Another major tournament has come and gone for Turkey. The memory of their runners-up finish at the European Championships two years ago is fading fast.

		Hidayet Türkoglu

Turkey, one of the continent's biggest basketball countries, also crashed out of the World Championships last summer in Indianapolis, finishing ninth, and in this year's Eurobasket in Sweden failed to even reach the quarter-finals.

Serbia & Montenegro, the side who denied them glory in the final game in Istanbul in 2001, beat them in their elimination game in Boras on Monday night, 80-76.

"We fought well, but the result didn't satisfy anybody," said Turkey boss Aydin Ors.

"We had three preparation games with them and we knew it would be very close.

"It was a real game of nerves. Our immediate goal was to try to be as successful as them in the rebounds and not to let them score.

"We managed to do that. But, we made some obvious defensive mistakes. The Serbian team was very experienced and they took advantage of those mistakes. The team that made the least mistakes won the game."

		Mehmet Okur

Serbia & Montenegro are experienced at winning, of that there is no doubt. Among their long list of achievements are the last two world crowns and the Eurobasket 2001 title.

But their experience level is not as great as it could have been this year. Veteran campaigners Vlade Divac, Dejan Bodiroga and Dejan Tomasevic decided to skip this summer's tournament.

Sacramento Kings superstar Predrag Stojakovic, their best player, injured his ankle in the first half of Monday's game, yet Serbia & Montenegro still managed to win.

Guard Marko Jaric poured in 18 points, just as his team needed someone to provide some offence.

They will now go into their quarter-final against Lithuania with a head full of steam.

Inevitably, questions will be asked of Ors and his future as national team coach. He had the luxury of playing a very talented squad, with Detroit Pistons centre Mehmet Okur and San Antonio Spurs forward Hidayet Turkoglu good enough to play for any side at these championships.

Ors, speaking to the Turkish media after the game, said he will speak to his basketball federation president Turgay Demirel in Istanbul and hinted that he may end up leaving. "We are all civilised people," he said.

"Don't let anybody look for the goat. I take all the responsibility. I will make an announcement in two days."