Italy finishes EuroBasket group phase with fourth consecutive victory
Italy concluded the EuroBasket 2025 group phase in style with a convincing 89-64 victory against Cyprus in Limassol. Already qualified for the round of 16 before this game, the Nazionale dominated most of the match to finish with a record of 4 wins and 1 loss in Group C.
A blazing start to seal the game
Although Cyprus opened the scoring with the first two points, the hosts’ dreams of an upset quickly faded. Coach Gianmarco Pozzecco’s team scored 19 consecutive points to take a decisive 19-2 lead, never releasing the pressure afterward.
Matteo Spagnolo showed his versatility with 13 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals. Mouhamet Diouf excelled again in the paint with 12 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 assists, while Simone Fontecchio added 13 points. For Cyprus, Filippos Tigkas compiled 15 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists, and Darral Willis scored 10 points.
Italian collective dominance
The statistics reveal Italy’s superiority in all areas. Italy only committed 6 turnovers while dishing out 26 assists, also dominating the rebounds 48-30, including 17 offensive rebounds. This rebounding dominance translated into an overwhelming 20-3 advantage in second-chance points.
« We’re very happy to have finished the first phase strongly. Now we need to focus on the next phase, which will be even more important. The next game will be against a great team, that’s for sure, » said Mouhamet Diouf after the game.
Matteo Spagnolo added: « We wanted to play hard and well to have good feelings going into Riga for the next game. And I think we’re ready. »
Italy heads to Riga with four consecutive wins after their opening loss against Greece. The Italians now await the result of Greece – Spain to know if they’ll finish first or second in the group. Cyprus, in their first EuroBasket participation, ends with a 0-5 record, becoming the third team to lose all their games in a tournament they hosted.
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