Ukraine and The Czar

Ukraine fought hard in Game 7, but fell to undefeated Croatia 84-80.

We were down 13 at halftime, but kept battling back. Steve Burtt’s six threes and 22 points helped us stay within striking distance. And Oleksiy Pecherov nailed a 3-pointer to close the gap to four with 13 seconds remaining.

But Croatia made big shots when they needed to, had some huge offensive rebounds and ultimately held on for the win. Their second unit outscored ours 55 to 17.

Croatia must be commended for having a terrific tournament. Their record stands at 6-0, and they have clinched first place in Group C.

Ukraine is 5-2 heading into our final game of the EuroBasket Qualification Round against Cyprus on Saturday. We look to end our successful run with a strong performance at home in Yuzhne.