CRO/GRE/TUR/ITA - Mediterranean gold For Croatia after win over Greece

PESCARA (Mediterranean Games) - Croatia captured the Mediterranean Games gold medal with an 82-70 triumph over Greece in Pescara.

Josip Vrankovic’s team sealed the triumph by outscoring the Greeks 16-9 in the final quarter.

Damir Rancic drilled five three-balls and finished with 20 points for the winners, who also got 13 points and 11 rebounds from Ante Tomic.

Both Rancic and Tomic are in Croatia’s preliminary squad for the EuroBasket.

Dimitrios Mavroeidis led a balanced Greece attack with 15 points.

In the bronze-medal game, Turkey stormed to a big early lead and thumped Italy 88-71.

Alaeddin Yakan’s side had a 32-17 advantage by the end of the first quarter and extended that to 52-27 by half-time.

There was no way back for the Italians, who ended the tournament they hosted in dismal fashion.

Engin Atsur, one of the Turks’ standout performers at the 2006 FIBA World Championship in Japan when they reached the Quarter-Finals, poured in a game-high 25 points with Hakan Demirel contributing 20.

Atsur was three of five from long range while as a team, Turkey were nine of 16.

Turkey had beaten Italy in triple overtime earlier in the competition.

FIBA