The soundtrack of the Edilnol trip to Milan is the metallic sound of the iron that chases the ball away from the basket: an evening of 63 points scored despite 77 shots slows the Rossoblu race towards the safest ports of the ranking and delivers the challenge for the fourth from last provisional place in Urania. The final -9 (72-63) at the end is almost a blessing at the end of a match that Biella has never managed to hold tightly in his hands, escaped in the first period and never put back on his feet with the gap that is at most dropped to 6 points. Too many players with crooked aim, starting with a Davis who dropped below double figures after three months. In the end, only Hasbrouck and Bertetti scored, not enough to plant their flag on the historic Palalido.
The quintet chosen by Zanchi is the one of the latest releases, with Bianchi together with Hasbrouck, Pollone, Davis and Morgillo. But it doesn’t work: Urania has two supporting pillars in its foundations that respond to the name of Bossi and Thomas (in the two-ball field with Cipolla, Nikolic and Paci). The Trieste-born playmaker decides the first break with 5 points and an assist (9-2) and the bench from Biella must use the first time out after less than three minutes. The American begins to have fun immediately after: he has seven points one behind the other for the maximum advantage over 16-4. In the middle of the quarter the Rossoblu’s shooting vein is drier than the torrents this winter: 0/10 between Hasbrouck’s first and second basket. When the number 41 propitiates a mini-comeback together with Davis (16-9) the minute of suspension is Urania. Good choice because Thomas does not stop even with the changes of marking and makes him go up to 24-9. Only Soviero, who came off the bench with the devil in his body, reduces the margin before the siren: 25-13.
There is almost the entire second quintet on the pitch at the resumption of the match: together with Soviero, Bertetti and Porfilio also try to raise the pace in the two halves. The playmaker born and raised in Biella rummages in his pocket in search of some tricks and the operation succeeds him well: with Soviero forced to the bench by the third foul in a few minutes, fate that soon after also touches Porfilio, they are his five of the seven points of the mini-partial that brings Edilnol back into the game until 31-25. Villa’s second time out serves to make him understand that the road to the 40th minute is long. He succeeds because the witness of the attack is first taken by Piunti (triple the new +10) and then Montano who takes advantage of a slow rotation of the rossoblù defense to score the +13 from beyond the arc. Hasbrouck’s immediate response sends the teams to rest at 42-32 with Biella obtaining the very platonic trophy of victory in the second period.
At the resumption a question and answer between Thomas and Morgillo is an illusion. Palalido’s ten minutes are a half nightmare for both attacks. For that of Edilnol a little more: from Davis’ dunk of 46-39 to the siren of the last mini-break, the rossoblù put a 0/14 from the pitch that would extinguish anyone’s ambitions. Fortunately for them, there is no more brilliant version of the team and when Bertetti stops the famine from eight meters the scoreboard says 53-42. It could be worth the full energy and courage but the period does not change track: a triple from Montano from the corner and 1/18 from the crushed one onwards start the final straight at 56-42. Zanchi’s team can’t even take advantage of Thomas’s physical troubles, forced to the bench by a muscle that hurts. In the first minutes of the fourth period the coach calls two time outs and feels the shock with the entire second quintet. He also sits up, leaving Andrea Niccolai on the sidelines. It is of little use: Urania touches +16, then dozes off and lets himself recover up to 60-51 with a triple from Hasbrouck. But a series of good things from opposing captain Piunti and a triple from Thomas on one leg 90 seconds from the siren decide which way the two points should go. The final rossoblù sprint serves only to keep the accounts open for the goal difference. Too late to adjust the aim.
The match report
Urania Milano-Edilnol Biella 72-63. Urania: Bossi 11 (3/6, 1/5), Cipolla 4 (2/4, 0/2), Thomas 21 (7/14, 2/3), Nikolic 10 (2/2, 2/5), Paci 2 (1/3), Montano 14 (2/3, 3/7), Piunti 10 (3/4, 1/1), Abega (0/1), Pesenato ne, Manzoli ne, Valsecchi ne. Coach: Villa. Edilnol: Bianchi (0/1, 0/2), Hasbrouck 22 (4/6, 4/15), Pollone (0/2, 0/4), Davis 9 (3/10, 1/6), Morgillo 4 ( 2/8), Soviero 6 (2/4), Bertetti 18 (3/4, 4/10), Porfilio (0/1 of three), Vincini (0/1 of three), Infante 4 (2/3) , They ne. Coach: Zanchi. Partial: 25-13, 17-19, 14-10, 16-21. From two: Urania 20/37, Biella 16/38. From three: Urania 9/23, Biella 9/39. Free throws: Urania 5/10, Biella 4/5. Rebounds: Urania 44 (Cipolla 8), Biella 39 (Infante, Davis and Hasbrouck 8). Assist: Urania 24 (Bossi 9), Biella 19 (Hasbrouck 6).
