BELGRADE, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Spain defeated France 86-66 to retain the Eurobasket trophy at the Belgrade Arena on Sunday.

The Spanish team set the pace of the match from the very beginning and got into advantage through numerous turnovers of their opponents.

Marta Xargay achieved 11 points by half-time with great precision both in 2-pointers and 3-pointers, while Sandrine Gruda scored 12 points for France.

France failed to narrow the gap which maintained more than 10 points. Maria Johannes did not make a difference for the French team like in previous matches, while Spain's Laura Gil contributed to tough defense with her steals and rebounds.

For the fourth consecutive time, France lost in the Eurobasket Finals.

Spain's Xargay scored the team high 23 points along with three rebounds and four assists. Gruda scored 18 points for France.

In the match for third place earlier today, Sonja Petrovic led Serbia to ease past Britain 81-55. The home team built an early lead and did not look back.

Temi Fagbenle scored 23 points for Britain, along with 6 rebounds.