There were no surprises at the top: Bassano and Helsinki both cruised through their final group games, setting up a showdown between the tournament’s two leading contenders for the gold medal on Sunday.
Saturday’s action tipped off with Rátgéber Academy taking on Inter Bratislava. Although the Slovaks entered as favourites based on their performances so far, the Pécs side had other ideas. Rátgéber outplayed their opponents throughout before wearing them down completely in the final quarter. The team in orange and black held Inter to just four points over the last ten minutes, pulling away for a comfortable 78–58 victory. Soma Radnóti led the way with 20 points, while Bálint Burony delivered an impressive double-double of 18 points and 11 rebounds.
The margin of victory proved particularly valuable for Rátgéber after Czech side GBA suffered an expected defeat to Bassano. The results created a three-way tie in the group standings, with the Hungarian side finishing ahead of Inter on the tiebreaker to secure a place in Sunday’s fifth-place game. Bassano, meanwhile, powered past GBA 108–76, with seven players scoring in double figures. Faruk Ademola put together a remarkable performance, posting 20 points and 16 rebounds for a performance index rating of 41. GBA benefited most from the three-way tie: despite their heavy defeat, the Czech side secured second place in the group and a spot in Sunday’s bronze-medal game.
In Group A, Helsinki left no doubt about who would advance to the final. After Friday’s fierce battle with DEAC, the Finns gave Brno no chance, cruising to a 91–53 victory to maintain their perfect record and book a title showdown with Bassano. Viljami Lehtonen led all scorers with 24 points, knocking down seven three-pointers. Brno will have one last opportunity to claim their first win when they face Inter Bratislava in the seventh-place game.
The group stage concluded with a high-stakes clash between DEAC and Forlì, with a place in the bronze-medal game on the line. The teams traded baskets throughout the opening quarter before DEAC opened up a nine-point lead in the second. The Italians responded, however, cutting the hosts’ advantage to a narrow margin by halftime. DEAC began connecting from beyond the arc in the third quarter, creating some breathing room as they gradually wore down Forlì’s resistance. Tamás Kiss was once again unstoppable, pouring in 28 points, while Márk Szafkó made a major contribution with a double-double of 21 points and 10 rebounds. The hosts sealed an 88–78 victory to set up a meeting with GBA for the bronze medal on Sunday.
The three-point contest also concluded, with Orange1 Basket Bassano sharpshooter Pietro Masaro taking the crown.
Orange1 Basket Bassano (ITA) – GBA (CZE) 108–76
Helsinki BA (FIN) – Basket Brno (CZE) 91–53
DEAC KA (HUN) – Pallacanestro Forlì (ITA) 88–78