Italy makes Basketball World Cup quarterfinals for 1st time in 25 years

03.09.2023 - 12:35 cbc.ca

For the first time in 25 years, Italy is going to the quarterfinals of the Basketball World Cup. Stefano Tonut and Giampaolo Ricci each scored 15 points and Italy reached the World Cup quarterfinals with a 73-57 win over Puerto Rico on Sunday in Manila, the final day of second-round play at FIBA's biggest tournament.

Italy (4-1) will play either the U.S. or Lithuania in Tuesday's quarterfinals in Manila. The Italians are assured of their best World Cup finish since placing sixth in 1998.

They were ninth in 2006, 10th in 2019 and didn't qualify in 2002, 2010 and 2014. Simone Fontecchio added 12 points and 12 rebounds for Italy, and Luigi Datome scored 11.

Italy used a 15-0 run in the first quarter to take some control, wound up losing that lead in the third quarter, rallied to take a slight edge into the final period and pulled away from there.

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