Unieuro Forlì beats Urania Milano in a photo finish at the end of a match marked by important breaks and counter-breaks, which saw the red and whites reach +19 twice, but being overcome in the final by the home team. The winning basket, at the siren, bears the signature of Luca Pollone.
IThe first half of the red and whites is deadly. The Romagna defense immediately obscured Urania’s basket, while in attack in the first 10 minutes of the game Pollone and Parravicini began to score without interruption, with percentages from the arc reaching 60%. Unieuro immediately put the Milanese under control and soon found their maximum advantage at +19 at 3-22 with 4’15” left in the first quarter. Two consecutive bombs from Cesana try to awaken Milan from their torpor, an and-one from Pascolo and free throws from Perkovic and Magro close the first half of the game at 17-32. The Milanese pride movement bears the signatures of Gentile, Maspero and Amato who create the 9-0 home score. However, Unieuro is ready to respond and Harper scores the 24-34 in suspension, before serving the assist to Pascolo for the 26-36. At 4’37” Leggio’s triple advises coach Martino to time out, with Milan threateningly down 29-36. Forlì thus begins to hammer again. Harper, Perkovic and a triple from Parravicini made the score 0-9 which sent the Romagna team up 29-45. After Del Chiaro’s free throws and Perkovic’s bomb, 43″ before half time, two serious fouls remove Gentile from the match and the first half ends at 37-53.
After Gaspardo’s 3-point basket at the start of the third quarterMilan scores a 7-0 run closed by Tavernelli’s 44-59 bomb. 5’16” from the last mini-interval Amato’s free throws sign the -9 Urania at 50-59 and immediately after the red and white response is entrusted from the arc to Toni Perkovic and Demonte Harper who force coach Cardani to time out at 50 -65 for Unieuro. Milan reacts and takes the lead at 58-65 with Udanoh’s dunk with 1’56” left in the third quarter. The time out for coach Martino is mandatory. Upon returning to the field, the red and whites found two points with the clock stopped by Tavernelli, before Parravicini’s fourth foul. Potts shortens again for the Milanese with a free throw and a recovery break to make it 61-67. Perkovic’s triple made it 61-70. Urania continues to find points from Potts and Amato and at the last mini-interval the score is 65-70. In the first minute of the last quarter Cesana scores 68-72 from the arc after Magro’s basket and Gaspardo sinks the free throw for 68-73. At 6’42”, after Magro’s basket from underneath, Potts responds with the and-one to make it 71-75. With still 6’00” on the clock, from the charity line Leggio gives the home team -2 (73-75). It is therefore Leggio himself who scores the equalizer at 75. At 4’38” it is then Udanoh’s free throws that seal the Milanese overtaking. The ball is hot, the teams make mistakes and we arrive 3’34” from the siren with Pollone hitting the free throws to make it 77 all. At 3’19” Udanoh misses two free throws, but Forlì doesn’t take advantage and Potts nails the triple to make it 80-77. Romagna’s response was entrusted to Harper’s free throws with 2’30” to go. The American misses the second, but stops Potts on the other side of the field, where the foul arises from the commotion by Pollone which sends Amato to the line. The double error is not exploited by the red and whites and in the last minute of the game the score is 80-78, with Milan on attack. The Meneghini cannot find any points and Harper is stopped by a foul by Udanoh 35″ from the siren. The American winger only pots the second and Milan attacks at 80-79. Potts makes a mistake, Forlì recovers the ball, Potts tries to dirty it but the throw is red and white. Coach Martino stops everything with 14″ on the game clock and one point to recover. At 7″ Cesana slips on Perkovic, who misses the second with the clock stopped. The rebound lands in the hands of Gaspardo who puts the Molten into those of Tavernelli. The assist from the traveling 8 arms the deadly hand of Pollone, who finds the winning basket from the midrange.
Urania Milan – Unieuro Forlì 80 – 82 (17-32; 20-21; 28-17; 15-12)
Urania Milan: Amato 7, Potts 18, Gentile 9, Leggio 12, Udanoh 10, Maspero 6, Cesana 11, Pagani 5, Cavallero 2, Solimeno none, Anchisi none, Malattia none. All.: Marco Cardani. Ass.: Locati and Corengia.
Unieuro Forlì: Parravicini 16, Harper 10, Pollone 16, Gaspardo 4, Del Chiaro 4, Tavernelli 7, Cinciarini, Perkovic 13, Pascolo 6, Magro 6. Coach: Antimo Martino. Ass.: Andrea Fabrizi and Paolo Ruggeri.
