Macedonia pulled off a shocking upset in the EuroBasket 2011 quarterfinals on Wednesday, knocking off the host Lithuania 67-65 as American-born guard Bo McCalebb, who played college ball at the University of New Orleans and has never sniffed the NBA, scored 23 points. Macedonia advances to the semifinals of EuroBasket, just one win away from the 2012 London Olympics.
EuroBasket 2011: Macedonia Shocks Lithuania, Spain Ejects Slovenia
McCalebb became a Macedonian national a couple of years ago while plying his trade in Europe. (He now plays for Montepaschi Siena in Italy's Serie A.) The Bobby Jackson clone has drawn attention as one of the most explosive scorers in European play, and Wednesday was no exception. Lithuania was considered a favorite in the tournament thanks to the home-court advantage and a new generation of talent (including Raptors pick Jonas Valanciunas). But Macedonia brought a slew of fans too, and had the best player in the match.
Macedonia now faces Spain, who beat Slovenia in Wednesday’s first game, with a bid to the Olympics and a spot in the championship game on the line. Lithuania will face Slovenia, with the winner earning a bid to next July’s last-chance Olympic qualifying tournament.
Spain blasted Slovenia 86-64. Juan Carlos Navarro scored 26.
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