By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
Estonia allowed 43 points in the first half vs. North Macedonia but forced its opponents to just 26 after the break to grab a 74 – 69 road win.
Maik Kotsar led the way for Estonia in the 2025 EuroBasket Qualifiers opener with 16 points and five rebounds. Despite a rough shooting from the free-throw line (2-9) the Baskonia center contributed in all areas of the game and was the backbone of his team’s defensive effort in the second half.
Slim-Sander Vene contributed 16 points to Estonia’s win, including a triple for the 72 – 62 with 1:38.
Nenad Dimitrijevic produced 25 points for North Macedonia and naturalized big man Ethan Happ had 18 points and 10 rebounds in his debut with the national team. Their team led 43 – 34 late in the first half but received 11 unanswered points after the break as Estonia caught up.
With the score 62 – 65 in the fourth period, Estonia made a 7 – 0 run to enter crunch time from a position of strength and take the victory.
Photo: FIBA