RUSTON, La. – Louisiana Tech guard Silvia Nativi is leading Team Italy at the 2021 FIBA U19 World Cup being played in Debrecen, Hungary.

The tournament features the worlds top 16 youth women's national teams, with 56 games being played over a nine-day span. The tournament opened Saturday.

Team Italy is joined at the tournament by teams from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chinese Taipei, Czech Republic, Egypt, France, Japan, Korea, Mali, Russia, Spain, and the USA. Team USA is the defending champions and has won eight of the last nine FIBA U19 World Cups.

Nativi, who signed with Tech this pats year and who will be playing for the Lady Techsters during the 2021-22 season, is a native of Ferrara, Italy, Nativi is a 5-foot-10-inch guard who led Team Italy to the gold medal in the 2019 U18 European Championships and the 2018 U16 European Championships.

Team Italy fell to the United States in their opener Saturday before rebounding to defeat Team Egypt on Sunday. Nativi scored nine points, grabbed three rebounds and added three assists in the victory against Egypt.

Team Italy will face Team Australia today at 1:30 p.m. in the final Group Phase (Team Italy is in Group 1 with the US, Egypt and Australia. The Round of 16 will begin on Wednesday.

Fans can watch all of the games at https://www.youtube.com/FIBA.