Basketball, Serie A: Varese beats Naples, Sassari wins in Cremona

Varese wins the delicate survival clash, at home, in Masnago, against Napoli, 89-86. A super Hands was decisive, scoring 27 and the all-rounder Bradford (13 points). 22 points from a good Bentil are not enough for Valli. Sassari wins in Cremona, 80-65, thanks to a substantially dominated final period. Markovic enjoys an 18-point Bibbins. Vanoli is increasingly lower in the standings, which now sees them second to last with 4 points, 2 more than the holders of the Italian Cup, who remain at the bottom. Openjobmetis is breathing with 8 points.

Varese-Naples 89-86

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Varese started the delicate battle for safety better, with Hands and Librizzi immediately very hot. Napoli takes advantage of the two-man games between Totè and Green. The teams exchange partials and neither team seems to take control of the match. The Lombards are the ones who reversed the trend, thanks to triples from Librizzi and the aforementioned number 50 (both at 14 points at 20′), giving Openjobmetis a bit of a margin, despite a willing Zubcic for the Neapolitans. 49-39 for Mandole’s men in the 20th minute. Thanks to a third quarter “won” 29-19, Valli’s team completed the comeback led by an excellent Eric Green, and by the former Milan axis Pangos-Bentil. Varese is still in the hands of Hands and the new arrival Bradford, who sets the score at 68 all at the third buzzer. The match remains balanced and is decided in the final seconds, thanks to a couple of plays by Alviti. The former Trento player scores from 3 and then is surgical on free throws, making it 84-80 with just over 30” left. In the final seconds, after a 1/2 of Hands from the line, Bentil (who had been glacial with his free throws shortly before), misses the triple for a potential draw and condemns the Neapolitans to their twelfth defeat in thirteen games.

Varese: Hands 27, Librizzi 17, Alviti 15

Naples: Bentil 22, Zubcic 21, Green 20

cremona-sassari 65-80

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Vanoli started very strongly, with Dreznjak, Conti and Jones, who immediately entered the match, participating in the sensational 16-2 break of the home team. After an initial jolt in the first quarter with Gazi and Cappelletti, Markovic’s team closes the gap in the second period, taking advantage of the former Fenerbahce player, who has just arrived on Sardinian soil, Bendzius and Bibbins. Davis and Dreznjak keep Vanoli ahead, 44-40 at 20′. Excellent start to the second half by Halilovic, who makes a couple of important plays for Dinamo, who complete the overtaking, after a triple from Tambone. Davis, Dreznjak and Nikolic bring Cavina’s team back to parity (54 equal in the 30th minute). Renfro, Cappelletti, Tambone and Bibbins made the decisive breakthrough, posting an 8-0 run, to which Cremona was unable to respond.

Cremona: Dreznjak 22, Davis 11, Jones 7

Sassari: Bibbins 18, Bendzius 13, Cappelletti 11