Reale Mutua Torino-RivieraBanca Basket Rimini 68-80 (11-19, 20-19, 15-21, 22-21)
THE SCORESHEET
Reale Mutua Torino: Ife Ajayi 17 (7/13, 1/4), Kevion Taylor 13 (2/9, 2/7), Matteo Schina 13 (3/6, 1/2), Maximilian Ladurner 8 (4/4, 0/0 ), Antonio Gallo 6 (0/3, 0/0), Giovanni Severini 4 (2/4, 0/0), Aristide Landi 4 (0/1, 1/3), Matteo Montano 3 (0/2, 1 /2), Matteo Ghirlanda 0 (0/1, 0/0), Fadilou Seck 0 (0/0, 0/0), Giorgio Garuzzo 0 (0/0, 0/0).
Free throws: 14 / 16 – Rebounds: 29 7 + 22 (Ife Ajayi 11) – Assists: 11 (Matteo Schina, Matteo Montano 3).
RivieraBanca Basket Rimini: Alessandro Grande 15 (3/4, 3/5), Gora Camara 14 (5/6, 0/0), Pierpaolo Marini 13 (5/8, 1/4), Justin Johnson 12 (6/12, 0/3 ), Gerald Robinson 10 (2/4, 2/5), Stefano Masciadri 6 (0/0, 2/2), Giovanni Tomassini 5 (1/2, 1/3), Alessandro Simioni 5 (1/1, 1 /2), Simon Anumba 0 (0/1, 0/0), Francesco Bedetti 0 (0/0, 0/0).
Free throws: 4 / 6 – Rebounds: 29 5 + 24 (Justin Johnson 7) – Assists: 16 (Alessandro Grande 5).
THE 8TH DAY OF THE SERIE A2 CHAMPIONSHIP AND THE RANKING
NEWS AND COMMENTARY
The third away match of the season for RivieraBanca Rimini is in Turin, on the pitch of a Reale Mutua team that has six points in the standings, half of the 12 achieved so far by the red and whites, beaten only by Cividale and fresh from the exhilarating derby won against Forlì. It is the preview of the 8th day, broadcast live (unencrypted) on RaiSport.
Torino starts with Schina, Taylor, Ghirlanda, Ajayi and Seck. For RBR in quintet Robinson, Marini, Anumba, Johnson and Camara.
The match. The first basket is by Johnson approaching (0-2). Garland blocked by Camara. Marini attacks the rim and scores the 4-0. The first two points of the locals go to captain Schina (2-4). Johnson scores two: 2-6. Johnson misses from underneath, but there’s a tap-in with a dunk from Camara: 2-8 at -6’30”. Reale Mutua time out. Taylor scores from midrange: 4-8. Basket from below by Camara: 4-10 at -4’40”. Marini on the counterattack with the use of the table: 4-12. Triple by Schina: 7-12. Ladurner’s dunk gives the Piedmontese a 5-0 partial: 9-12 at -2’36”. RBR time out. Offensive rebound and first two points for Simioni, who recently entered the field: 9-14. Ladurner scores: 11-14. Last minute of the first partial. Triple from the corner by Grande: 11-17. Johnson’s correction on Grande’s missed triple: 11-19 al 10′.
Ajayi scores from below: 13-19. Triple by Masciadri for the red and white +9: 13-22. Reply with the same coin Taylor: 16-22. Robinson also scored a three: 16-25. Schina is approaching and puts two more (rises to 7): 18-25. Taylor by two: 20-25. Taylor scores 1/2 from the line: 21-25 at -5’45”. Ajayi anticipates Johnson in defense and nails a spectacular dunk on the other side of the court: 23-25 at -5’26”. Time out Rimini. Camara scores 1/2 on free throws: 23-26 at -5’02”. Marini dives in and scores a two-pointer: 23-28. Block by Camara against Schina (even though the ball had touched the backboard), on the other side of the court Johnson’s basket: 23-30 at -3’21”. Time out Turin. Severini scored on the second attempt: 25-30. Schina scores 2/2 on free throws: 27-30 at -2’20”. Great table basket by Camara: 27-32. Camara makes 1/2 on free throws: 27-33. Schina returns to the line and makes it 2/2 again: 29-33 at -41″. Nice basket by Grande: 29-35. Basket by Ajayi (31-35). Triple by Tomassini following the sound of the siren. We go into the long break with RivieraBanca ahead by seven: 31-38.
