WC Qualifiers: Montenegro Win the Thriller vs. Romania

Montenegro secured their place in the second round of the FIBA Basketball World Cup Qualifiers by edging Romania 65:64 at home, finishing on top of Group B with a 4-2 record.

The hosts survived a thrilling finish to clinch first place in the group, while Romania's campaign came to an end as they finished bottom of the standings and were eliminated from the competition.

The hero of the night was Igor Drobnjak. The Spartak Office Shoes guard knocked down a crucial three-pointer to put Montenegro ahead 64:59 before adding a free throw with 13 seconds remaining to extend the lead to 65:61.

After that, Daron Russell, the point guard of U-BT Cluj-Napoca, hit a three-pointer in the final seconds to reduce Romania's deficit to one point, but it came too late to change the outcome as Montenegro closed out the game and celebrated a 65:64 victory, securing first place in Group B and a spot in the second round of the FIBA Basketball World Cup Qualifiers.

FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Qualifiers, First Round, Group B, Round 6, Sunday, 5 July 2026:

MONTENEGRO - Romania 65:64 (17:14, 11:15, 27:21, 10:14)
Drobnjak 13, Jovanović 12 | Russell 17, Cate 15.