Acqua S.Bernardo Cantù beats Verona 77-80 after an incredible match. Having slipped by more than twenty points, the blue and whites found the strength to come back point by point and in the final they found the decisive overrun.
Coach Nicola Brienza‘s comments in the press conference after the match between Acqua S.Bernardo Cantù and Verona. “It was two games in one. In the first there was an excellent Verona, who played at a very high intensity and objectively put us in great difficulty. Adding to this also the fact that we probably thought we were on a prize holiday at Vinitaly, or something like that. But I still reiterate their great merits. Then we realized that we were in the arena playing and so we changed tone. We were especially good at the end of the first half in recreating an acceptable gap, coming back 11 down. It was fundamental, because that and the break at the beginning of the third quarter created the conditions for us to think about overturning it. In the second half we significantly increased the engine speed and did everything we couldn’t do in the first half, starting with rebounds and loose balls. In the first half we managed to get a bomb from Verona, with a shot from midfield that barely touches the rim and we are there looking at each other, while Penna withdraws from the completely free corner. Clearly, thinking of winning in Verona with that type of attitude was unthinkable and in fact we rightly went 20 down. But at the same time we found a great reaction: we didn’t want to lose and we didn’t accept losing in this way. So I congratulate the boys for their second half, for the energy and intensity they put on the pitch.”
THE MATCH
The news (Source Pallacanestro Cantù Press Office) – Double news in coach Brienza’s starting quintet: on the outside, together with McGee, there are in fact Valentini and Moraschini. The start of the match, however, is totally in favor of the home team who fly to 19-4. Piccoli, from the bench, tries to play the kick; Cantù breaks free in attack but Verona continues to make its voice heard and ends the first quarter ahead 29-17.
In the second quarter, however, Tezenis takes off again, dragged by Pullen already in double figures, and reaches a twenty-point lead. After a time-out by Brienza, Acqua S. Bernardo manages to find harmony again and thanks to triples from McGee and Valentini reduces the gap. We go into halftime with the home team in command 49-38.
Possamai and Piccoli bring the Cantù deficit back to under double figures. Cantù’s comeback continues and with a triple from McGee the blue and whites return to just one possession away. Acqua S.Bernardo misses the final shot and then Pullen brings Verona back to safety and returns to +10 again. Cantù, however, has the strength to come back once again and thanks to Moraschini’s final basket, they close the third set 69-67 down.
It was Moraschini himself who scored the overtaking triple. Verona responds immediately and the two teams engage in a long duel of overtaking and counter-overtaking. With 3′ to go the situation is perfectly equal. Burns brings Cantù forward, Udom impacts from the line. Piccoli hits the target from the paint. Esposito makes it 1/2 and then McGee extends it with a winning penetration. Nobody scores anymore and then Acqua S.Bernardo defeats Verona 77-80.
THE SCORESHEET
Tezenis Verona – Acqua S.Bernardo Cantù 77-80 (29-17, 20-21, 20-29, 8-13)
Tezenis Verona: Jacob Pullen 23 (3/11, 5/8), Lorenzo Penna 14 (1/3, 1/3), Jalen Cannon 9 (3/3, 0/1), Liam Udom 9 (3/8, 0/3), Mattia Palumbo 8 (3/4, 0/1), Ethan Esposito 7 (2/5, 0/2), Leonardo Faggian 5 (1/3, 1/4), Giulio Gazzotti 2 (1/ 1, 0/1), Vittorio Bartoli 0 (0/0, 0/0), Mouhammed falilou Mbacke 0 (0/0, 0/0)
Free throws: 22 / 27 – Rebounds: 36 10 + 26 (Jalen Cannon, Ethan Esposito 7) – Assists: 13 (Mattia Palumbo 4)
Acqua S.Bernardo Cantù: Grant Basile 18 (5/6, 0/1), Tyrus Mcgee 15 (2/6, 3/6), Matteo Piccoli 13 (4/4, 1/5), Riccardo Moraschini 12 (2 /4, 2/7), Fabio Valentini 7 (1/3, 1/2), Luca Possamai 6 (3/3, 0/0), Christian Burns 4 (2/4, 0/0), Joonas Riismaa 3 (0/1, 1/1), Andrea De nicolao 2 (1/3, 0/3), Andrea Beltrami 0 (0/0, 0/0)
Free throws: 16 / 22 – Rebounds: 27 5 + 22 (Grant Basile 8) – Assists: 17 (Andrea De Nicolao 9)
