Greece proved tough as nails in reaching the Semi-Finals for the second straight summer by knocking off France 67-59 at the 2015 U18 European Championship. Vasileios Charalampopoulos collected a triple-double of 13 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists while Georgios Papagiannis had 21 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks. The Greeks, who finished fourth last year, will face off against Lithuania in the Semi-Finals. France are still waiting for their first Quarter-Finals victory since losing in the 2009 final despite 19 points, 15 rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block from Jonathan Jeanne.
Turning Point: Greece used an 11-0 run to start the third quarter and the lead grew to 14 points at 52-38 midway through the third quarter. The hosts never let France get closer than five points the rest of the way, always getting a big score when they needed it.
Stats Don't Lie: Greece held the number one offense to just 59 points and 33 percent shooting while the hosts shot 43 percent for the game. Greece also got 20 points off the bench compared to 12 for France.
Game Hero: Two games after being two rebounds shy of a triple-double, Charalampopoulos accomplished the feat while also adding two steals.
The Bottom Line: Greece will be shooting for their first final since winning the title in 2008 in their showdown against Lithuania. France will face Germany in the Classification Games 5-8.
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