Stellazzurra locks up spot in first-place game

U18 Stellazzurra Rome advanced to the first-place game of the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Munich after it beat host side U18 FC Bayern Munich 97-73 to lock up first place in Group A. Matteo Visintin scored 21 points as one of six Stellazzurra players in double figures along with Fedor Zugic hitting for 16 points, Leo Menalo 13 and Abramo Canka, Phillip Wheeler and Ivan Onojaife all scoring 10 points. Stellazzurra, which reached the 2018 ANGT Championship Game, finished Group A with a 3-0 record and will face reigning continental champion and two-time ANGT Munich winner U18 Real Madrid in Sunday’s first-place game. Bayern finished at 2-1 in the group despite Luis Wulff scoring 16 points, Mohamed Sillah picking up 11 points and 11 rebounds and Michael Rataj adding 10 points.

Wulff and Filip Skobalj both hit three-pointers as Bayern opened a 0-8 lead. Nicola Giordano scored four points and Zugic converted a four-point play in a 14-0 surge for a 14-8 lead. Linus Hoffmann’s three-pointer snapped Bayern’s nearly 6-minute scoreless drought while Visintin nailed a trey for a 19-12 Stellazzurra lead, which was 19-17 after 10 minutes. Wheeler started the second quarter with five points and Stellazzurra surged ahead 28-19. Sasha Grant had four points at the other end as Bayern stayed close at 31-25. Zugic sparked a 9-0 run and it was 40-25 before Rataf baskets bookended a 2-10 run and Bayern trailed 42-35 late in the second, and 47-37 at the break. Zugic drained two treys early in the third quarter and Menalo’s three-pointer started a 19-2 run for a 76-46 advantage. The score was 80-54 after 30 minutes. Stellazzurra did not let Bayern get back into the game and the margin was 30 points again at 86-56, as the game was decided.