Scafati, 11 April 2023 – Very important blow in terms of salvation for the Givova Scafati that, at the end of a match full of emotions, knocks out the Happy Casa Brindisi 85-84 in the last postponement of the 25th round of the Serie A basketball championship. With this victory, the Campania team, who arrived at the appointment after the knockout with Reggio Emilia, hoisted themselves to 18 points together with Unahotels Reggio Emilia and Gevi Napoli, with a two-point advantage over Tezenis Verona. Pino Sacripanti’s line-up this evening was the protagonist of a solid collective performance, which led to a great comeback: after closing the first half at -12 from 50 points conceded, the yellow and blues also reached -15, but then, carried away by the trials of captain Richard Rossato (13 points with a glacial 4/5 three-point shooting) e David Logan (author of 19 points despite 2/12 in archery), they reset the gap and placed the winning kidney shot. In double figures, in addition to the Venetian winger and the former Dinamo Sassari, Trevor Thompson also went on the Givova front (12 points topped off with 10 rebounds), Cross Pinkins (14 points and 8 rebounds) e Clevin Hannah (13 points). In Brindisi, who collected the second knockout in a row after the one suffered against Tortona, the 17 points of Marquise Reed – for a long time limited by the fouls committed in the second half), the 16 of Nick Perkins and the 11 each signed by D’Angelo Harrison and Jason Burnell.
The match report
Taking advantage of Pinkins’ excellent start, Scafati started in high gear and was up by 6 in just a few minutes (12-6). Burnell and Reed then tried to close the gap, but Campania’s advantage stretched again with Okoye’s shots. From the arc Reed and the former player Lamb – with an attached small squabble with the home crowd – however responded blow for blow, evening the score at 16 points. The balance thus remained unchanged until the sound of the first siren, which sanctioned the 23-23. At the end of the first mini-interval it was Brindisi, pushed by Reed, who attempted to reach +7 with a 7-0 inspired by 5 points from Reed, but a prompt response from Givova arrived from the other side, with Pinkins it got back in contact but then was unable to reply to the new and more decisive escape attempt by Brindisi, capable of closing the first half at +12 and with 50 points scored (38-50). The deficit in favor of Salento then grew up to 15 lengths (51-56). At the climax, however, three fouls arrived in an amen from Reed, who was therefore forced to the bench. Brindisi initially tried to react to this unexpected event relying on Harrison, but in the final third quarter Scafati stepped up by halving the gap (62-68 with 10′ to go). The Campania comeback then continued in the fourth fraction with the bombs of captain Rossato, author – always from the arc – also of the jab of overtaking (75-73). Having gone ahead, the yellow and blues then managed to defend themselves tooth and nail in the presence of a Brindisi who with 2.3 from the end found the counter-pass with Bowman; basket then nullified by a foul in attack by the American under the blue and whites.
