By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
In what was the first night of Gigi Datome on the sideline for the Italian national team, Gianmarco Pozzecco’s side prevailed over Turkey 87-80 to start the 2025 EuroBasket Qualifiers.
Nicolò Melli, who played his first game as the newest official Italian captain, had 17 points and 7 rebounds in the win. Gabriele Procida, who started the game, went close to a double-double with 7 points and 10 rebounds.
Other players heavily contributed to Italy’s success over Ergin Ataman’s national team: Giampaolo Ricci ended with 11 points and 4 rebounds, while both Marco Spissu and Stefano Tonut had 12 points in the win. “We grew up defensively in the third quarter, we played a really good game”, Pozzecco said.
Steal it ✔️
Slam it ✔️#MakeYourMark x #EuroBasket | @italbasket pic.twitter.com/0STkcJk1Cf— FIBA EuroBasket (@EuroBasket) February 22, 2024
Playing his first game with Turkey after being naturalized, the Bosnian native Tarik Biberovic confirmed his great shape after starting the season well with Fenerbahce.
The 23-year-old provided 27 points over 5/11 from beyond the arc, including a deep buzzer-beater to close the first half and 8 rebounds.
“He deserves to play as a Turkish player. He made a perfect game, he’s a hustle and quality player. He’s friendly on the team”, Ergin Ataman said about him. The Turkish veteran guard Melih Mahmutoglu had a solid 14-point night with 4/7 from three-point range, followed by his Fenerbahce teammate Sertac Sanli, who had 10 points and 7 rebounds.
In Laugardalshöll, the Icelandic national team won a thrilling encounter with Hungary. Next up, Ergin Ataman’s team will now host Iceland on February 25 at 14:00 CET, while Gianmarco Pozzecco’s side will travel to Hungary on the same day at 18:00 CET.
PHOTO CREDIT: 2025 FIBA EuroBasket Qualifiers