For Reale Mutua 10/23 from two, 2/7 from the arc and 5/6 from free throws. For RBR 12/20 from twos, 4/11 from threes and 2/4 from free throws. 19-16 for Torino on the rebound.
Ajayi tries a layup, blocked by Camara. Another block from Camara, this time against Montano. Basket by Robinson: 31-40. Triple by Montano: 34-40. Another basket by Robinson: 34-42. Third foul by Robinson, who gives way to Grande. Basket by Tomassini and +10 Rimini: 34-44 at -6’04”. Time out Turin. Triple on the shot clock buzzer by Ajayi: 37-44. Triple by Masciadri: 37-47. Played in pick and roll Tomassini-Camara and +12: 37-49. For Gallo 2/2 to free throws: 39-49. Triple by Grande and +13 RBR: 39-52 at -4’17”. Landi scores 1/2 from the line: 40-52. Gallo penetration, Ladurner correction: 42-52. Assist by Marini for Johnson’s dunk: 42-54 -2’41”. Time out Turin. Ajayi goes up to 12:44-54. Marini Reply: 44-56. Gallo returns to the line and scores 2/2: 46-56 at-1’32”. Grande’s long-range basket, -5″, closes the third set: 46-59 al 30′.
Table Ajayi: 48-59. Triple by Taylor and 5-0 for Reale Mutua: 51-59 at -8’49”. RBR time out. Johnson sees Marini’s cut and serves it, two easy points for the red and white guard: 51-61. Triple by Landi, after a block by Simioni: 54-61. Reply, again from the bow, Marini: 54-64. Grande anticipates Landi and flies to the basket on the counterattack: 54-66. Schina rises to 13: 56-66 at -6’33”. Time out Rimini. Triple by Simioni at RivieraBanca back ahead by 13: 56-69. Johnson approaching and +15 Rimini: 56-71 at -4’15”. Time out Turin. Basket by Camara, with the help of the rim, and +17: 56-73. Triple by Robinson, the fifth red and white player to reach double figures, and +20: 56-76 at -3’27”. Camara scores 2/2 and +22 from the line: 56-78 at -2’42”. Ajayi dunk: 58-78. Gallo scores 2/2 on free throws (6 points, all from the foul line): 60-78. Elegant basket by Grande, which rises to 15: 60-80. Ajayi scores: 62-80. Taylor scores 2/2 on free throws: 64-80 at -1’10”. Severini basket: 66-80. Offensive rebound and Ladurner basket: 68-80. It ends like this. Rimini wins again and, thanks to Cantù’s defeat on the Cividale pitch, temporarily returns to the solitary leaders.
For Torino 18/43 (42%) from twos, 6/18 (33%) from threes and 14/16 (88%) from free throws. For RivieraBanca 23/38 (61%) from two, 10/24 (42%) from the arc and 4/6 (67%, all with Camara) from free throws. 35-41 for Reale Mutua on the rebound.
The match will be broadcast deferred on Icaro TV on Saturday at 11pm.
Reale Mutua Torino-RivieraBanca Basket Rimini 68-80, after the match
THE NOTE FROM RBR
Second consecutive victory for Rivierabanca Rimini, which with an excellent defensive performance beats Reale Mutua Torino at the Pala Gianni Asti (68-80 final) gaining, by virtue of the defeat of Cantù, the momentary solitary lead in the Serie A2 standings. Coach Dell’Agnello’s men dug deep from the first minutes, leading for all 40 minutes and repelling any attempt at a comeback by the home team, and closed the game with a 12-0 run in the fourth quarter. In an excellent team performance, with five players scoring over 10 points, what stands out are Grande’s 15 but above all the monstrous performance of Gora Camara, author of 14 points but also three blocks and as many rebounds for a rating of 26 Double figures also for Marini (13), Johnson (12) and Robinson (10). For Torino, Ajayi scored 17 points, while Taylor and Schina found 13 each.
