Aquila relentless at home, the Lombards move on to Udine and are the only ones with 6 points waiting for the postponement between Virtus and Cremona
The third day of Serie A basketball opens with the victory of Ea7 Milano against Milan in the midday lunch match: 76-72 and Devin Booker on top with 19 points, second success in a row after the one in the Euroleague in Kaunas and a prompt response in Venice, which had defeated Trieste earlier on Saturday. Led by Steward and Jones, Trento confirms itself as an impregnable fort: after the +40 on Cantù it scores a +14 on Tortona, who had beaten Olimpia on their debut. Paul Eboua, Cameroonian but with an Italian education, drags Trapani to Cantù (second double double in a row) while Varese’s resistance in Reggio Emilia lasts for a while. Napoli celebrates their first victory of the season, thanks to a great second half in Treviso and wins 86-79. Rossi’s team continues to highlight defensive problems, after the 102 points conceded by Brescia and the 107 scored by Tortona. Germani wins in Udine 81-72, driven by Ivanovic’s 26 points, against a willing APU and scores 3/3 in LBA. For Della Valle there are 350 appearances in the top Italian championship. Vertemati’s team is still without victories.
Trento – Tortona 89-75
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The pre-match image is the long embrace between the coaches: Cancellieri and Fioretti were together assistant coaches to Ettore Messina at Olimpia. Trento always ahead, with the exception of the initial 0-2. The 3-point shot works well at the start, 4/7 from the arc after 21% in London in the Eurocup. The partial of the 1st quarter 25-18 is the worst of the Piedmontese team since the beginning of the championship. Trento’s aim fades, the guests come back thanks also to the offensive rebounds of Olejniczak (5/5 from 2), Manjon scores the -2 but the Eagle takes flight again with Jones, Aldridge (the only two Trentino triples of the 2nd quarter, where Trento scores 2/10), even the 18-year-old Italian Hassan shows character (7 points in the first 9′). The second half restarts from 44-38 for Energia Dolomiti, who definitively extend their lead on their fourth escape attempt with a double-digit advantage, thanks to the super 3rd period of Steward and Jakimomski (7 points each). Tortona, who receives 0 points from Gorham, returns to -9 with the usual Vital (also 6 assists) and forces 3 turnovers on the opponents in the first 3′ of the last quarter. Aldridge (3/4 from the arc, 6 rebounds) and Steward again (Mvp) keep the Eagle at high altitude. The game closes with 2’50 from the end with a triple from the Lithuanian Jogela, Trento’s true equalizer (20 +/-).
Trento: Steward 19, Jones 19, Jakimovski 14.
Tortona: Vital 19, Baldasso 15, Olejniczak 12.
Reggio Emilia – Varese 103-79
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Dimitris Priftis wins the Greek bench derby against Ioannis Kastritis. Reggio Emilia wins easily over Varese and puts the arrow towards overtaking in the standings. For the Lombards, second consecutive heavy deficit after -33 in Milan. First 20′ in balance, albeit with fits and starts. Unahotels runs away, 12-3 after 3′, Varese recovers: 15-15 in as many 3′. New escape from Emilia, 24-15 while Nate Renfro makes his debut in the championship for Openjobmetis from Arizona and the 17 year old Italian Pablo Giovanni Abreu for the Emilians. Varese comes back and puts their head ahead: 28-29 with Moore not missing a shot (4/4 in 9′). However, the inertia of the match lies with Reggio, Woldentensae is already at 10+6 rebounds and still has to finish the 1st half. New break: 9-1 Unahotels, Varese doesn’t score for 4′ from play and we go to rest at 56-44. The shot is a faded photocopy of the first 20′. The Lombards try, Librizzi scores from the arc, Renfro takes the rebounds but the 62-57 in 4′ is the last gasp of Openjobmetis. Barford and Echenique improve at distance for Reggio and Caupain moves the ball well (9 assists). The 3rd quarter ends 76-62 with Emilia’s maximum lead which increases in the last 10′ of the match. Five players in double figures for coach Priftis’ boys, 18 turnovers by Varese and another bad day for Moody, 0-13 shooting in the last two games.
Reggio Emilia: Barford 19, Echenique 14, Woldetensae 13. Varese: Nkamhoua and Librizzi 19, Moore 13.
