Greece Overpowers Albania in FIBA U20 Women's EuroBasket Division B Opener

The Albania U20 Women's National Basketball Team opened its FIBA U20 Women's EuroBasket 2026 Division B campaign with a difficult defeat, falling 106-43 to a strong Greece U20 side on Saturday at Triumph Hall in Samokov, Bulgaria.

Facing one of the tournament favorites, Albania struggled to match Greece's relentless defensive pressure and offensive firepower, as the Greeks controlled the contest from the opening tip to secure a convincing 63-point victory.

Match Summary

Tournament: FIBA U20 Women's EuroBasket Division B Group: Group A Venue: Triumph Hall, Samokov, Bulgaria Date: July 4, 2026

Final Score:

Greece U20 106–43 Albania U20

Greece Dominates from Start to Finish

Greece immediately imposed its physicality, speed, and depth, forcing turnovers with aggressive full-court defense while converting transition opportunities into easy points.

The Greek squad never allowed Albania to settle offensively, continuously extending its lead through disciplined team basketball and efficient shooting.

Despite Albania's determination and fighting spirit, the experience and quality of the Greek roster proved too much throughout the 40 minutes.

Albania Faces Tough Opening Test

For Albania, the match highlighted the challenges of competing against one of Division B's strongest programs.

The Albanian team found it difficult to cope with Greece's defensive intensity and struggled to create consistent scoring opportunities against a disciplined opponent.

Greece also dominated the rebounding battle and regularly capitalized on Albanian turnovers, creating several decisive scoring runs that effectively put the game out of reach early.

Greece Among the Tournament Favorites

The result further strengthens Greece's status as one of the leading contenders to earn promotion to Division A.

Basketball analysts have long viewed the Greek youth program as one of Europe's strongest, thanks to its depth, athleticism, and tactical discipline.

Their opening performance in Samokov only reinforced those expectations.

Group A Standings After Opening Day Team W L Points Point Differential 🇬🇷 Greece 1 0 2 +63 🇮🇪 Ireland 1 0 2 +12 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan 0 1 1 -12 🇦🇱 Albania 0 1 1 -63 Bounce-Back Opportunity

Albania will have little time to dwell on the defeat, returning to action on Sunday, July 5, when they face Azerbaijan in what could become a crucial game for the remainder of the group stage.

A victory would keep Albania's hopes alive and provide a valuable confidence boost after the difficult opener.

Meanwhile, Greece will face Ireland in the marquee matchup of Group A, with first place in the standings at stake.

Although the opening result was disappointing for Albania, the young squad now has an opportunity to learn from the experience, regroup quickly, and show improvement in the matches ahead as the tournament continues in Bulgaria.