Cremona, with the success over Reggio Emilia, continues to hope for the Italian Cup. Victories also for Trento and Tortona (fourth in a row). Virtus-Trapani 20-0 forfeit
Serie A Sunday starts with a surprise. Without Della Valle, Brescia falls to Sassari (93-86) after overtime and suffers their second defeat in the last 3. Mrsic’s men, thanks to a great Thomas, continue their rise in the standings. Trento overtakes Trieste and wins 89-87 at home, continuing to hope for a place in the Final Eight of the Italian Cup which will be played in Turin. Battle’s 18 points were decisive. Cremona defeats Reggio Emilia (71-67) at the PalaRadi and returns to victory after 5 knockouts in a row. In seven days they will be able to compete for entry into the top eight in Udine, which resists 40 minutes against Olimpia Milano before falling to the Allianz Cloud with a triple from Armoni Brooks at the siren. To close the 14th day, Tortona’s victory (Strautins 19) in Cantù, the seventh knockout in a row. Trapani doesn’t show up in Bologna and it’s 20-0 for Virtus. Treviso-Venice is postponed on Monday.
MILAN – UDINE 85-84
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Crazy ending at the Allianz Cloud. Three triples in the last 14”. The last one, that of Armoni Brooks, on the siren, brings Peppe Poeta’s Olimpia Milano victories in a row to five. Udine comes out with their heads held high, very high from the former Palalido, in turn coming close to their fifth victory in six matches. The protagonists for Udine are Andrea Calzavara, the 17 on the scoresheet are a career record, and Alibegovic, his three-pointer that had put Apu ahead 84-82 with 2” left, immediately after Leday’s basket from the arc for the momentary +1 EA7. Third place in the standings for Milan paired with Tortona (but behind in direct matches), waiting for Venice which hosts Treviso in tomorrow’s postponement. Udine, however, remains at 10 points and loses the F8 train. The 4th quarter was decisive, after the 63-54 of the first 30′, maximum advantage in favor of the Friulians (39-40 for Milan at the interval). Calzavara scores 12 points (10 fouls suffered in total, in addition to 7 rebounds and 27 evaluation), while Milan in blackout does not score from play for 5′ suffering a super run of 17-2. The Olimpia revival brings the signature of Shields and Guduric, authors of 8 and 10 points respectively in the last 10′: against break 15-5 and Milan ahead by 1 with 4’52 to go (69-68). From there it becomes a real battle. Udine never gives up (54% from 2 compared to the worst average in the championship, Christon 10+7 assists and 3 steals) but Milan, despite the absence of Bolmaro, Tonut, Booker and Brown, has the talent of Brooks and Leday to win it, while coach Vertemati pays for Bendzius’ bad day (zero points in 16′).
Milan: Shields 19, Leday 16, Guduric 15.
Udine: Alibegovic 21, Calzavara 17, three players at 10.
SASSARI-BRESCIA 93-86 (dts)
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Germani shows up at the PalaSerradimigni in an emergency, unable to count on Ndour and Della Valle, both injured, and loses for the second time in the last 3 outings. Sassari continues its positive moment and achieves its fourth victory in the last 5. After a balanced first half in which Sassari fights, thanks to its zonal defense and the warm hands of Thomas and Visconti in attack, it is Brescia that takes the lead first. The Leonessa’s ball circulation triggers Burnell and Bilan in the area and allows the guests to score a 10-0 lead. The usual Thomas responds with a couple of internal plays (40-43 at 37” from 20′). The balance also holds in the second half and is not broken even at the end of regulation, when baskets by Bilan and Ivanovic give Brescia a one-possession lead with 32” remaining (78-81). Sassari looks for the equalizing shot, doesn’t find it with Pullen, but manages to move the net with Johnson, who equalizes the score a few seconds from the 40th minute (81-81) and sends the match to extra time. In the additional 5′, the greater energy of the Sardinians makes the difference. McGlynn and Buie drag Mrsic’s men along, while Germani, down by four (87-83 at 43′) despite the usual Bilan, sees triples from Ivanovic, Mobio and Cournooh crash on the rim, which would have reopened the discussion.
