Italy gains first World Cup Last 8 berth in 25 years

MANILA, Philippines — Italy outmuscled Puerto Rico inside in carving out a 73-57 victory last night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum to secure a first trip to the FIBA World Cup quarterfinals in 25 years.

In Jakarta, Latvia flattened Brazil, 104-84, to likewise zoom to the Last 8.

The Azzurri wreaked havoc in the interior where they outrebounded the Puerto Ricans, 48-29, with the Utah Jazz’s Simone Fontecchio and former NBA player Nicolo Melli leading the job with 12 boards apiece.

Fontecchio wound up with 12 points while Melli, who had tours of duty with the New Orleans Pelicans and Dallas Mavericks before moving over to Olimpia Milano, tossed in seven.

Giampaolo Ricci led the Italians’ scoring with 15 points.

It was a win that netted the Italians a spot to the knockout stage for the first time since 1998 in Athens and Piraeus, Greece where they wound up sixth place.

It also got the Azzurri in the running for a historic medal in the quadrennial meet, with a shot at eclipsing its two fourth-place efforts in 1970 in Yugoslavia and 1978 in Manila.

Interestingly, Azzurri coach Gianmarco Pozzeco was part of the Italian team that last made the quarters in Greece 25 years ago.

Italy thus joined the United States, Lithuania, Germany and the Luka Doncic-led Slovenians in the quarters unfolding tomorrow at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

The other two slots were being contested by defending champion Spain, Canada, Serbia, and Dominican Republic at press time.

Puerto Rico will finish ninth to 16th depending on the outcome of the other remaining second round games.

In another result, Montenegro rode on Chicago Bulls star Nikola Vucevic’s 19-point masterpiece as it edged Greece, 73-69, over at the MOA Arena to finish third in Group L with a 3-2 record.

It was the best finish for the Montenegrins as an independent nation following a 25th-place performance in China four years ago. They were to finish anywhere from ninth to 12th in this meet.