The seventh victory also arrives for Italbasket, who will appear undefeated at the World Cup which will start in four days. Gianmarco Pozzecco’s team scores seven out of seven, also winning the second match of the Solidarity Cup cagainst New Zealand 88-81after the Azzurri defeated Brazil yesterday.
A game he has seen Matthew Spanish as the main protagonist, given that the new signing of Alba Berlin was the best scorer of the match with 14 points. There are twelve points from Giampaolo Ricci and Stefano Tonut and Achille Polonara (10) also finished in double figures. The 13 points of Te Rangi and Le’afa were not enough for New Zealand.
New Zealand team physical and immediately the match begins with a double unsportsmanlike due to a contact between Melli and Delany. A good start for the blue attack with the triple from Fontecchio worth +7 (14-7). Our opponents continue their very tough game, often with contacts over the limit, however closing ahead at the first siren for 23-22. New Zealand opens the second quarter with triples from Te Rangi and Le’afa, but the Azzurri respond present and Pajola equalizes on the counterattack (32-32). We play point by point, closing the interval on 43-43.
Upon returning from the changing rooms, a small break of 6-0 for our opponents, but Ricci and Datome will take care of giving new life to the blue attack. Again the captain and Spaniard make the difference, with Italy leading by one point (65-64) before the last ten minutes. Pozzecco turns his team around a lot and the somewhat unexpected protagonist becomes Diouf, who favors the draw (74-67). New Zealand takes the lead again with a series of triples (76-77), but the finale rewards Italy, which makes no mistakes and is glacial from the line.
Italy’s debut at the World Cup will be on Friday 25 August against Angola. Then successively the challenges with the Dominican Republic (27) and the Philippines (29). The goal is to continue the unbeaten streak also in this first phase and then get to the second round, where Italy will almost certainly cross Serbia, for a challenge that will be worth a lot in terms of the quarter-finals.
THE MATCH TABLE
ITALY-NEW ZEALAND 88-81 (22-23, 21-20, 16-19, 29-19)
Italia: Spissu 6, Tonut 12, Melli 6, Fontecchio 8, Ricci 12, Spagnolo 14, Polonara 10, Diouf 6, Severini 3, Procida, Pajola 2, Datome 9
New Zeland: Te Rangi 13, Le’afa 13, Delany 13, Britt 2, Ili 4, Wetzell 4, Cameron 11, Smith-Milner 8, Ngatai 2, Harris, Brown 6, Fotu I. 5
Ciammillo believes
2023-08-21 12:12:07
#Basketball #Italy #scores #beaten #Zealand #friendly #match
