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.
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
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