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Sancho Lyttle scored 19 points and Alba Torrens added 18 to help Spain win the EuroBasket tournament on Sunday with a 71-55 victory over France.

The Spaniards were already assured a spot in the FIBA women's basketball world cup next year as the host city. The top five teams from the EuroBasket advance to the world cup, but since Spain already had qualified the sixth-place team also earned a spot in the 2018 tournament.

Belgium finished third, beating Greece 78-45, to earn the country's first bronze medal ever in the tournament. Turkey topped Latvia 72-63 for the final two spots. It will be the first time that Latvia will ever compete in the world cup. Latvia reached the fifth-place game with a wild one-point win over Italy in the consolation semifinals.

The U.S. clinched a spot by winning the Olympics last year. The remaining nine spots in the world cup will be determined later this year.

Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. </s> Greece lost the ticket to the Women’s Eurobasket final to France 55-77

Greece will play against Belgium for the third place on Sunday

Greece fought but couldn’t win France, which proved beyond doubt why it’s National Team is among the best in the world.

The final score, 55-77, however, is not totally representative of the game. The Greek team was following the score closely up until the third period of the game, but it’s defence collapsed on the fourth period.

The Greek National Team will play on Sunday against Belgium for the third place.

This defeat does not diminish the fact that the Greek National Team had an amazing performance throughout the Eurobasket, beating teams with great history in women’s basketball. </s> They beat hosts Spain to win in the heart of the city, 25-22, 25-17, 33-35, 25-23.

The Italians won the first two sets and then the crowd were treated to a monumental third in which Italy had the chance to close out the gold medal.

The two sides were locked together until Spain finally broke the deadlock to win it.

If the home crowd thought this was to be the start of a recovery, they were to be disappointed.

Italy closed out the final set and it could be the start of a great year, as they prepare to co-host the World Championships with Bulgaria.

A lively crowd in the Tarraco Arena Placa made for a wonderful atmosphere in a huge indoor stadium once used for bullfighting.

There were plenty of youngsters and cheerleaders in the stands, while volunteers tossed snacks in the intervals between the sets.

Officials and reporters at courtside often found themselves in danger as the balls flew around.

In men's handball at the Palau Désports at Campclar, it was another wonderful contest for gold.

Tunisia led at the interval but Croatia came back to win 24-23.

It was more straightforward in the bronze medal match as Spain beat Turkey 30-19.

Over at the pool, Serbia beat Greece 12-10 to win the men's water polo final.

Earlier, Montenegro had beaten Spain 6-4 to claim the bronze

The final day crowds will no doubt come as a relief to organisers who had faced criticism for the small attendances at some competitions earlier in the week.

"I don't think there was anyone in our territory that didn't know that the Games were taking place," said Tarragona Mayor and Organising Committee President Josep Felix Ballesteros.

"There has been growing interest in the final phases of competition.

"I have seen some stadiums that were empty and others that were fuller.

"It is unfair to compare the capacity of drawing the public in a city the size of Tarragona with other bigger cities." </s> Krakow, June 29: Two of the favourites Germany and Spain are set to clash in the final of the 2017 UEFA U21 European Championship on Saturday, July 1.

The young Spanish side are seeking their fifth title whereas Germany will be looking for their Second u21 Euro title in Krakow.

At the start of the tournament, these two were the bookmaker's favourites and surely they have clearly lived up to the expectations.

The young German side made it to the final after beating England on penalties in the semi-final whereas Spain continued to show their domination as they thrashed Italy to a solid 3-1 victory.

Spain u21 side have been in a tremendous form in the tournament and have won every game in Poland in comfortable fashion.

The La Rojita have been led by Atletico Madrid midfielder Saul Niguez and Real Madrid star Marco Asensio as both the youngster inspired their team to score 8 goals out of total 12 to reach the final.

On their route to final, they have beaten Macedonia 5-0, Portugal 3-1, Serbia 1-0 and lastly Italy 3-1 in the Semis.

On the other hand, Germany haven’t exactly proved their domination in the tournament till now and often struggled to get past the opponent.

During the group stage, they opened with a 2-0 win over the Czech Republic and then a 3-0 over Denmark, however, lost their last group stage match 1-0 against Italy.

The European heavyweights even had to dig up in their semi-final clash against old rivals England and had to grind out a result in the penalty shootout after they were held to a 2-2 draw following extra-time.

However, the champions always show his worth at the big stage and with so many promising stars like Schalke's Max Meyer, Borussia Dortmund's Dahoud and Bayern youngster Gnabry at their disposal, the game has the making of being a top class encounter and the contest can be pretty even in the final. </s> The Greek Women’s National Basketball Team lost the third place of the Eurobasket

The National Team did not overcome Saturday’s defeat in the semifinals

The Greek Women’s National Basketball Team didn’t make it in the small final for the bronze medal in the Women’s Eurobasket tournament.

