Derthona – Piacenza: the finals!
Saturday evening in Tortona at 21.15pm, Thursday 12 June at 21pm in Piacenza and, if necessary, again at PalaCamagna on Saturday 14th again at 21.15pm: this is the sequence of the final of Group A of DNB, won by Derthona with the convincing victory in game 3 Cecina closed 81-70, after having also led by 32 points. An injection of confidence, in view of the series with Piacenza, given that the seasonal precedents with the Emilians do not exactly bode well for the Bianconeri. In the first leg it was a narrow victory at PalaCamagna 66-63 with the trio Vitali - Viglianisi and Rotondo in evidence, when the Piacenza team was evidently still at the bottom of the table.
On the return leg, Arioli's boys lost 80-70 in Piacenza, ending a positive series of nine successes for Derthona in the 2014 edition due to an obvious physical decline in the Bianconeri, who after being ahead by up to 15 points, collapsed at a distance, thanks the less than perfect physical condition of players returning from injuries, such as Viglianisi and Rotondo. Finally, in the clock phase, another defeat for Gioria & co. this time at home 63-68, forced to chase the guests for practically three quarters of the match, with a negative final result. Piacenza reaches the final therefore with a continuous crescendo in the second phase of the championship, after a start which, as mentioned, was more difficult than expected. Derthona will be able to count on the recovery of captain Gioria and the good moment of Vitali.
The contenders for the final in some ways are very similar teams, based on the qualities of both good collectives. Piacenza sees its points divided equally between seven elements with Rombaldoni, who, thanks to his experience, remains the point of reference for the Emilians in difficult and decisive moments (as it was for Monticelli last year). Derthona's statistics instead see five men in double figures with Rotondo and Samoggia a step ahead and a few rebounds more than their opponents. The Tortona defense will therefore compete against the various offensive opportunities from Piacenza. But the decisive factor, hopefully, will be that of the "field"... everyone at PalaCamagna!