Sassari: Thomas 20, Johnson 16, Visconti 13
Brescia: Bilan 19, Ivanovic 14, Rivers, Cournooh 11
TRENTO-TRIESTE 89-87
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The match at the BTS Arena goes to Trento, who comes back from -20 and thanks to an extraordinary fourth period, overturns Trieste, returning to success after 3 knockouts in the last 4. Third defeat in a row for Gonzalez’s boys. The Giulians try to take control of the rhythm first. The partial came at the end of the first quarter, when a couple of accelerations from Ramsey, a basket from Deangeli and a triple from Candussi made it 11-2 for Gonzalez’s men (18-25 a few seconds from the 10th minute). The guests also come out on top in the second period, driven by baskets from Deangeli and Uthoff, reaching +18 (22-40 at 16′). Trieste tries to close the game in the second half, thanks to the dynamism of Brooks and the transitions completed by Ramsey and Candussi (39-59 in the 22nd minute). The match seems to be in the hands of the Giulians, but the fourth period changes everything. Gonzalez’s team suffered the defensive aggressiveness of the Eagle and did not score for 8 minutes after 29 points in the third quarter. Trento takes advantage of this in transition, taking advantage of the incursions of Battle, Jones and Forray, signing a 14-0 break (80-81 at 37′). After a back-and-forth from the arc between Ramsey and Aldridge, Battle makes the decisive play, with the 3-point play worth the final 89-87.
Trent: Aldridge, Battle 18, Jones 12, Bayehe 11
Trieste: Ramsey 20, Ruzzier 14, Deangeli 11
CREMONA-REGGIO EMILIA 71-67
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Vanoli continues to hope for the Italian Cup. The return to victory after 5 knockouts in a row came thanks to the defense in a low-scoring point-to-point match. Reggio Emilia is increasingly in crisis and falls for the eleventh time in the championship, despite the debut of newcomer Stephen Brown, recently added to the roster to strengthen the control room. Grant’s impact was excellent as he finished with 11 points. Priftis’ men pay the low percentages from 3 (7/29). The decisive baskets are those of Casarin and the triples of Burns and Durham which give Vanoli a +9 (60-51 in the 34th minute). UnaHotels tries to react with Caupain and Thor (3), but Brotto’s men remain in control thanks to a dunk by Ndiaye and a 3-point play by Anigbogu (67-58 in the 37th minute). Ndiaye writes the final word from the arc a few moments later and the last seconds are used by Caupain only to soften the deficit.
Cremona: Ndiaye 12, Grant 11, Casarin 9
Reggio Emilia: Caupain 20, Barford 17, Thor 10
CANTU’ – TORTONA 79-85
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Seventh defeat in a row for Cantù. Tenth victory out of 14 games for Tortona. Despite the worst Vital of the season (12 points in the first half but only 2 in the second and 0/6 from the arc), and down 40-31 after 15′, the Piedmontese team plays a great second quarter (27-17) and is more lucid in the final minutes. A trademark of the group trained by coach Mario Fioretti who wins the sixth sprint out of six driven by Artur Strautins, 19 on the scoresheet with 3/4 threes and 29 rating. The hundredth match coached by Nicola Brienza, coach of the Brianza, was bitter, as he had to do without Moraschini. Giordano Bortolani’s new seasonal record and Ballo’s double double (11+11 with 2 blocks) are not enough. The last quarter was decisive, after the first 30 minutes which ended 62-62. Derthona tries to escape (64-70) with a mini partial 6-0 but Cantù is alive: against break 11-4 and Basile’s triple for 75-74 at the halfway point of the period. Strautins always responds from beyond the arc and Tortona is ahead again (78-77 with 2’40 to go). Cantù wastes it by missing three three-pointers and losing two balls, Tortona doesn’t lose concentration, it’s surgical from the line (15/17) and Strautins, again, scores the final 85-79 from three, 46” from the siren.
Cantù: Bortolani 23, Green 19, Ballo 11.
Tortona: Strautins 19, Vital 14, three players at 10.
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