Basketball: Italy del Poz makes a splash in Spain

SPAIN-ITALY 68-72
Coach Pozzecco’s Italy closes the qualifying round for the 2023 World Cup in Asia with a convincing victory in Spain. The Azzurri hadn’t beaten Scariolo’s Roja since 2015 and it doesn’t matter that it was a friendly match disguised as an official commitment given that both had long been qualified for the world championship. On the hot field of Caceres the challenge between two rather experimental teams due to the absence of many big names on both fronts immediately becomes intense even if shooting errors are not counted. At the start, Italy struggles to find the three-point target, Spain sails ahead. First quarter 16-13 for the hosts but in the second the Azzurri accelerate with a 13-2 break that pushes them ahead. Good debutant Casarin, born in 2003, very good Caruso who dominates inside the area between winning supports and rebounds. Flaccadori and Severini also make important plays while Spissu is out due to injury and Mannion still doesn’t warm up. At the interval the overtaking on 29-33 arrives. In the third quarter, Italy stretches again by beating the Hispanic zone. Caruso is impeccable and keeps the Azzurri ahead: at the third siren he is +8 (44-52). In the last period, Poz’s team also reaches a +15 (53-68) and caresses the idea of ​​winning the group (in the first leg in Pesaro Spain finished at +4) but here Scariolo incites his comeback . Perez, great athlete, Bassas and Nunez shorten up to -4. Italy resists with a pair of gypsies by Mannion, back active in the hot moment. Italy wins but Spain wins the group on overall points difference. Nothing wrong, Poz can look to the World Cup with optimism. An important base is growing behind the owners. Visconti, Caruso, Casarin and Bortolani are new and highly futuristic forces.
Spain: Perez 15, Bassas 11, Nunez 8
Italy: Caruso 19, Mannion 10, Casarin 10