GREENSBORO, N.C. – UNCG men’s basketball sophomore guard Francis Alonso (Malaga, Spain/Cushing Academy) guided Spain to the FIBA U20 European Championship this month in Helsinki, Finland, culminating in Sunday’s 68-55 victory over Lithuania in the championship game. Alonso was named to the Championship’s All-Star Five team as one of the top players in the event.
Alonso, the team captain of Spain, averaged 13.0 points, 3.7 assists and 3.4 rebounds per game in the event as he started all seven games, averaging 28.3 minutes per game. He picked up his play even more in knockout play after the group stage, averaging 17.3 points and 4.0 assists per game in the final four games of the event.
Alonso scored in double figures five times, including the last four games in Finland. He scored 11 points, grabbed six rebounds and handed out five assists in the championship game against Lithuania. He turned in his top performance in the quarterfinals, scoring 26 points on 5-of-8 shooting from distance and 10-of-14 shooting from the field.
Alonso guided Spain to the championship game with a 22-point effort in the semifinals against Germany. He connected on 11-of-11 from the free throw line in the game, while scoring the last seven points of the game for Spain to seal the victory.
The U20 Championships marks the fifth time that Alonso has played for Spain in international competition during his career. Alonso represented Spain last summer in the FIBA U19 World Championships, helping his team to an eighth place finish in the event. He started six of seven games last summer, averaging 9.1 points per game. His play allowed him to play “up a level” last summer as he participated in the FIBA U20 European Championships as a reserve, helping Spain finish as runner-up falling to Serbia in the championship game.
Alonso turned in the top freshman season in UNCG basketball history this year, scoring a team-high 443 points. He averaged 13.0 points and scored in double figures 22 times. He was named to the Southern Conference All-Freshman Team and finished second in the league with 85 made 3-pointers. His 85 made 3-pointers ranks third all-time in UNCG single-season history. His play helped the Spartans qualify for the postseason for the third time in program history and earn the Spartans their first-ever postseason victory with a first round win in the CBI.
FIBA U20 All-Star Five
Francis Alonso, Spain
Marc Garcia, Spain
Kristipas Zematis, Lithuania
Lauri Markkanen, Finald
Omer Yurtseven, Turkey
MVP – Marc Garcia, Spain
