Second success for the National Women’s team at EuroBasket Women 2021 (17-27 June, Strasbourg
and Valencia): after the knockout with Serbia at the debut and the convincing reaction with Montenegro, the Azzurre yes
are imposed on Greece (77-67), thus closing group B in second place.
The best Azzurra scorer was Elisa Penna with 13 points, Cecilia also in double figures
Zandalasini at 11 points. For Anna Stamolamprou 23 points.
In the evening, at the conclusion of Spain-Slovakia (21.00), we will know the name of ours
opponent in the play-off scheduled for tomorrow and which is worth a place in the quarter-finals. In case of
success of the Iberians we would play at 18.00 against Sweden, otherwise we should
face the landlords at 21.00. The match will be broadcast live on
SkySportHD.
Coach Lardo said after the game: “Even today we started off on the right foot and we got a good one
advantage, then probably on +20 we thought we had already won and stopped. Honor to the
Greece, a team that never gives up, for not giving up even on -20 but I hope this second
time in chiaroscuro we need for the future: today we understood once more that if we don’t play
with the right aggression we risk partial dangerous ones. We are happy to have closed the group in the second
place, especially because we achieved the goal by playing three good games ”.
Coach Lardo has chosen for the starting five Carangelo, Pan, Zandalasini, Andrè and Bestagno: the initial 6-0
the result of 2 steals in the Greek half immediately directed the game. By Zandalasini the
triple for the first double-digit advantage (16-5), than that of 21-8 at the end of the first quarter.
Italy also continued in the second quarter to play solid basketball in both halves
field, limiting supplies to Fasoula and Spanou and finding the basket regularly: the free to
Bestagno, after the basket from Pan’s arc, set the score at 41-24 before the interval
long.
The 4-0 at the start of the third period, in addition to giving us the maximum advantage over 45-24, probably has
the Azzurre deluded that the match had already been won and instead Greece, point by point, managed to
get back into contact with a 19-2 run. At the turn of the last two periods Bestagno e
Penna made us breathe (61-47) but at that moment another Greek wave came, that
placing an 18-3 he put his head ahead at 63-64 thanks to Spanou. Zandalasini and Keys points that
they allowed us to counter-break (14-3) and close the account without worries. Second
guaranteed and well-deserved place, that of the Azzurre, with some regrets for the final of Italy-
Serbia.
The first classified of the four groups go through to the quarter-finals, second and third will face each other in the
playoff that is worth the access to the first eight. The top six of the EuroBasket Women 2021 qualify for the
pre-World Cup tournament that will be played in February 2022 and which allows access to FIBA Women’s
Basketball World Cup scheduled in Sydney (Australia) from 22 September to 1 October 2022.
Italy-Greece 77-67 (21-13; 41-24; 58-47)
Italy: Keys 4 (1/1), Romeo 9 (1/4, 1/3), Bestagno 9 (2/3), Carangelo 9 (2/5, 1/5), Zandalasini 11 (2/9,
2/3), Pan 7 (2/5, 1/4), De Pretto ne, Andrè 8 (4/5), Cinili 3 (1/1, 0/3), Attura 4 (0/2, 0 / 1), Cubaj (0/3,
0/1), Pen 13 (2/4, 3/4). Herds Lard
Greece: Stamolamprou 23 (4/9, 3/7), Bosgana 13 (3/4, 2/2), Alexandri, Pavlopoulou (0/2),
Nikolopoulou 5 (1/4, 1/1), Sotiriou 3 (0/2, 1/3), Louka ne, Spanou 13 (3/7, 2/4), Anastasopoulou ne,
Tsineke 3 (1/1), Diela (0/2), Fasoula 7 (3/8). All. Maslarinos
Free throws: Ita 19/22; Gre 10/17.
Rebounds: Ita 41; Gre 34.
Lost balls: Ita 13; Gre 19.
Balls recovered: Ita 11; Gre 10
Assist: Ita 21; Gre 18.
Falli: Ita 21; Gre 24.
Referees: Blaz Zupancic (Slovenia), Sonia Teixeira (Portugal), Alexandra Stan (Romania).
