In the first quarter the Gemini is polished. The departure of the quintet from Mestre sees Bortolin in the basket together with Drigo and Casagrande, the little ones are Petrucci and Fazioli with the latter main in charge of playing the role of play. The start in Mestre is immediately comforting with Casagrande who opens the match with a shot from the bow. The Gemini defense confirms the good performances of the last few days, an offensive game realized by Petrucci marks the first break (2-7), partial that forces Teso to call time. Jesolo does not come out well from the time out because Casagrande makes +7 Gemini on the counterattack. Malbasa, one of the former players on duty, scores a basket from below but Drigo first from 3 and then depositing a steal ball makes 4-14 with 6’40 ” to play. The Secis sees the serious possibility of missing the match and raises the defensive intensity. Malbasa, Quaglia and Bovo bring water to the home mill (9-14), then Fazioli takes care of it with 2 free throws and a close-range basket to throw back a Secis that resumes to struggle in attack and that at 2’22 ” suffers the axis Bortolin – Petrucci who exchange roles with the pivot who sends the Roman guard to the basket for the +11 mestrino (9-20), partial that a Rosada basket from the average translates into the partial of the first quarter. In the second period the Gemini opens again from 3, this time with Drigo who immediately signs the maximum advantage. The Secis must remain in the game and begins to defend strongly looking for high pressure, Ferraboschi shuffles the cards by rotating his group, a Jesolo more present in the offensive phase comes out but also a Gemini always pungent forward that finds its terminal in Drigo ideal, able to reach the long break with dizzying figures: 6 rebounds, 17 points with 1/1 from 2, 3/3 from free and 4/5 from 3. Rossi puts the bomb that brings Jesolo back but immediately Bortolin replies with a foul and it is worth keeping the +14, followed by a part of the race where he makes a mistake forward, a period interrupted by the basket on the counterattack by Bolpin and by 2 points by Bovo from the line that lead Jesolo to -9 with 4’45 ” from play in the period. There it is Ianuale who responds by putting first a free throw and then a very heavy bomb because it slows down the enthusiasm of the hosts who shorten with a basket from Bovo (23-34). Teso protests and Drigo in the bezel realizes the technical foul for the new +12 Gemini. Bolpin and Drigo again from the line keep the partial before Ianuale recovers the ball that gives Casagrande the new +14, Malbasa immediately replies from the average but still Drigo from 3 signs the new maximum advantage (27-42) with less than 2 ‘from play in the second quarter, a period that will end with Bovo’s free, another bomb from a Drigo and a basket from Maestrello that are worth a comforting +12 Gemini.
Third and fourth
The third quarter opens with 5 points from Fazioli – his performance is also excellent – which he repeats to Malbasa for 35-50 with 8’31 ” to play. Teso calls time but does not find benefits so much that this time it is Petrucci who serves Bortolin +17, a margin that widens further to touch 37-55 with 7’01 ” to play, branded by Petrucci’s bomb. Rosada from the media and Drigo from close up confirm the maximum advantage from Mestre but from there something happens on a mental level in the two teams with Gemini suddenly jammed while Secis understands that there is nothing more to lose in attempting the enterprise. Jesolo closes in a hedgehog under the basket and from 3 for Gemini darkness falls: Favaretto, Maestrello and Malbasa, the latter with two archery shots, capitalize on the offensive errors of Mestre in a 10-0 that reopens the match with Secis a -8 (49-57) with 4’20 ” to play in the third half. An entry by Captain Pinton brings the double-digit advantage so Favaretto and Petrucci are back and forth, Drigo from 3, however, takes the iron and Favaretto on the other side puts the bomb of -7 Secis, a gap that will be confirmed until the end of the period . It is logical that with these premises the last quarter is of suffering: instead the Gemini of the first minutes is solid in defense with Fazioli and a precious tape in by Ianuale to sign the 59-67 of the 3 ‘. A couple of minutes follow in which no one scores anymore, Ferraboschi then puts Petrucci and Drigo for Dal Pos and Casagrande, the general sterility continues, however, interrupted only by Rossi’s basket which from below translates a loose ball in 61-67 with 4’53 ” to play. From there we only play heartily with Fazioli good at putting two free throws, Malbasa on the opposite side puts only one of his two available with Bortolin who is 62-71 from below. It seems done, however, it is not possible to return to the double-digit advantage because Bortolin up close and Drigo from 3 do not go beyond the iron, on the other hand Favaretto finds a point from the line and, above all, Bolpin puts the bomb of 66-71 with 2’40 ” to play. Drigo confirms his great evening with the heavy shot that is worth 66-74 but it is still not enough because Favaretto immediately puts his backs from the bow again at -5; Fazioli does not find the basket closely and Bovo shortens from the line to -3 with 1’16 ” to play. On the subsequent possession Drigo wins an offensive rebound that is worth gold, or forces Jesolo to foul which translates into the free +5 of the new +5, Rossi from 3 but immediately brings the Secis to 74-76 with a scoreboard indicating that there will still be a possession for part. The one from Mestre does not find the way to the basket and on the overturning Jesolo tries twice from 3, to 5 ” with Favaretto who however puts it on the iron, Malbasa also conquers the offensive rebound but also the last shot in Jesolo does not hit the mark . Another stop like the one in Bologna would have been too much, on Sunday we return to Palavega against Cremona, second of the class where 40 minutes of high intensity will be needed, a climate to taste what will be the future playoffs.
