After two defeats, Italy's Under-20 team earned its first win, defeating Turkey 71-67 in their final group game of the European Championship, held in Slovenia. Unfortunately, they needed a 13-point lead to improve their position, so their opponent in the round of 16 will be highly-rated Serbia.
Rossi's Azzurri got off to a strong start, leading by 15 in the first quarter. However, the Turkish national team began to rally in the following quarters, and Stefano Trucchetti had to step up to secure the victory with a three-pointer in the final minutes. The Sassari point guard finished with 13 points. Airhienbuwa and Lonati, with 20 points each, were the top scorers for the Italy U20 team.
On Wednesday at 8.30pm the match against Serbia, who won their group with a perfect record, beating Lithuania, Latvia and Poland.