BERLIN – Iyana Martin led Spain to a bronze medal at the Women’s Basketball World Cup on Sunday with an 81-58 victory over host Germany.
Martin, 20, scored 22 points as Spain finished third in the tournament after 2010 and 2018.
Spain’s players looked sharper and faster throughout the match and turnovers were again a problem for Germany after the hosts scored 25 points in their semi-final defeat to France on Saturday. Germany scored six points in the first quarter alone and finished with 18 in the match against Spain.
Germany was aiming to win its first medal at the tournament in its second appearance as a single nation, including the last time as host in 1998. East Germany finished fourth in the 1967 tournament.
It was Spain’s second win over Germany after defeating the hosts by 30 points in the first match.
Germany rebounded with increasingly impressive victories over Japan, Mali, South Korea and European champions Belgium. Germany were the first team in the tournament to hold France below 90 points in an 86–64 defeat in the semi-finals.
Spain suffered a shock defeat to Mali in the second game, but beat Japan to top the group, then defeated Australia in the quarter-finals before losing to the United States 76–66 in the semi-finals.
The U.S. was seeking its fifth straight title when it faced France in the final later Sunday.