The big men were two of the Italians' star performers on Tuesday night (PHOTO: FIBA)
Saliou Niang, Momo Diouf give Virtus fans reason for hope in Italy win over Spain
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Italy can start looking ahead to the Round of 16 at EuroBasket 2025 after a 67-63 win over Spain on Tuesday night, a game that saw Virtus Bologna pair Saliou Niang and Momo Diouf really come to the fore.
At Cyprus's Spyros Kyprianou Arena, this highly anticipated matchup between Mediterranean foes saw Spain open the game with a 13-0 run and it ended up staying in front until Diouf tied things up at 25-25 midway through the second quarter. But it wasn't until Niang netted the final basket of the third frame that Italy enjoyed its first lead of the night at 49-47. Spain led twice the rest of the way (49-50, 62-63) but four free throws by Marco Spissu and one by Giampaolo Ricci were enough to give Italy the victory.
Come the final buzzer, Niang finished a 10-point, 10-rebound double-double in addition to 2 blocks in 15 and a half minutes while Diouf posted 14 points, 8 rebounds and 1 steal in 19 minutes. Notably, the Virtus duo led Italy in PER (Niang 20, Diouf 19).
Niang, 21, and Diouf, 23, are two of the brightest prospects in Italian basketball and it won't be long until we see them playing together for Virtus in the EuroLeague, following the former's move from EuroCup side Dolomiti Energia Trento this summer.
Diouf already made a positive impact in his rookie EuroLeague season last year but he will be given a more leading role in 2025-26 given that Ante Zizic has now departed the club. For Niang, he will be trying to fill the Isaia Cordinier-shaped hole in Virtus's team next season as he looks to build on an impressive sophomore campaign in the EuroCup.
Time will tell what kind of impact Niang and Diouf have for Virtus next year, but head coach Dusko Ivanovic must be licking his lips about what lies ahead. The key will be trying to get them to replicate the level of performance they showed for Italy on Tuesday night on a regular basis in the EuroLeague next season.