Derthona – Mortara makes herself beautiful!
EXPO INOX MORTARA – DERTHONA BEARS 79-76
(22-18, 22-14, 13-25, 22-19)
MORTARA: DEL SORBO 16, Fant, Avanzini ne, CAVALLARO 7, GRUGNETTI 13, MOSSI 11, Ratti A. ne, Manuelli 9, Di Paola 3, TARDITO 20. Coach Zanellati.
DERTHONA: ROTONDO 16, VITALI 1, Stanojevic ne, Gioria 13, VENUTO 6, Gatti, SAMOGGIA 21, Strotz, Gay D. ne, VIGLIANISI 19. Coach Arioli.
Derthona fails to conquer Mortara and therefore on Saturday at 21.15pm, there will be the third decisive match of the playoff quarter-finals at PalaCamagna. In game 2 midweek the conditions and consequently the fate of the first game were reversed: better shooting percentages for the Lomellini and inability of the Bianconeri to maintain the defensive intensity demonstrated in game 1. Add to that a certain nervousness present on the parquet which in the end was more damaging to the technical quality of Arioli's boys than to the competitive energy of Zanellati's, the game was done.
We are deluded by Viglianisi's good start but Mortara responds immediately with Del Sorbo and above all Tardito, who will dominate the match under the boards, closing the first half ahead 22-18.
The worst happens in the second quarter, with the Grugnetti and Manuelli duo dominating, even reaching +14 and the helpless Bianconeri finding only meager conclusions from Gioria and Rotondo. From the locker rooms (44-32) the two hundred or so who came from Tortona wait for the reaction and towards the middle of the third quarter Samoggia takes charge and quickly scores the opponent's basket from outside and below, regaining parity at the end of the half (57-57).
But the short break is unfortunately harmful, effectively blocking the competitive trans of the Tortona people and allowing the people of Pavia to recover energy. The last half is a battle where competitive spirit gets the better of clarity and in the end errors in free throws, turnovers and lost rebounds make the difference, unfortunately in Mortara's favour. Now we return to Tortona and it doesn't matter if bombshell news arrives from other fields such as the elimination of Fortitudo in Cento or the redemption of Piacenza in Empoli.
On Saturday evening Derthona will be masters of their own destiny!
