EUROBASKET QUALIFIERS

Dusko Savanovic had 18 points and 7 rebounds as  Serbia opened their campaign with a win on Iceland

Dusko Savanovic led Serbia with 18 points and seven rebounds, while Vladimir Lucic had 16 points and seven boards.

Dusan Ivkovic's team, without the injured Nenad Krstic and Zoran Erceg, took control of the game early and led 18-9 when Savanovic capitalised on a Logi Gunnarsson turnover to score an easy lay-up.

The lead grew in the second quarter to hit 40-25 on a lay-up from Nemanja Nedovic and it was Nedovic again with a jump-shot on the buzzer to make it 47-29 at half-time.

Early points in the third quarter pushed the lead past 20, and it was 60-37 when Milos Teodosic nailed a three-pointer midway through the third period.

But Iceland then responded with a 10-0 spurt, highlighted by a three-pointer from Jon Stefansson, and they continued the comeback in the fourth quarter to ensure Serbia could not relax.

Jakob Sigurdarson's three made it 71-58 but Serbia then turned to the three-ball to preserve their advantage, and both Lucic and Teodosic hit shots from range as they moved 79-61 clear.

Iceland tried once more, and a three-point play from Stefansson made it 81-70 with 3:11 left on the clock.

Savanovic took over for Serbia, scoring all Serbia's points in a 7-1 spurt that made it 88-71 inside the final two minutes, all but wrapping up victory.

Teodosic added 14 points for Serbia, hitting four of five shots from three-point range, while Milan Macvan added 13 points and nine boards.

Stefansson led Iceland with 21 points while Pavel Ermolinskij added 14, Hlynur Baeringsson 13 and Sigurdarson 12.