Cantù – Trapani 63-81
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More than Eboua, Ebouwow. Second double double in a row for the Italian-trained Cameroonian (he grew up in the Stella Azzurra), who with Jordan Ford and Riccardo Rossato leads Trapani to the third victory in a row and the first two points in the standings (the Sicilians started from -4). Eighteen points, but above all 16 rebounds and 32 rating (career highs) for the former Vanoli, he is also the poster child of the match, alley hoop in the last quarter above Grant Basile, Cantù’s best together with Bortolani (29 points in two), too little to contain the Sharks, 200 points scored in the first two championship games as a calling card. Many errors on both fronts in the first half, more due to lack of precision than defensive merit. Eboua comes off the bench as a substitution for Sanogo (who will play 10 minutes in total) but he is the one who puts in the most energy of all, already 12+8 in the first 20 minutes. Allen, second scorer in the championship, doesn’t seem inspired and coach Brienza’s players remain clinging to the game, 37-44 at halftime. The third quarter is decisive, as is Jordan Ford, who lights up and scores 13 of the 16 points in the second half. All 10 Repesa players get on the scoresheet, Cantù tries everything, forcing Trapani into a bonus after 5′ of the last quarter. Too little, as well as the 2/13 from the arch for Acqua San Bernardo by the foreign quartet Gylard-Bowden-Sneed-Ajayi.
Cantù: Bortolani 15, Basile 14, Ajayi 9.
Trapani: Eboua 18, Ford 16, Rossato 12.
TREVISO-NAPLES 79-86
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The Palaverde race is characterized by great pace. Both teams try to create advantages in transition and rely on the penetrations of the most offensively talented men. Nutribullet breaks first and Ragland combines with Stephens to start an 8-0 run (22-13 in the 9th minute). Napoli reacts promptly in the second quarter, as demonstrated by the partial of 27-17, gained in the 10′. Magro’s attack regains verve thanks to the circulation of the ball and benefits from El -Amin’s personal actions. Treviso does badly by triggering the long players. The Campanians put their noses ahead after a triple by Gentile (27-28 at 14′), taking advantage of a difficult moment for the Treviso attack, which was dry for around 3′. The match returns to balance and after a triple from Chillo, the teams are tied again, at 39, a handful of seconds before the break. At the start of the second half the guests made the break which directed the match. Mitrou-Long at the rim and the penetrations of Flagg and Bolton are worth +10 (43-53 at 13′). Thanks to the great pace, Magro’s team continues to make an impact, in the area with Mitrou-Long and from 3 with El Amin and Flagg, who build the maximum advantage (67-54 at 30′). In the final 10′ the inertia of the match does not change, Napoli controls the match and finds the first two points of the season, leaving Treviso at 0.
Treviso: Olisevicius 17, Ragland 14, Pinkins 13
Napoli: Flagg, Bolton 18, Mitrou-Long 13, El-Amin 11
UDINE BRESCIA 72-81
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At Carnera, the hosts started very strongly, punishing Brescia’s problems in defensive communication (4/6 from 3 to 6′). Brescia manages to stay in contact with an excellent Alibegovic and his associates, thanks to Ndour, who asserts himself inside the area and Rivers in transition. Udine tries their first escape after yet another triple of the evening (9/18 at 20′), this time from Da Ros and a hook from Spencer (22-14 at 9′). In the second period Germani reacts, taking advantage of the ball movement and the many shooters that the APU must respect, finding easy penetrations and coming back (27-25 at 13′). Vertemati’s men find rhythm on the counterattack and score 3s with Mekowulu and Alibegovic (33-27 at 16′). Della Valle’s penetrations and Bilan’s movements equalize (39 equal in the 19th minute). In the second half, Cotelli’s boys continue to grind out the game and points. Hickey and Alibegovic try to bring Udine back from beyond the arc, but Ivanovic, again from afar, continues to score and keeps the guests ahead (51-60 in the 29th minute). Despite the usual perimeter danger of Hickey, Brescia escapes, with Ivanovic continuing not to miss a shot from 6 and 75. However, the triple that closes the match is from Bilan, 79-68 in the 38th minute. Brescia wins and continues the clear path, APU remains at a standstill.
Udine: Alibegovic 21, Hickey 20, Brewton 12
Brescia: Ivanovic 26, Ndour 13, Bilan 12
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