Azzurrine women in semifinals against Spain
In Udine not easy victory, narrowly by 50 points, with Croatia that means for the azzurrine to face Spain, playing again this year for the medals and already having in their pockets the qualification for the 2017 U17 World Championships in which Italy recently won silver with 3 players crucial for this semifinal goal. We are talking about the Sicilian Vella, top scorer with 19 points, 3 triples out of the 4 of the whole lineup, the Livornese Sara Madera at the minimum of points (5) but a lioness in rebounds (13) and glue of the defense, the competitive drive and the Triestine Ianezic with her proverbial liveliness (9 points, 5 rebounds and 5 recoveries) .
Suffering start, just 7 points in the first quarter, disadvantage at halftime (23/29) and then recovery and decisive stretch at the return to the court with the partial of 18-4 and a last quarter in the balance (9-12) even if the evaluation (50/43) confirms that Giovanni Lucchesi’s team deserved the success thanks to the aggressiveness of the defense and the strength of the group in a difficult contest for the talented and very young Panzera. If we want to find a key element of this spasmodic victory, against a Croatia strong with such an interesting player as Kostic (17 points, 10 rebounds), an element also emblematic of the admirable tenacity of the azzurre is that of having absorbed the damage of the 19 lost by managing not to concede then basket, to correct her mistakes, to do some healthy and useful “home economy.”
Starring tonight is the semifinal with Spain, holder of 8 gold medals in the past 12 years, 2 of which were achieved by beating Italy in the finals in 2008 and 2012. Italy won last year’s final for 3rd place in Portugal, has played 6 finals in European U16 history. The Spanish shredders are always a technically and mentally difficult opponent; they lost to Germany in the classification round. Germany, which in the other semifinal faces France and amazed with its growth and the physical quality of the group with an unprecedented average height of an impressive 182 centimeters. Open prediction, the four teams are equivalent. Italy has the weapons to aim for its first U16 title, but it needs two perfect games and lucidity and physical resilience. Perhaps FIBA should move the day off from the preliminary round, which no longer includes any elimination between semifinals and finals.
EUROPEAN U16 women’s, UDINE Aug. 6-14. 2015 Podium: Cze-Por-ITA. Classification round: Aug. 6, 7, 9. Eighths:Aug. 10. Quarterfinals:Aug. 12. Semifinals:Aug. 13. Finals: Aug. 14.
RULES – ROUND A: GERMANY-Portugal 72-51, SPA-Hungary 59-46; 2nd g: UNG-Por 59-48, GER-Spa 53-40; 3rd g: GER-Ung 72-63, SPA-Por 66-28. Class.fin: 3/0 Germ; 2/1 Spa; 1/2 Ung; 0/3 Por. GROUP B : LITHUANIA-Turkey 77-60, ITALY-Russia 60-43;2nd g: LTU-Rus 85-75, ITA-Tur 75-47; 3rd g: ITA-Ltu 80-70, Rus-Tu 67-54. Class.fin.: 3/0 Ita; 2/1 Ltu; 1/2 Rus; 0/3 Tur. GROUP C: BIELORUSSIA-Serbia 92-74, REP.CEKA-Latvia 58-45; 2nd g: CZE-Blr 79-46, LAT-Srb 70-61; 3rd g: CZE-Srb 78-63; BLR-Ltv 61-56. Class.fin: 3/0 Cze; 2/1 Blr; 1/2 Lat; 0/3 Srb. GROUP D: SWEDEN-Slovakia 56-27, FRANCE-Croatia 51-44; 2nd g: CRO-Svk 58-40, FRA-Sve 71-32; 3rd g: CRO-Sve 53-50; FRA-Svk 77-29. Class.fin: 3/0 Fra; 2/1 Cro; 1/2 Sve; 0/3 Svk. OTTAVI: GER-Tur 63-43; BLR-Sve 62-56 ; SPA-Rus 48-47; CZE-Svk 65-47; LTU-Ung 74-72; CRO-Ltv 53-49; ITA-Por 60-51; FRA-Srb 85-50. QUARTERS: GER-Blr 69-53, FRA-Ltu 76-36; SPA-Cze 63-51, ITA-Cro 50-45.
TABELLIN – ITALY-Croatia 50-45 (7-14, 16-15; 18-4, 9-12). ITALY: 19 Vella 5/10 3/8 da3 4rc3a 7pe, 9 Ianezic 3/4 0/3 da3 tl3/4 5r 5re 5pe, Panzera 0/2 0/1 da3, 6 Baldi 3/6 5r, 5 Madera 2/8 tl1/2 13r 2a; Cantone, 2 Gilli 1/2 0/1 da3, 2 Sasso 1/2 0/1 da3, 7 Gregori 1/3 1/2 da3 tl2/5, Soglia. Ne: Rimi, Fiorio. CROATIA: 10 Lazic 2/12 2/9 da3 8r 5a, Mise 0/3, 2 Mandic, 17 Kostic 7/11 0r, Mihic; Muhl, Haclicka, 2 Juric. Ne: Vuksic, Ujevic, Trehlb, Perko. NOTES: Tot.Shot 20/53 37.7-17/56 30.4; Shot2: 16/37 43.2-13/41 31.7; Shot3: 4/16 25.0-4/15 26.7; Free throws 6/11 54.0-7/11 63.4. R 38-38, A 11-11, Pe 19-20, Re 11-10, F 11-15, Bench 11-4, Rating 50-43.
The Blue Women: 4 Veronica Fiorin (2000, 170, P, R.Brugg Marghera), 5 Giulia Ianezic (2000, 176, P, Interclub Muggia), 7 Chiara Cantone (2000, 170, G, Sabiana Vittuone),8 Caterina Gilli (2002, 179, A, Basket Academy Mirabello), 9 Elena Sasso (2000, 182, A, Tank Cleaning Gr. Ferrando Savonese), 10 Ilaria Panzera (2002, 172, G, Fond. C.Cannavò S.S.Giovanni), 11 Alice Gregori (2000, 178, A, Interclub Muggia),12 Giorgia Rimi (2000, 184, A, Passalacqua Spedizioni Ragusa), 14 Sara Madera (2000, 187, A, Reyer Venezia Mestre),15 Elena Vella (2000, 173, G, Redimedica Bull Basket Latina), 19 Beatrice Baldi (2000, 182, A, R. Brugg Marghera), 20 Serena Soglia (2000, 182, C, Beach Park It. Faenza).All: Giovanni Lucchesi.
Edited by ENRICO CAMPANA.
