Diallo's double-double powers Spain past Italy
Chiek Diallo delivered a dominant performance, recording a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds to propel Spain to a hard-fought 68-61 victory over Italy at the FIBA U18 EuroBasket. The Spanish built a ten-point lead by halftime, but Italy threatened a comeback, cutting the deficit to seven entering the final quarter. A decisive 23-8 run in the second period gave Spain control, though Italy showed resilience, with their bench contributing 21 points. Despite shooting just 39% from the field and struggling at the free-throw line (13-of-23), Spain leveraged a commanding 49-29 rebounding advantage and limited turnovers to 23, compared to Italy's nine. Gerard Fernandez chipped in 17 points for Spain, while Werther Bellinaso scored 12 for Italy, who were paced by Thomas Acunzo's 7 rebounds and 3 blocks. This win serves as a statement performance for Spain in the continental tournament.