The Greek team were defeated clearly by the Belgium National Team with 78 to 45.

It was obvious that the Greek players didn’t manage to overcome the shock of the defeat in the semifinals and the defeat was inevitable.

The Greek team, however, laid the foundations for future successes as the team demonstrated throughout the Eurobasket those characteristics necessary for the improvement in the future, such as resilience, determination, hard work.

Nonetheless, the Greek team is fourth in Europe, having left behind countries with great history in Women’s Basketball.

Greece has qualified for the World Cup in 2018, so there is a lot of work waiting for them in the near future. </s> Slovenian players holds the trophy and celebrate after winning the Eurobasket European Basketball Championship final match against Serbia, in Istanbul, Sunday, Sept. 17. 2017. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis)

Slovenia won its first European basketball championship on Sunday, defeating Serbia 93-85 in Istanbul behind 35 points by Goran Dragic.

Dragic, the Miami Heat guard who was voted MVP of the tournament after the game, watched the final four minutes from the bench due to cramp. He had been visibly tiring, missing all three shots and the one free throw he took in the final quarter.

With Dragic out, Serbia briefly took the lead at 79-78, and again at 82-80 with 3:37 to go. But Slovenia, which had upset pre-tournament favorite Spain 92-72 in the semifinals, refused to fold. It went on a 12-0 run, during which guard Klemen Prepelic scored the go-ahead basket, 84-82, with 2:20 to go.

After a balanced first quarter, which ended with Serbia 22-20 ahead, Dragic scored 20 of Slovenia's 36 points in the second quarter to help give it a 56-47 halftime lead.

"We gave them a lot of transition points. They brought the NBA speed on the floor," Serbia coach Aleksandar Djordjevic said.

"We are an uptempo team ... the importance of the game shouldn't change what we do," said Slovenia's Serb coach, Igor Kokoskov.

Djordjevic responded by taking out his 2.21-meter (7-foot-3) center Boban Marjanovic of the Detroit Pistons in favor of more mobile players, who managed to slow down the pace in the third quarter at the 16,000-seat Sinan Erdem arena. Dragic still managed to score nine points and Slovenia stayed ahead, 71-67, but lost young star Luka Doncic with a sprained ankle.

Bogdan Bogdanovic, who is set to join the Sacramento Kings next season, led Serbia with 22 points.

Kokoskov, also the assistant coach for the Utah Jazz, gave a nod to his boss — coach Quin Snyder.

"He is my dear friend, my boss. He told me 'Be prepared for the press conference and say something deep and smart.' Well, I can't say anything."

Dragic may be a nine-year NBA veteran but Kokoskov, the first European to be a full-time assistant coach in the league, has spent 17 seasons there, after a brief stint at college level. He and Dragic worked together at the Phoenix Suns for four seasons (2008-11 and 2012-13)

Earlier, Spain defeated Russia 93-85 to take third place, with 51 points coming from the Gasol brothers, Pau (26) and Marc (25). Alexey Shved led Russia with 18. </s> Miami Heat guard Goran Dragic, the man they call “The Dragon,” was a man on a mission throughout the 2017 EuroBasket tournament. In what could be his final appearance in Europe’s biggest basketball tournament, Dragic saved his best performance for last as he led Slovenia to its first ever title in the European Basketball Championship, and earned MVP honors in the process.

What made Slovenia’s climb to the pinnacle of EuroBasket more impressive was the fact that Goran Dragic was the lone active NBA player they have on their roster. Dragic poured in a tournament-high 35 points to spearhead Slovenia’s 93-85 title-clinching victory over powerhouse team Serbia. Dragic also grabbed seven rebounds and handed out three assists in an all-around performance that overshadowed the loss Luka Doncic to an ankle injury.

According to the Sun-Sentinel, Dragic’s 35-point outburst was the most scored by a Slovenian player in international competitions. Throughout the EuroBasket 2017, Dragic averaged 22.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 5.1 assists in almost 28 minutes per game. Dragic finished fourth in scoring and 13th in assists as he led Slovenia to complete the tournament unbeaten, going 9-0.

The Slovenian National Team racked up wins against France, Greece, Finland, Iceland, and Poland during the preliminary round. Dragic led the EuroBasket 2017 in scoring during the group stage games, averaging 24.4 points per game on 50.7 percent shooting from the field, 35 percent beyond the arc, and 86.7 percent from the three-point line. Dragic struggled against Ukraine in the round of 16 but bounced back with a 26-point, 8-assist performance against the Kristapps Porzingis-led Latvia in the Quarter-Finals.

