Basketball · International
Italy end 30-year Women's EuroBasket medal wait with victory over France
Cecilia Zandalasini scored 20 points as Italy beat France 69–54 in Piraeus to claim their first European medal since 1995.
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Italy return to the podium
Italy won the Women's EuroBasket bronze-medal match on 29 June, beating France 69–54 at the Peace and Friendship Stadium in Piraeus. It was Italy's first podium finish in the competition for 30 years, following the silver medal they won in 1995. Cecilia Zandalasini led the scoring with 20 points and contributed three assists, three steals and two blocks.
The medal match gave both losing semi-finalists one final opportunity to leave the tournament with a tangible reward. Italy took that opportunity after a two-point defeat against Belgium, while France finished fourth following consecutive losses over the concluding weekend. The official game record listed an attendance of 3,123.
France's challenge is contained
Italy led 23–22 after the first quarter and increased that advantage to 42–36 by half-time. France managed only nine points in each of the final two quarters. Italy's corresponding totals of 11 and 16 helped carry the lead from seven points at the end of the third period to 15 at the finish.
France still reduced the gap to 56–51 with about five minutes remaining. Zandalasini's three-pointer helped restart Italy's advance at that stage. FIBA's report described coach Andrea Capobianco's emphasis on controlling the pace against France's athletic team, and the final minutes produced the separation Italy needed to secure the medal.
Shooting and control separate the teams
Italy made seven of 15 three-point attempts, compared with France's two of 20. The official scorecard recorded overall field-goal accuracy of 50 percent for Italy and 32 percent for France. The difference from long range was particularly marked, with Italy converting 46.7 percent and France 10 percent.
The lead tracker also showed Italy ahead for 37 minutes and five seconds of the 40-minute game. France's largest lead was one point, while Italy's largest was the eventual 15-point margin. There were eight changes of lead, but the long periods under Italian control and the shooting figures place the late French push in context: Italy had established the stronger position before closing the match.
A recovery after the semi-final
Two days earlier, Italy had lost 66–64 to Belgium despite beginning the fourth quarter with a 17–0 run. That comeback briefly reversed a 14-point deficit, but Delaere's corner three-pointer settled the semi-final for Belgium. Italy's bronze result was consequently a successful response to a match in which a place in the title game had been within reach.
Zandalasini's impact extended beyond the medal game. FIBA selected her for the tournament's All-Star Five, joining two Belgian and two Spanish players. She averaged 16.8 points, six rebounds and three assists across the competition. Her final 20-point contribution helped convert that consistent tournament production into Italy's first European medal in three decades and gave the team's last game a clear historical significance. Capobianco also received FIBA's best-coach award. That recognition accompanied a finish achieved through a victory over France after Italy had narrowly missed the title game.
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