The defeat at the Arena against Sesto San Giovanni – the second in a row – complicates the plans for the formation of the capital: playoff qualification postponed to Wednesday evening against San Martino di Lupari. If successful, the campobassane will be able to close the season in sixth place, otherwise they will have to settle for seventh.
Against the Sesto the Campobassane run into a ‘no’ day both in the three-point archery (1/13) and in the solutions with the time trial stopped (eight wrong free throws), aspects that end up being a heavy boulder on the overall progress of the dispute.
Despite a 3-0 start under the banner of Reshanda Gray (basket plus extra free throw), the steel clubs have to deal with a 12-0 away break. Lawrence tries to revive the campobassane, who, with Parks and Gray, return to only one possession. Parks’ basket forces coach Zanotti to call us a time-out, but at the end of the fourth the guests still have a five-point margin (11-16).
Gray tries to bring the campobassane together, but Gorini (as a former well acquainted with the irons of the Arena) again widens the margin that Gwathmey brings in double figures (13-23). A triple from Quiñonez brings the magnolias back to -7 (19-26), then Parks takes the chair. The magnolias are three possessions of detachment (23-32), but it is still Quiñonez who plays the charge. The Ecuadorian raises the decibels in the Arena with a three-point game worth 28-32, a score with which you go to the long interval.
PARTIAL BURNING The return from the locker rooms is marked by an absolute tension with the route of the basket particularly narrow for both contenders. Gray brings the magnolias up to -2, but a triple from Trucco risks freezing the enthusiasm, because he ends up entering an 11-0 run for the Lombard, which Amatori tries to break. The attack of the #fiorid Acciaio however fails to be fluid with Gray trying to wake up his downs by ten after Chagas ‘basket (38-48) at 30’.
BITTER EPILOGUE The magnolias go to the zone to try to break the rhythm of their opponents and with Gray they return up to -4 of 48-52. Gwathmey tries to bring back under him, but there is still Gray making the big voice under the basket. Quiñonez brings the campobassane back up to -2, but Gorini freezes his former audience again with five points in succession (52-59). Quiñonez, Gray and Lawrence bring the rossoblù back to the -1 of 58-59 with the campobassane not able to take the last shot leaving the success to the opponents.
“It was certainly a strange match – explains coach Sabelli – but when you can’t train at your best in view of the contest, the work done previously ends up being the mirror of what happens on the pitch. Unfortunately, from the quarter-finals of the Italian Cup in San Martino, we were a bit hit by flu problems, injuries and important absences like that of Stefania (Trimboli, ed). We are not able to work at our best and in the race, then, we see the results. Our departure, as well as against Costra Masnaga, was a bit soft, we had a good reaction, but the last action is a bit like a mirror of our physical and mental fatigue. We are ‘dead with the ball in hand’, but it can be there because when you are in constant pursuit both mentally and physically you have to spend a lot of energy. Pity. Fortunately it is not a game that complicates our path in the playoffs in an important way, but it would have been nice to give our fans a splendid victory “.
THE TABLE
LA MOLISANA MAGNOLIA CAMPOBASSO 58
ALLIANZ GEAS SIXTH SAINT JOHN 59
(11-16, 28-32; 38-48)
CAMPOBASSO: Togliani (0/2, 0/2), Chagas 2 (1/1, 0/2), Parks 6 (3/10, 0/3), Nicolodi 2 (0/5, 0/3), Gray 30 (13/20, 0/1); Lawrence 4 (2/3), Quiñonez 12 (4/7, 1/2), Amateur 2 (1/1). In: Del Sole, Trozzola, Trimboli and Egwoh. All .: Shoes.
SESTO SAN GIOVANNI: Dotto 8 (1/5, 1/4), Panzera 2 (0/2, 0/3), Gwathmey 15 (5/15, 0/3), Raca 9 (2/3, 0/2 ), Trick 7 (2/3, 1/4); Gorini 10 (2/3, 2/5), Fietta 5 (1/1, 1/1), Ercoli 4 (1/5). Ne: Ronchi and Merisio. Coach: Zanotti.
REFEREES: Bartolomeo (Lecce), Bramante (Verona) and Culmone (Bologna).
NOTES: free throws: Campobasso 7/15; Sesto San Giovanni 16/19. Rebounds: Campobasso 44 (Gray 9); Sesto San Giovanni 39 (Raca 9). Assist: Campobasso 20 (Parks 6); Sixth St. John 12 (Gwathmey 4). Score progression: 3-10 (5 ‘), 15-23 (15’), 32-41 (25 ‘), 50-54 (35’). Maximum advantage: Campobasso 3 (3-0); Sesto San Giovanni 14 (34-48).
