ITA - Bargnani carries the Azzurri

SIAULIAI (EuroBasket 2011) - Andrea Bargnani hasn't had the easiest of rides at the EuroBasket but his tournament took a turn for the better on Friday when he fired Italy to their first victory in Lithuania.

Bargnani made 11 of  25 shots from the floor and finished with 36 points - the most by any player so far in the tournament - as the Azzurri got the better of Latvia 71-62 to keep their hopes of progressing from Group B at the EuroBasket alive.

"I tried to play aggressive from the first minute, to play inside, tried to score on the low block," Bargnani said afterwards.

"Three games in three days is really tough, so we have to rest and give everything.

"If we lose another game, we go home for sure.”

Bargnani's 36-point outburst is the most by any Italian player in a EuroBasket tournament. It also ranks him in the national team's historical top 10 of biggest individual performances.

Next up for Italy is a clash with France on Sunday and if they win, they will go into a game against Israel the following day needing a victory to progress and keep their Olympic hopes alive.

The teams that reach the EuroBasket Final will make it to the London Games and those that come in third, fourth, fifth and six will be invited to the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

FIBA