Italy use strong second half to put away Tunisia

TURIN (2016 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments) - Italy pulled away from a resilient Tunisia side to open their account at the 2016 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) with a 68-41 win.  

Turning Point: After Tunisia closed the gap to 29-27, Marco Belinelli hit a three-pointer to give the hosts a 32-27 lead at half-time. That seemed to inspire the Italians as they came out of the locker room and proceeded to outscore the Tunisians 22-2 in the third quarter, repeatedly going inside to open a commanding lead.

Stats Don't Lie: Italy took control when they started going inside and by the end of the third period had outscored their opponents 24-6 in the paint. The Tunisians shot 8 of 36 (22 percent) from two-point range and 5 of 20 from three-point range, not the type of numbers that are going to win many games at this level.

Game Hero: Belinelli, who has been wearing a protective face guard after breaking his cheekbone last week, played with grit and determination and sparked Italy by hitting 3-of-4 attempts from beyond the arc and scoring 11 points in the first half. 

The Bottom Line: Tunisia, No. 23 in the FIBA World Ranking Men, fought hard all night and only trailed by five at half-time but with Makram Ben Romdhane a late scratch from the game after suffering an ankle injury, they were deprived of their best player. Italy will now play Croatia and look to get first place while Tunisia will rest and get ready for their game against the Croatians on Wednesday.

FIBA