UNAHOTELS REGGIO EMILIA 68
GERMANI BRESCIA 80
(20-19;9-22;19-19;20-20)
UNAHOTELS REGGIO EMILIA: Winston 7, Barford 9, Grant 5, Cheatham 5, Gombauld 2, Smith 20, Faye 8, Uglietti 6, M. Vitali 5, Chillo 1, Fainke ne, Gallo ne. Coach: Dimitris Priftis.
GERMANI BRESCIA: Ivanovic 20, Della Valle 13, Rivers 4, Ndour 1, Bilan 20, Burnell 11, Cournooh 6, Dowe 5, Ferrero, Mobio, Pollini ne, Tonelli ne. Coach: Giuseppe Poeta.
REFEREES: Giovannetti, Borgo, Dori
Away victory for Germani Brescia, who, at the end of an intense match conducted with maturity, conquered the PalaBigi in Reggio Emilia.
Ready, set and Reggio Emilia sets the tone with Grant and Gombauld, capable of evading the direct markers by writing, in the paint, simple points on the scoresheet. Germani, however, does not allow herself to be intimidated and builds a fluid and dynamic offensive plot, but without finding the bottom of the bucket. The home team, however, gave many second opportunities to the blue and whites, who, despite winning the offensive rebound battle, did not finish at their best. UNAHOTELS shows greater cynicism and determination on both sides of the pitch, forcing coach Giuseppe Poeta to suspend time to square the circle. When hostilities resume, it is Burnell, as always invaluable coming off the bench, scoring heavy and well-made baskets, and Dowe, a bulldog in defence, keeping Brescia in their wake.
The second quarter is inaugurated by a triple from Smith, to which Cournooh responds with the same coin, before Bilan, giving a lesson in pivot foot, and Rivers allow Germani to make the first overtaking of the match. Michele Vitali, at the end of a perfect choral action from the Emilian team, scores a bomb from the corner that gives new life to the red and whites. Brescia, however, did not get upset and reacted with unity and unity of purpose, while Reggio Emilia’s shooting percentages dropped dramatically. Rivers and Bilan are far from taking their foot off the accelerator pedal and project Germani to an 8-point lead. The Reggio Emilia team tries to get back from the charity line, but Ivanovic and Della Valle extend their lead to twelve points, thanks to two triples, before the long break.
The third part of the game, as expected, initially sees an unrealistic reaction from UNAHOTELS, which is looking for solutions closer to the iron, thanks to the initiatives of its external package. Here, then, Germani is taken by the hand by Ivanovic, a charismatic and emotional leader, who, thanks to three classy baskets, and an iron defensive will, drags Brescia to a 17 point lead. It was up to Smith, who had been opaque until then, to encourage Reggio Emilia to get back on top, scoring 7 consecutive points, which forced coach Giuseppe Poeta to call a timeout. Upon returning to the parquet, Bilan returns to pave the way, while the Germani collective raises the volume of defensive intensity, hermetically closing the paint and developing an important treasure in view of the final sprint.
The last ten minutes were punctuated by an overturned basket by Bilan, the true star of the match. UNAHOTELS tries to feed a glimmer of hope with Uglietti and a high defensive pressure proposed by Smith against Ivanovic and Dowe. Captain Della Valle, like a true leader, tries to deliver the decisive blow against the home team, scoring two triples. Smith accepts the challenge and responds blow for blow, closing the discrepancy to just 10 points. UNAHOTELS believes in it, while Brescia argues with the iron, despite Bilan inserting two crucial taps in the economy of the final result. Brescia manages the last possessions rationally and calmly and defeats Reggio Emilia.
