North Macedonia U16 vs Bulgaria U16

Bulgaria seized control from the opening tip, outscoring North Macedonia 24-15 in the first quarter. They stretched the lead to 54-29 by halftime after a 30-14 second period that effectively ended the contest before the break.

The Bulgarian offence showed no signs of letting up after the interval. Another 24-16 third quarter pushed the margin beyond 30 points, and a 24-17 final frame sealed the 40-point rout.

Quarter scores: 15-24, 14-30, 16-24, 17-24 (62-102).

The game was decided inside the opening five minutes. Bulgaria opened with a 15-0 scoring run — the largest of the match — and never trailed. North Macedonia managed just four minutes and five seconds of leading time across the entire 40 minutes, while Bulgaria held the advantage for 34 minutes and 19 seconds. The five lead changes and four ties all occurred very early before Bulgaria established complete dominance.

Nikolay Dzhambazov (Bulgaria) — The standout player of the game, Dzhambazov poured in a game-high 25 points with exceptional efficiency. His scoring from all three levels was the engine of Bulgaria's offence.

Aleksandar Kotevski (North Macedonia) — The home side's brightest spark, Kotevski led North Macedonia with 14 efficiency points. He was North Macedonia's only consistent scoring threat against a swarming Bulgarian defence.

The final margin reflects Bulgaria's overwhelming superiority in nearly every statistical category. Bulgaria shot 51% from the field against North Macedonia's 38%. The three-point line was the biggest separator: Bulgaria connected at 44% (likely 11-of-25) compared to North Macedonia's 22.6% (roughly 7-of-31). At the free-throw line, Bulgaria shot 75% to North Macedonia's 29.4% — a staggering 46-point gap from the stripe alone. Bulgaria's largest lead reached 40 points, underscoring how one-sided the contest became.

Bulgaria finish 13th in the 22-team Division B tournament, a solid mid-table result in a competition that featured teams from across Europe. North Macedonia end in 14th place on home soil, a disappointing finish for the hosts who played the entire tournament in Skopje. Both teams now head into the off-season with lessons to carry into future U16 European campaigns.

A comprehensive performance from Bulgaria from start to finish. Dzhambazov's 25-point display and the team's 44% three-point shooting turned this into a statement win in their final game of the tournament. North Macedonia, playing in front of their home crowd of 50 at the Boris Trajkovski Centre, simply had no answer for Bulgaria's offensive firepower.

• Venue: Sports Centre Boris Trajkovski, Skopje
• Attendance: 50
• Referees: Mateusz Skorek (POL), Michal Scholze (CZE), Kilian Lampe (LUX)
• Technical Delegate: Sascha Janzen (GER)
• Competition: FIBA U16 EuroBasket 2026 Division B — Classification Game 13-14