Italy Routs Croatia

Italy 73 – Croatia 41

Italy put ahead 10-6 after the first 3:10 after scoring a 6-0 run and kept in front during the first. It was all about Trading. Italy played transition basket and more consistently than Croatia did. The Croatians played as they have done during the whole tournament, getting closer but failing to complete the Comeback. Italy won the first quarter 20-16 with a great direction of the team from Erika Striulli who made her team going and scored 12 points for Italy that had its biggest lead of 18-12 in the scoreboard.

Italy took control of the game in the second. After four minutes of Trading in which Martina Bestagno scored 4 pts from Italy’s seven and then she scored six straight to give Italy its biggest lead, 24-36. Stipe Bralic calles time out and broke Italy’s rhythm. His team had a 6-0 run and closed the gap to 30-36, with five of the points coming from Carmen Mioglav, with 2:27 for the break leading to Marco Rota’s timeout. Italy scores 6 points in the remaining minutes, reaching the break up 42-30 and leaving Croatia scoreless in the spurt.

After the break Italy came in with a 9-0  run –Erika Striulli scored 4 points making it 51-30 with  4:10 in the third. A quarter that would finish 36-62 after a three pointer from Nausicaa Fausina  and Marco Rota’s girls cruised toa 73-41 final. Croatia never was a menace to the victory since they just could trade baskets with Italy. In the beginning of the fourth both teams had a span in which hesitated and weren’t able to score. Croatia scored just one point and Italy two. Finally Italy made a 7-0 run in the last two minutes to get their biggest lead at the end of the game..

Erika Striulli had 18 pts and 10 rebounds, Alessandra Tava and Nausicaa Fasina scored 16 apiece, Elena Bestagno added 11 pts, 5 boards and 4 assists and Martina Bestagno added 14 boards and 8 points.

Italy had 49 boards for 39 from Croatia

Carmen Miloglav was Croatia’s leading scorer with 10 pts and Tea Buzov and Mia Carapina scored 9 apiece.