First two teams to show what they have were Croatia and Bulgaria. Last year’s champions, Team Croatia, quickly took the lead, going into halftime at 56:20. They never looked back and continued to extend their advantage. The final quarter began with Croatia leading by 60 points, and the game ended in a dominant 120:50 victory. The most efficient player was Nikša Zlopaša, who recorded 20 points, nine rebounds, and five assists, earning an efficiency rating of 27.

The second game of the day was between Poland and Hungary. Poland opened the game with a 10-point lead by the end of the first quarter (24:14). By halftime, they had doubled that lead, heading into the break with a 48:28 advantage. They maintained control for the rest of the game, securing their first win of this year’s tournament with a final score of 90:49. The most efficient player was Emilio Szewcyk, who finished with 17 points, six rebounds, and two assists, earning an efficiency rating of 21.

The home country, Slovenia, faced Slovakia in a thrilling matchup. Slovenia led from the start, finishing the first quarter at 26:14. By halftime, their advantage had grown to 27 points (46:19). The exciting game ended 95:63 in favor of the host country, who put in a strong performance. The most efficient player was Anže Auer, who recorded 12 points, seven rebounds, and three assists, earning an efficiency rating of 19.

Austria and Romania closed out the first day of action. The game began evenly, with Romania pulling ahead to lead 24:16 at the end of the first quarter. At halftime, they maintained control with a 47:37 advantage. Austria battled back in the second half and closed the gap but couldn’t overtake their opponents. The game ended 82:77 in favor of Romania. The most efficient player was Samoli Catrinescu, who posted 18 points and two rebounds for an efficiency rating of 16.