Italy were all smiles after their 57-47 triumph over Lithuania on Saturday and for good reason.

Last year the Azzurrine avoided relegation to Division B by their skin of their teeth.

But under new coach Mirco Diamanti, the Italian girls have already secured two wins in their opening three games at the U18 European Championship.

Wins against Belarus and Lithuania have assured Italy progress to the Qualifying Round.

Diamanti spoke to FIBA Europe and shared some thoughts on his team and their ambitions in Södertälje.

FIBA Europe: Congratulations coach. You must be thrilled that your team is through to the Qualifying Round?

Diamanti: Last year, Italy were the last team to avoid the drop to Division B. Our aim going into this tournament was to do better than with respect to last year and avoid relegation. To be in the top three of our group is great and whatever comes next will be well received. The important thing is to win and get confidence and try to do better as the tournament continues.

FIBA Europe: Italy showed an improved performance against Lithuania following a shaky start against Belarus and a defeat to the Czech Republic. Is your team getting better?

Diamanti: There's no question we struggled in our opening game. There was tension and the heat also conditioned the team's play. But when you play such an ugly game and you win, you are actually able to celebrate it more. My team didn't play well against the Czech Republic but we did show an improvement against Lithuania. The important thing was the win and to continue to improve in our performances.

FIBA Europe: What are the strengths and weaknesses of this Italy team?

Diamanti: Unfortunately, we don't have tall players and we are a small team. We try to play at a high tempo. We do have a balanced team, with many players that can score. We do not have a star player but we do have different players that step up in each game. We have a new group and this is my first year with the team.