugal and Rafael Lisboa finished with 10. Montenegro built an early double-digit advantage before Portugal mounted a late comeback, but the hosts held on to secure an important victory.
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FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Qualifiers, First Round, Round 5, Thursday, 2 July 2026:
ROMANIA – Greece 73:66 (16:18, 19:20, 16:20, 22:8)
Russell 20, Tohătan 13 | Larentzakis 16, Charalampopoulos 13
Switzerland – SERBIA 73:97 (27:30, 17:19, 13:17, 16:31)
Schumacher 19, Fofana 15 | Jokić 22, Jović 22
Bosnia and Herzegovina – TÜRKİYE 75:82 (18:17, 21:17, 18:25, 18:23)
Garza 27, Gegić 19 | Hazer 16, Osman 15
Portugal – MONTENEGRO 68:72 (13:23, 8:13, 20:13, 27:23)
Williams 21, Lisboa 10 | Drobnjak 18, Ferrell 14
