Iceland surprised Italy in the qualifiers for the 2023 World Cup in basketball
And they could not have done it more dramatically.
Craig Pedersen’s men went back and forth with Italy and took a double-digit lead in the last five minutes of the fourth quarter, only to see it wasted when Stefano Tonut played the heroic role of Italy and forced an extra time with a two-point shot back and a huge robbery on Iceland’s final custody in the quarter.
STEFANO.
TONUT. image.twitter.com/r29SHWPppj– Italbasket (@Italbasket) February 24, 2022
It felt like a momentum swing.
The fact that the Italians dug themselves out of the hole to send the game into extra time seemed to be in their favor, they were happy to play five more minutes of the competition.
But it was not meant to be, it was Iceland that responded once again, playing in tune with the constant “Iceland! Iceland!” from the booth in Hafnarfjörður and thus opened another three-point advantage with less than 30 seconds left in extra time.
However, for a few paragraphs, you learned that it was drama. A fine set from Meo Sacchetti created a wide three-point shot for Tonut and the shooter sent the game into extra time for a new game with his only triple tonight.
Again, the pendulum should have been on the Italian side to start the second extra time. And again, this is not a euphemism for something else. Iceland was one step ahead of its visitors, thanks to four points in a row by Tryggvi Hlinason, and a big offensive rebound in the position 106-102 when it came to the final minute.
Italy tried to fight back. Nico Mannion made the first and deliberately missed the second free throw, but also stepped too early over the penalty line and gave the ball to Iceland.
Time passed, with reading on the scoreboard 107-105cameras focused on Hlinason who screamed loudly and exhaled with relief.
“Of course Italy have a great team and they have great tactics to score and overplay us,” said the 24-year-old Icelandic midfielder.
“But we knew we had to fight and make sure we stayed close until the end. Maybe too close, in the end, but this fell to us and we are extremely happy with the boys.”
Best result in the European qualifiers
His performance went straight into the record books. With 34 points, 21 rebounds and 5 blocks, his efficiency column showed an unreal number: 50.
Hlinason now holds the European record in the qualifiers, some distance away. The first goal 37 was scored by Edin Atic from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Giorgi Shermadini from Georgia and Janis Strelnieks from Latvia, all coming in 2019.
🔹 34 PTS
🔹 21 REB
🔹 5 BLK
🔹 87.5 FG%
🔹 50 EFFTryggvi Hlinason with a performance for the centuries that @kkikarfa Italy got upset in a double overtime!#FIBAWC #WinForIceland image.twitter.com/HAd55rFzBm
– FIBA Basketball World Cup (@FIBAWC) February 24, 2022
Guna Ra from Korea is the only player with more efficiency in the history of FIBA in the World Cup qualifiers, scoring 59 against Syria and 58 against Hong Kong, both times in 2018.
What was the man’s secret 2.15 m (7 feet 1 inch) before this animal show? You guessed it. Home cooking.
“I was with my family. I ate my mother’s food. I was just ready. Playing for Iceland is always an honor and I love it.”
A masterpiece of ordinary Icelandic football
Having a mountain in the middle fits perfectly with Icelandic plans. Everyone expects them to run and gun, everyone expects them to pass the ball around, but with Hlinason in the middle, they now have a good balance inside and out in their game.
“I think they knew what we were going to do, but we were still a little surprised at how little we started,” explains Elvar Friðriksson. He himself had a monster game, 25 points, 7 assists and 4 rebounds in 44 minutes.
“It was just a 50-50 game in the end. Of course you were worried. I think with a great team like that it’s always very difficult when it comes down to the tees. When it’s a one – level game, it can go both ways. “I think we have done a great job of keeping them away and finishing this,” Elvar added.
Even coach Sacchetti admitted that Iceland had played them.
“We know that the smaller Icelandic team is difficult for us, because they are faster, they are good like that, but we felt too much under the basket,” said the Italian player.
Hlinason went into more detail.
“Tactically, we knew they had a lot of guards who could score. We decided to take a risk with defense as I’m lower, we’re trying to deny the easiest clothes and let them shoot. They made a lot of them, and a lot of them. of open shots we were giving. Fortunately, we ended up like this. “
Montenegro’s record in danger
All of a sudden, Iceland is 2-1. It’s time to go back to the record books, as the 600,000 inhabitants of Montenegro made them the smallest nation to ever take part in the FIBA World Basketball Championship.
And even that number looks enormous from an Icelandic point of view. Their 2021 population plan says 371,580. It is the size of Bologna in Italy where they will play their next game on Sunday.
Three games have passed, it is still too early to give bold predictions that Iceland will reach the summit, but this victory changes the mindset of the team.
“If we come to every game like this, then we can win everyone. And today we proved it against Italy. It’s not every day you can win Italy and you have to enjoy it. But now the game is three days away, so we got it back, “said Hlinason.
Martin Hermansson 🤝 Tryggvi Hlinason
destroy defenses through pick & roll@kkikarfa | #WinForIceland 🇮🇸 | #FIBAWC image.twitter.com/SmDNOmVNmZ
– FIBA Basketball World Cup (@FIBAWC) February 24, 2022
Along with Hlinason and Friðriksson, coach Pedersen saw two more players in double figures. Martin Hermannsson scored 23 points and gave 7 assists, Jón Axel Guðmundsson scored 11 points and took 8 rebounds, but two more players went everywhere: Ægir Steinarsson with 6 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists and Pavel Ermolinskij with 6 points, 5 rebounds . , 5 assists.
Italy received 23 from Mannion, 22 from Michele Vitali and 18 from Tonut, but will be in an essential position for Sunday’s game. Otherwise, they will fall to 1-3, with a mountain to climb to qualify for the FIBA World Cup 2023.