LIMASSOL (Cyprus) - Italy shrugged off a slow start to their big-name matchup with Spain and rallied for a 67-63 win to celebrate booking their spot in the Round of 16 of the FIBA EuroBasket 2025.
Italy had already secured their ticket to Riga before the game when Georgia downed Cyprus for a 3-1 record, extending their streak of advancing from the group stage to five straight tournaments. Italy's victory over Spain actually continues what could be considered a dominance over the four-time European champions. Italia have lost just five times in now 20 meetings against Spain, including wins in 11 of the last 13 games.
The reigning champions Spain dropped to a 2-2 record and still have a tough road to reach the Round of 16.
Turning Point
Spain scored the first 13 points of the game, but Italy were not fazed and raced back to tie the game 25-25. The Spanish however were up 36-30 at halftime. Italy eventually pulled ahead 49-47 at the end of three quarters.
Italy were up 57-52 early in the fourth quarter but it remained close the rest of the way. Sergio De Larrea's free throw put Spain up 63-62 with 81 seconds left before Marco Spissu's two foul shots with 31 seconds left put Italy back ahead. He added two more free throws with 14 seconds to go.
TCL Player of the Game
Mouhamet Diouf had a strong performance for Italy with 14 points in just 19 minutes. The big man also grabbed 8 rebounds and contributed 1 steal.
Saliou Niang had 10 points, 10 rebounds and 2 blocks in just 15 minutes, but he could not play the final 6 minutes with an ankle injury. Santi Aladama collected 19 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists while Sergio De Larrea had 15 points and 7 rebounds.
Stats Don't Lie
Italy shot just 24 percent on three-pointers but committed only 8 turnovers. They also held Spain to just 32 percent shooting for the game. The Spanish didn't help their xase as they converted only 13 of 22 free throws (59 percent).
Bottom Line
Having already qualified for the Round of 16, Italy have the peace of mind going into their final Group C game against hosts Cyprus. The reigning champs Spain meanwhile face a major challenge in their final game against Greece, knowing there are scenarios where Spain would not advance.
They Said
"Starting 13-0 down is not such a big issue but the problem was we didn't score for 7 minutes. You can be down 13 points after 7 minutes, like 20-7. But 13-0. That is a disaster. You lose your confidence completely. But those guys never gave up. And we qualified." - Gianmarco Pozzecco, Italy
"It's not easy after 13-0 in the first quarter, but I love my teammates because we never give up. We were fighting and helping each other, even in the tough moments. We just kept going and playing together and we got the win." - Mouhamet Diouf, Italy
"I am so happy about the game and how we fought. It wasn't easy against this team. Everybody can beat everybody, so it was a tough game. And I am happy we won." - Marco Spissu, Italy
"It was a very close game and maybe their experience made the difference at the end. This is not a game to get depressed about but to build on it because we fought against a really high level team and we were two or three little details from getting it." - Sergio Scariolo, Spain
"We played a great game but not good enough. It's just one of those games where it's gonna be long. The second half was super long and they tried to muck up the game and play their game. We took good shots and missed some we would normally make. It's tough to digest in five minutes because we just lost. I think we did a pretty decent job. We have another game so we just have to go out there and die against Greece." - Santi Aldama, Spain
This game report will be updated in the coming moments. Stay tuned.
For more quotes, tune in to the official post-game press conference!
FIBA