Due to a delayed flight, the basketball players appeared a couple of hours later than planned in the Vilnius airport waiting hall, but the players and coaches did not hide their joy of victory.
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“We won third place and a ticket to Division A, so we feel especially good. We thank the Lithuanian Basketball Association for the excellent conditions provided during preparation, we thank the parents and all the fans for their support. I also thank the girls and coaches for their hard work. This is a huge and collective contribution from everyone. We are very happy with what we have,” said Edvinas Justa, head coach of the Lithuanian U18 girls’ national team, at the airport.
This Lithuanian youth team paved the way to the medals through defense:
“Until the semifinal match against Romania, we were the team that conceded the fewest points in the European Championship. We were a defensive plan team and that defense brought us the bronze and a ticket to Division A.
In the U18 European Championship in Romania, Lithuanian basketball players won 5 victories in 7 games.
Our team defeated Ireland 58:47, beat Estonia 60:55, and proved superiority over Luxembourg 66:48.
In the last group match, Lithuania lost to Austria 44:54 and took 2nd place in the group of 5 teams.
In the quarterfinals, the Lithuanians eliminated Greece from the fight for medals and a place in Division A with a score of 74:66.
The team coach E. Justa highlights the quarterfinal match against Greece:
“With almost 7 minutes left until the end of the 4th quarter, we had a 15-point deficit (59:44, – author’s note). I called a timeout and told the girls that we had nothing to lose and had to play freely. That probably caused the girls and fans to unite.”
In the fourth quarter, the Lithuanian basketball players forced overtime (62:62). Adding the 6 minutes 49 seconds of the fourth quarter and the entire overtime, the Lithuanians won the stretch against the Greeks by 30:7.
In the semifinal, our team lost 48:78 to the host Romanians, but in the decisive battle for bronze and a ticket to Division A, they achieved a sweet revenge against Austria.
The Lithuanian national team leader Gabija Galvanauskaitė agrees with the coach. The basketball player, who made it to the best five players of the European Championship, said at the welcome:
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“The trip home was terribly hard, but also terribly fun. We are very happy because a medal is a medal. I knew that two championships awaited me this summer and I prepared for that. Probably the key game was the quarterfinal because that victory against Greece brought us closer to the medals and the final goal. It was terribly hard, but somehow we made it through. We wanted it more and did what we had to do.”
The front-line player averaged 12.1 points, 14.6 rebounds, 1.7 blocks, and 18.4 efficiency points per game.
“I had to come to terms with the idea that not all shots would fall and keep trying. I have very friendly and supportive teammates who helped me a lot. They are my friends and family,” says one of the most promising Lithuanian basketball players.
This is the second summer in a row that the youth team led by E. Justa has won Lithuania a ticket to the FIBA European Championship Division A.
In 2025, the Lithuanian girls’ team triumphed at the U16 European Championship.
“Both last year and this year, it is very pleasant to return to Lithuania with accomplished goals and victories. The most important thing is that the girls achieved what they came for and returned without serious injuries. We are satisfied, want a little rest, but that is natural. We support and follow each other’s results. We hope that the U16 boys’ and girls’ teams will also have a good championship and a successful summer,” says coach E. Justa.
Asked if such victories can encourage even more Lithuanian girls to choose basketball clubs, the coach answered without hesitation:
“I really hope that interest in Lithuanian girls’ and women’s basketball will only grow. Youth teams are a very good example for girls that everything is possible. We can be competitive and win medals not only in B but also in A divisions, as shown by the results of the Lithuanian U20 teams. The more girls attend basketball, the greater the competition and selection will be.”
“It is definitely worth attending basketball. So many emotions, so many experiences, so much of the world can be traveled. Basketball is a wonderful sport,” Gabija Galvanauskaitė expressed positively.
Lithuanian national team basketball players: Vakarė Griškutė, Emilija Vaitkutė, Aušrinė Gaubytė, Ugnė Viščinytė, Gabija Galvanauskaitė, Ema Čeilutkaitė, Eva Kavaliauskaitė, Monika Dokšaitė, Marija Šiškinaitė, Barbora Prišmontaitė, Gėla Kačinskaitė, Aida Butvilaitė.
Lithuanian national team coaches and staff: Edvinas Justa, Jolanta Martinonienė, Lukas Danilevičius, Ernestas Barkus, Evelina Beržinskaitė, Martyna Kravčenkaitė, Saulius Kuzminskas.
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