Azzurrine for bronze against France
It’s always the same story, Spain has become a sort of collective syndrome for teams in European women’s youth competitions. And last year’s Azzurri victory in the 3rd place final of the U16 European Championships in Metesinhos had been an exception. Put out by Portugal it had failed — or rather an opponent Lucchesi’s had managed to be better — one of the very rare matches of its unchallenged dominance including 8 titles in the last 12 years, 5 in the last 6 editions. This year in Udine Spain had immediately lost credit by being beaten by Germany, the real big news of this edition with a team of 182 centimeters average, physically unparalleled and who will deservedly play the final against the same Spaniards revived by the well-deserved success against a less brilliant Italy than at the beginning of the tournament slightly better in shooting, but in the most key match a bit tired and too tense to repeat. And so with their scientific defense, almost a powerful sucker, the Spaniards were able to optimize the proverbial winning mentality managing to make the most important deal despite mediocre percentages (29.0 in shooting and 26.0) from 3 putting, however, on the scales the strength of the group, rebounds, free throws and the difference in the performance of the bench with 36 points against 10. The scoring confirms in a more dilated and clear-cut way the difference with a 60-49 that belongs to that extra quid in every aspect of the game, and that is called intensity.
On the event website the headline of the semifinals report is a bit distressing, talking about a day imbued with drama. In reality it is just sports cruelty, no drama and despair, but rather a series of thrilling contests on Saturday. Like that of Italy defeated by 5 points, with the lowest score in a tournament in which it had also touched 80 points shooting 50 percent even in 3-point shooting.
Italy was slow to get going, did not have self the personality to play its own game, had moments of pause in which Spain was unforgiving taking advantage of rotations to make up for its flaws. The biggest gap, after all, is the 8 points in the third quarter that became a psychological hurdle for the azzurrine to overcome in facing a technically prepared, die-hard, cynical system team.
France and Italy play for 3rd place. Slovakia and Sweden are already relegated; Portugal-Serbia is worth salvation and 3rd relegation. Germany, Spain, Italy and France are qualified for the 2017 World Cup with the winner of Lithuania-Croatia for 5th place. Among the three from the 2015 podium only Italy returns to play for a medal, the gold-winning Czechs play for 7th place, and Portugal a year after Matesinhos’ surprising home silver medal risks Division B. With 31 points, Serbia’s Nadezda Nedeljkov scored the highest individual score of the tournament
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. FOURTH: GER-Blr 69-53, FRA-Ltu 76-36; SPA-Cze 63-51, ITA-Cro 50-45.SEMIFINALS: Ger-Fra 44-43; SPA-Ita 57-49. Ranking 5th-8th: LTU-Blr 71-68; CRO-Cze 50-41. 9th-16th place: SRB-Sve 79-51; POR-Svk 88-51; TUR-Un 63-56, LTV-Ru 68-65.
TABELLIN – SPAIN-Italy 57-49 (9-13, 15-15; 19-7, 14-14). SPAIN: 5 Peira, 6 LaCorzana 3/11 0/6 da3 7r, 10 Wone 3/11 5r, Pendande 0/4, Flores 0/4 7r; 8 Blanco tl3/4, 8 Soria 3/4, Torreblanca, 5 Ibanez, 8 Lopez 7r, 7 Pino. Ne: Carrera. ITALY: 12 Vella 0/7 3/4 da3 tl3/4 5r 3pe, 8 Ianezic 1/2 2/4 da3 2a, 2 Panzera 1/7 0/2 da3 tl0/4 7r, 11 Madera 5/11 0/2 da3 tl1/2 8r, 6 Baldi 3/4 5r; 3 Cantone 1/1 da3, Gilli, Sasso 0/1 da3, 5 Gregori 1/4 1/3 da3, Soglia 1/1. Ne: Fiorin, Rimi. All. G.Lucchesi.NOTES: I-S Shooting tot. 19/53 35.8-20/69 29.0; Shooting2: 12/36 33.3- 15/50 30.0; Shooting3: 7/17 41.2-5/19 26.0, tl 4/10 40.0-12718 66.7, Rebounds 40-48, Assists 7/14, Losses 15-8, Recovered 4/4, Fouls 14-10, Bench: 10-36; Rating: 60-46.
The Blue: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).
Edited by ENRICO CAMPANA
