Pic credit: Fiba

It is always beneficial for a basketball club to come into a tournament with a bang, but for Germany it was more of a belly flop as they lost 85-71 to Italy at the 2025 U-18 European championships. It was an even game in the first quarter, but in the second quarter, the Italian side broke open the game and would never allow Germany to get back over the hump. Italy was powered by their dangerous three point shooting as the dynamic duo of Accorsi and Ceccato combined for 9 of Italy´s 13 three´s. The two big talents shot 9/13 as almost everything they fired at the basket turned to Gold. Germany showed once again that they have become a rebound nation following the strength of the U-19 team at the World cup as they cleaned up under the boards winning the rebound battle 50-31 and dominated the offensive rebounds 22-6. However it was Germany´s poor shooting that broke their necks “Italy gave a dominant display of offensive efficiency. Shot quality and efficiency trumped volume. Italy shot 52.5% from the field and a remarkable 48.2% from three-point range (13/27), compared to Germany’s 31.8% overall FG and just 21.2% from deep. Germany’s offense was heavily dependent on volume shooting—particularly from beyond the arc (33 attempts)—but failed to convert at a sustainable rate. Despite strong efforts from Mathieu Grujicic (23 pts, 9/10 FT) and Fynn Lastring (14 pts), Germany lacked secondary scoring and struggled in half-court execution. Italy, on the other hand, distributed the ball well (20 assists), moved off-ball effectively, and punished closeouts. Matteo Accorsi (21 pts, 5/8 3PT) and Mattia Ceccato (16 pts, 4/5 3PT) anchored a balanced and intelligent Italian attack. Italy’s +20% advantage in shooting efficiency (FG%) and their ability to convert in rhythm—from both drive-and-kick sequences and transition threes—neutralized Germany’s rebounding edge and kept the game firmly in their control after a decisive 31–17 second quarter”, stressed ratiopharm Ulm (U-19) head coach Florian Flab.

Germany came out aggressive in the first quarter and got good production from ex FC Barcelona guard Mathieu Grujicic who is headed to Ohio State in the fall as he was aggressive off the bat getting to the free throw line and getting a lay in while big man Fynn Lastring who played at Rasta Vechta last season showed his inside out qualities with a jumper and three pointer. Italy also found their offensive rhythm early as new ratiopharm Ulm (BBL9 guard Diego Garavaglia scored twice as did Cesare Placinischi from Dolomiti Energia Trentino U as Germany trailed 14-12. However Germany remained aggressive as mr energy bunny Tom Bruggermann of Paderborn made free throws for the 18-14 advantage. However Italy continued to linger around the three point line and got 2 at the end from Virtus Bologna teammates Matteo Baiocchi and Accorsi to lead 20-18 after 10 minutes. The Frankfurt Skyliners duo of Ivan Crnjac and Jamie Edola also gave solid energy getting some buckets. “It was a competitive first quarter where both teams found early offensive rhythm but struggled to get consistent stops on defense. Matteo Accorsi sparked Italy with confident perimeter shooting, while Mathieu Grujicic kept Germany close by attacking the paint and drawing fouls. Germany controlled the offensive glass—thanks to Fynn Lastring and Lennart Bonanni—but couldn’t fully capitalize on second-chance looks. Italy’s backcourt, led by Mattia Ceccato, managed the tempo well and avoided costly turnovers. Despite the defensive lapses on both ends, Italy’s slightly more efficient execution gave them the edge heading into the second quarter”, stated Flroan Flabb.