The Slovenians were the underdog when they went up against Spain in the EuroBasket 2017 Semi-Final. With brothers Pau and Marc Gasol manning the middle, Spain would be a tough nut to crack for any team participating in the tournament. Both Slovenia and Spain entered the Semi-Final match with an undefeated record but it was Slovenia’s quickness that prevailed. Dragic delivered another masterful performance, scoring 15 points, handing out five assists, and grabbing seven rebounds to help Slovenia defeat the fancied Spanish team.

While Dragic had been fantastic throughout the tournament, he had plenty of help from his teammates. NBA prospect Luka Doncic, 18, showed that he can thrive under pressure and emerged as the future star of Slovenia. Former NBA journeyman Anthony Randolph was a force at both ends of the floor and could earn another shot at playing in the NBA with his terrific performances at the EuroBasket 2017. Klemen Prepelic, 24, also showed that he has what it takes to compete against the best guards in Europe.

Bleacher Report ranked Dragic’s performance in the EuroBasket 2017 Finals as the best in the tournament. Dragic scored 26 points in the first half to help the Slovenians build a comfortable lead. And while his second half wasn’t as efficient as the first half, Dragic still made his presence felt.

From being the heir-apparent to Steve Nash during their Phoenix Suns days to leading a young and resilient Miami Heat team, Goran Dragic has come a long way since being selected 45th overall by the San Antonio Spurs in the 2008 NBA draft. He now joins the rank of EuroBasket MVPs that include future Hall of Famers the likes of Pau Gasol, Dirk Nowitzki, and Tony Parker.

Dragic will have one week to rest before he plunges back into action, this time for his NBA ball club, the Miami Heat. The Heat will open their training camp with the traditional media day at the American Airlines Arena on September 25. Now that NBA fans have seen a glimpse of what an unleashed Dragic could to competition, and with Miami seemingly lacking backup point guards, perhaps the time for the Dragon to be fully turned loose in the NBA is ripe.

After all, success only breeds success, and there’s no higher accomplishment for a basketball player than to bring home a gold medal for his country. The MVP trophy is just an added bonus especially since Dragic already has one of those for his performance in the 2010 Stankovic Cup. The only question remaining it seems is this: will the 31-year-old Dragic have enough left in the tank to lead the Heat to the promised land? Only time will tell. But one thing is for sure, the Miami Heat fans should have a lot of reasons to be optimistic this season, and chief among them is Dragic’s recent play in the EuroBasket 2017 that had him in Dracarys mode. </s> "I will be there, these Games are in Tarragona, in Catalonia," he said.

"It is our home, they won't push the President of the country out of our home."

Torra had threatened to boycott the Ceremony and has asked for meetings to discuss the Catalan question with King Felipe, who will open the Games.

Torra was angry at the King for making a speech which was critical of Catalan independence activists after the referendum on the issue in October.

"I won't have a picture taken with the Spanish King," he said.

"We are not interested in having pictures with those who condone and promote repression."

Some 12 hours before the Ceremony, archers were the first in action at Camp Clar on a blistering morning.

Nineteen-year-old student Mete Garoz led the way in the men's recurve ranking round with a score of 683.

In the women's competition Yasemin Anegoz shot 661 to earn the top seeding spot for the knock-out phase.

Italy did not qualify for the FIFA World Cup but their under-18s were the first side in action in the football tournament.

They drew their Group B encounter 2-2 against Morocco.

Host nation Spain began their campaign in Group A with a convincing 4-1 victory over Algeria.

Two goals apiece from Barcelona duo Abel Ruiz and Sergio Martin Gomez set them racing into a four goal lead before a late goal from Standard Liege youngster Idir Boutrif pulled one back for the Algerians.

Turkey's women opened proceedings in volleyball with a 3-1 victory over Bosnia Herzegovina in Group B.

In Group D of the men's competition Tunisia won in straight sets against Albania. </s> ISTANBUL — Slovenia has won its first European basketball championship, defeating Serbia 93-85 behind 35 points by Goran Dragic.

Dragic, the Miami Heat guard, had to watch the final four minutes from the bench due to cramp. He was scoreless in the final quarter.

With Dragic out, Serbia briefly took the lead at 79-78. But Klemen Prepelic put Slovenia ahead for good, 84-82, with 2:20 to go.

Dragic scored 20 of Slovenia’s 36 points in the second quarter to help give it a 56-47 halftime lead.

Serbia slowed down the pace in the third, which ended with Slovenia up 71-67. Dragic still managed to score nine points.

Earlier, Spain defeated Russia 93-85 to take third place. Pau Gasol scored 26 for Spain.
In basketball, Spain defeats France 71–55 in the final to win the EuroBasket Women 2017.