The first defeat of the season arrives for the red and whites, with rotations reduced due to the absences of Brooks (high fever) and Ross (calf), in front of a Trieste public that responded to the team’s excellent results with 5,700 fans at the PalaTrieste. Reggio Emilia played to their strengths, running on the counterattack to find the easy points that kept them in the game in a first half in which Trieste seemed to be able to take control of the match.
Starting Five Trieste: Ruzzier, Brown, Valentine, Uthoff, Johnson
Starting Five Reggio Emilia: Winston, Barford, Grant, Cheatham, Gombauld.
Jayce Johnson opens the ball from underneath, then it’s Denzel Valentine who forces Coach Priftis into a quick timeout with a jump shot followed by an assist behind the back for Jarrod Uthoff’s triple. Momo Faye unlocks the guests, but Valentine is relentless and hits another three; immediately after Faye scores with a tap-in, bringing the score to 11-4. Markel Brown responds to Winston by hitting the third triple of the evening, followed by a three-point play; the new entry Bossi joins the party, but Reggio runs and stays in the game with three baskets from below, while Candussi also finds the target from afar. Markel Brown sends Faye’s dunk attempt back to the sender, but the Emilians stay in touch with a triple in transition by Chillo: 25-19 at the end of the first quarter.
The good news in the second quarter is the return to the field of Justin Reyes, absent at the start of the season, who finds the basket in his own way with an offensive rebound. Trieste, however, loses a few too many balls and Reggio Emilia takes advantage of the situation to close the game to within five, but Ruzzier continues the great evening shooting three-pointers for the home team, bringing the score back to 34-26. Reggio Emilia’s trademark is the aggressive defense, with which they manage to generate turnovers to launch themselves into transition and find the easy points that bring them back up to within two; Jayce Johnson and Markel Brown, however, find a good understanding and together produce the points necessary to remain at +4 even after a triple from the dribble by Jamar Smith. Ruzzier responds to Barford from the three, but Winston still finds the big target to keep Reggio there; however, the guests are very hot, and the first half ends at 50-49.
Valentine opens the quarter with a triple from his distance, but the guests find the equalizer with two consecutive offensive rebounds. Uthoff scores a triple from the corner that climbs the rim, followed immediately by another that barely grazes the retina. Faye scores from close range but immediately commits the third foul on Reyes – who makes it two out of two – and is forced out. Ruzzier converts a raid into the area into two points supported by the scoreboard, but Grant from three and Winston, first on the counterattack and then from three, reconnect the red and whites. Valentine pushes the guests away with a bomb, Grant and Ruzzier exchange two perfect trips to the line and Winston goes to the rim for -1 after a confusing sequence of play. Brown recorded his fourth block of the evening after a basket from underneath by Johnson, but Smith still managed to score on the following throw. Vitali scores the overtaking three, Winston extends and Trieste is unable to respond: the quarter ends at 71-77.
Reggio Emilia picks up where he left off with the triple for +9, but Valentine finds Uthoff to stop the guest’s partial. Valentine shortens with two free throws, Vitali responds and the match remains in a stalemate. Uthoff shakes PalaTrieste with a three-pointer off an offensive rebound, but Winston continues to be glacial from the line. Cheatham’s volley on the counterattack could be the final blow for Trieste, at -9 with three minutes left to play; Uthoff manages to keep the match alive with four free throws, but Reggio gets a whistle in almost every possession and with great coolness Winston leads his team to an 85-97 victory.
BASKETBALL TRIESTE – UNAHOTELS REGGIO EMILIA: 85-97
Basketball Trieste: Bossi 4, Ross ne, Reyes 7, Deangeli (k), Uthoff 24, Ruzzier 10, Campogrande, Candussi 3, Brown 11, Brooks ne, Johnson 13, Valentine 13.
Coach: J. Christian. Assistants: F. Taccetti, F. Nanni, N. Schlitzer.
Reggio Emilia: Barford 12, Gallo ne, Winston 28, Faye 13, Gombauld, Smith 9, Uglietti 2, Fainke ne, Vitali 12, Grant (k) 7, Chillo 3, Chetham 11.
Coach: Dimitrios Priftis. Assistants: Federico Fucà, Giuseppe Di Paolo.
Progressives: 25-19 / 50-49 // 71-77 / 85-97
Parties: 25-19 / 25-30 // 21-28 / 14-20
Referees: Sahin, Galasso, Capotorto.