The turning point of the contest occurred in the second quarter as Italy exploded for 31 points while remaining sound on defense allowing only 17 points and taking the 49-35 advantage into the break. Germany had some instant offense off the bat getting back to back three´s from Lastring and Ivan Crnjac for the 24-23 advantage. However basketball will always be a game of runs and Italy had the first of the game and that was a heartbreaker as they exploded for a 19-2 run to take firm command 44-28. In the run Italy received incredible support from Accorrsi and Ceccato combining for 13 points. Accorsi had 7 points while Ceccato drilled home 2 three´s. Italy´s offense was in a flow and working like a well oiled clock work, while Germany couldn´t find a rhythm on defense which also effected their offense which turned static. They did muster some offense in the last minutes getting lay in´s from Daniel Biel of Porsche BBA Ludwigsburg and Grujicic and a trey from Bruggemann, but were still staring at a 14 point deficit at the break. “ Italy took full control in the second quarter, outscoring Germany 31–17 with a dominant stretch fueled by elite shooting and tactical defensive adjustments. Matteo Accorsi and Mattia Ceccato continued to lead the way, hitting key three-pointers as Italy’s ball movement and floor spacing generated high-quality looks. Defensively, Italy disrupted Germany’s rhythm by mixing zone coverages with man-to-man schemes, forcing hesitation and poor shot selection. Germany’s offense stagnated, relying heavily on contested jumpers from Grujicic, while their transition defense struggled to contain Italy’s quick ball advancement”, said Florian Flabb.

In the second half, Italy did a great job not letting up and managed the lead well and never allowing Germany to become a real threat except for early in the third quarter as they cut the lead down to 4 points. Germany began refueled and refocused coming out of half-time and had their own much needed run of 12-0 as they showed their best 3,01 minutes of basketball in the game. In the run, they showed real spirited team basketball as Mathieu Grujcic led the charge with 4 points, but Germany also got buckets from Biel and Bruggemann in the paint while Ivan Crnjac made free throws and Jamie Edoka made a thunderous dunk to fill the arena with a thrill. However Germany wasn´t able to hold their pressure and momentum as Italy halted Germany´s run and had a 15-6 run to close out the third quarter having the comfortable 66-53 advantage after 30 minutes. Italy´s offense took off again as their 3 ball sparkled as Patrick Hassan of Dolomiti Energia Trentino, Riccardo Crestan of Orange 1 Bassano and Ceccato all drilled home trey´s to lead the attack. “Germany came out strong after halftime, opening the third quarter with renewed intensity on both ends and briefly cutting the deficit to single digits. Mathieu Grujicic continued to lead the charge, attacking the rim and drawing fouls, while Fynn Lastring provided second-chance opportunities through his work on the offensive glass. Germany’s improved defensive focus slowed down Italy’s perimeter shooting and forced them into tougher looks. However, Italy weathered the surge, with Diego Garavaglia and Lorenzo Lucarelli making timely plays to restore control and stabilize the lead”, commented Florian Flabb.

Germany still had 10 minutes to increase their defensive pressure and earn a new offensive run, but this time Italy didn´t allow Germany another rapid run as in the third quarter, but instead wanted to decide the game early and smacked a lethal 14-5 run to lead 80-60. The three ball of Italy continued to be Germany´s achilles heel as Accorsi continued to be a thorn in their sides hitting 3 while Ceccato also hit one. Even after being hit by this run, Germany never gave up as they closed out the game with a 13-5 run which might give them some much needed confidence going into the must win situation against Israel on Sunday. Germany´s three wasn´t falling, but they remained aggressive and found other ways to gain points. They found ways to get into the paint and got 10 free throws while new Wurzburg guard Jervis Scheffs hit a trey at the end for good measure. “Germany continued to fight, but Italy maintained control through disciplined execution and timely scoring. Italy managed the clock well, mixing patient half-court sets with selective transition opportunities, while Matteo Accorsi and Garavaglia delivered key baskets to keep Germany at bay. Defensively, Italy stayed compact, switching effectively and protecting the paint to prevent any late momentum swing. The quarter ended evenly at 17–17, allowing Italy to seal an 85–71 victory built on earlier dominance and consistent game management”, Aadded Florian Flabb. Italy was led by Matteo Accorsi (188-G-2007) with 21 points while Mattia Cecatto had 16 points while Germany was led by Mattieu Grujicic with 23 points while Fynn Lastring had 14 points. Italy shot 52% from the field and 48% from outside and had 31 rebounds and 10n turnovers while Germany shot 31% from the field and 21% from outside and had 50 rebounds and 16 turnovers.