The first basket of the evening is by Justin Johnson, while Camara joins the list of highlights with a block on Ghirlanda. The defenses are the protagonists in the first minutes of the match, with the score at 2-6 after more than three minutes of the match: the eighth red and white point is the work of Camara, who nails the offensive rebound to the rim, forcing coach Boniciolli to time out in the 4th minute . Taylor comes out of the blocks and finds two points coming out of the throw-in, then Camara scores in the paint and Marini closes the counterattack for +8; Turin’s 5-0 run by Schina and Ladurner, who closed two yellow and blue transitions with a triple and a dunk, meant Rivierabanca timed out in the eighth minute (9-12). A difficult attack by the red and whites ends with two points from Simioni on the offensive rebound, but Ladurner responds with the half hook. Grande scores from beyond the arc, then Johnson finds another offensive rebound to make it 11-19 to end the quarter.
Ajayi gets himself on the scoresheet with a classy one-on-one, while Masciadri does the same with a front triple. Taylor and Robinson also score from the arc before baskets by Schina and Taylor for -5. The Turin defense contains the red and white attack at its best, and Reale Mutua gets even closer with the usual Taylor’s free throw; Ajayi then recovers the ball and runs the field finishing with the dunk for -2: coach Dell’Agnello stops the clock again in the 15th minute (23-25). Camara goes to the line and makes a 1/2, then Marini makes a great penetration and Johnson scores in the area: the mini partial takes the home team to a timeout (23-30 at 17′). Severini wins the rebound after his own mistake and drives to the basket, then Schina finds two points from the charity line. Camara finishes a play in the low post with a feat, then Johnson intelligently conquers the breakthrough in transition. Camara’s free throw puts two possessions apart between the teams, but Schina is the protagonist and scores two more free throws; Ajayi quickly responds to Grande’s floater, then the magic of Tomassini, who scores a precariously balanced triple at the siren, sets the half-time score at 31-38.
The third quarter opens with the defenses as protagonists and Camara finding two more highlight blocks on Ajayi and Montano, while Robinson finds four points in a row interspersed with Montano’s triple. Tomassini also hits a penetration for Rivierabanca’s first double-digit lead (34-44): Boniciolli calls a minute’s suspension in the 24th minute. Ajayi beats the siren with a frontal triple after a positive defense by the red and whites, who respond in the same way with Masciadri and extend with the Tomassini-Camara pick and roll. Turin finds three points from the line with Gallo (2/2) and Landi (1/2), Rimini as many with Grande, who scores from long range punishing the Turin defense that is aggressive on the ball; Rivierabanca continues to be solid in their own half of the pitch, and then Johnson’s dunk forces the yellow and blues into a second time out in the 28th minute (42-54). First Ajayi and then Marini score in penetration, Gallo finds another 2/2, and the third period ends like the first: Grande only finds the net from very long range for the three points of 46-59.
Ajayi finds another basket at the siren to open the fourth quarter, then Taylor scores the open triple: coach Dell’Agnello stops the clock in the 32nd minute (51-59). Marini re-establishes the +10 twice: first in penetration and then with a triple that responds to Landi’s. Great steals the ball and supports it on the counterattack, Schina finishes the penetration into the paint, forcing Rivierabanca into a new time out (56-66 at 34′). Simioni finds the triple in transition after a good defensive close on Landi, Johnson concludes with the hook in the paint and goes +15 in the 36th minute: Torino time out (56-71). The minute’s suspension doesn’t stop Rivierabanca’s inertia: Camara finds four points in the paint and from the line, in the meantime Robinson steals the ball and scores from long range to extend the run to 12-0 closed by Ajayi’s dunk. The last minutes are academic: Gallo steals the ball and is fouled, scoring two more free throws, then Grande and Ajayi score from midrange. Torino makes the partial from the line (Taylor) and on the counterattack (Severini) less bitter; Ladurner’s offensive rebound dunk is the last play of the match: Rivierabanca wins 68-80 and gives itself a Saturday as leaders.
