Spain gives up the clasp to Italy
Scariolo’s men suffer two bad quarters in Cáceres and close the road to the World Cup with a defeat without consequences
MADRID, 26 Feb. (EUROPAP RESS) –
The Spanish men’s basketball team fell (68-72) this Sunday against Italy at the end of the qualifying phase for the 2023 World Cup, a bad taste in the mouth that made up with a final reaction that did not prevent the second defeat in 10 games.
Sergio Scariolo’s men, who returned to the team after missing the game against Iceland as coach of Virtus de Bologna, suffered against the Italian defense and left a weak offensive performance in the second and third quarters. With both teams already qualified in advance for the World Cup this summer, Italy was the finale among the best in Group L.
The world champion started with an intense quintet that worked well. Alberto Díaz put his strength on the floor of the Multiusos Ciudad de Cáceres and Parra, Salvó and Núñez put Spain ahead in the first minutes (16-9). Scariolo’s men also entered better in the second quarter, adding the missing triple.
With three goals and a good defense, the local team had a 27-20 lead to think about breaking the match, but they suffered a tremendous bottleneck in attack from there to the last quarter. Five minutes before the break, Italy believed again and had time to find the lost hit and leave with the visiting team (29-33).
Tyson Pérez was the only Spaniard who left somewhat plugged in, with a basket to cut the drought and the best numbers (8 points and 4 rebounds). Guglielmo Caruso was the biggest enemy in Italy, a team that knew how to punish each recovery. The time in the changing rooms did not return the best version of the hostess, again with a new squad, and Italy took advantage of their moment (36-48).
The transalpine team went on to win the rebound, the only facet that Spain held in the first half, and made its bet for victory. Tyson Pérez was once again the one who improved the taste in the mouth facing the last quarter, but the reaction ran out of time. Italy pressed a lot in defense, closed on the inside and, in the forced shot, Scariolo’s men did not have their day.
Gianmarco Pozzecco’s men ran and liked each other at times (48-63), with a bunch of losses in Spain and few wrists plugged in. Núñez was the one who came to the rescue to give Cáceres at least the attempt to come back. On the opposite side, Mannion, the best in the first leg but who had gone unnoticed, accepted the duel and both closed the phase fighting for victory.
DATASHEET:
–RESULT: SPAIN, 68 – ITALY, 72. (29-33, at halftime).
–EQUIPMENT:
SPAIN: Díaz (4), Núñez (8), Miquel Salvó (7), Parra (7) and Rubén Guerrero (-), –starting five–, Bassas (11), Busquets (7), García (5) , Vicedo (-), Reyes (-), Alonso, Pérez (15), Vila (4).
ITALY: Mannion (10), Marco Spissu (3), Moraschini (2), Tessitori (2) and Severini (8) –initial quintet–, Diego Flaccadori (5), Giordano Bortolani (2), Guglielmo Caruso (19 ), Riccardo Visconti (6), Diouf (2), Woldetensae (3), Casarin (10).
— PARTIALS: 16-13, 13-20, 15-19, 24-20.
–REFEREES: Salins, Horozov and Praksch. Eliminated for fouls Alberto Díaz.
–PAVILION: Multipurpose City of Cáceres.