Reigning continental champion U18 Real Madrid clinched first place in Group A of the Euroleague Basketball ADIDAS NEXT GENERATION TOURNAMENT Qualifying Tournament – Torneig de Bàsquet Junior Ciutat de L'Hospitalet by fending off U18 FIATC Joventut Badalona 60-50. Ignacio Ballespin scored 13 points to pace Madrid, which will take on U18 Brose Baskets Bamberg in the semifinals. Felipe Dos Anjos added 10 points and 6 rebounds for Madrid, which outrebounded Joventut 45-32 and held Joventut to just 29 percent shooting from the field. Joventut dropped to 1-2 and will not advance to the semifinals. Alejandro Galan scored 29 points in defeat and Pedros Barros had 11 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals.

Madrid opened the game with a 0-5 lead and despite two baskets from Galan pushed the gap to 4-11. Quim Salvans got Joventut to within 9-11, but Joventut managed just one basket over the final four minutes of the first quarter with 7 misses and 2 turnovers as Madrid went ahead 11-17 after 10 minutes. The Madrid cushion was 13-24 after a Ballespin three and put-backs from Domagoj Proleta. Josep Busquets knocked down a three to bring Joventut within 18-24 only to see 2 Guillermo Gonzalez free throws extend the lead to double digits. The Joventut defense held tough over the final four minutes of the first half, allowing just 1 point, while Barros scored 4 straight points to get Joventut within 24-29 at the intermission.

Joventut kept up its defensive prowess and held Madrid to just 1 basket – by Acoydan McCarthy – in the first 4:39 minutes of the second half while Barros cut the gap to 30-31. Dos Anjos and Miki Fons scored back-to-back baskets for Madrid to re-establish a 5-point lead. Joventut could not get back ahead and trailed 39-43 after 30 minutes. Neither team scored in the first two minutes of the fourth quarter until Dino Radoncic’s three-pointer made it 39-46. Galan answered from long range on the next possession but Madrid scored the next 6 points to lead 42-52. Galan’s next basket had Joventut within 46-52, but Madrid kept Joventut scoreless for the next three minutes and raced away 46-58 with less than two minutes to play. Galan snapped the scoreless drought to make it 48-58 with 1:16 minutes left, but it was too little too late.