A convincing Bertram breaks its fast in the championship: at the Nova Arena, league leaders Treviso fall.
Bertram Derthona Tortona – Nutribullet Treviso 87-76
(22-20, 44-39, 71-60)
Derthona : Eboua 11, Hubb 12, Gorham 10, Pecchia 14, A. Alibegovic 5, Di Meo ne, Bortolani 6, Olejniczak 7, Maddox 9, Gazzotti ne, Jallow 12, Durham 1. Coach Fioretti.
Treviso : Cappelletti 7, Chapman 9, Russell 16, Manfredotti n/a, Vettori n/a, Miaschi 2, Anigbobu 6, Allinei, Chillo 2, Senglin 6, Macura 15, Chery 13. Coach Nicola.
Referees : Lanzarini, Borgioni, Valleriani.
Spectators : 2.546
To return to winning ways in the league, Bertram Derthona Tortona chose to face one of the league leaders on the eve of the round. At the Nova Arena, Mario Fioretti's team ended their losing streak by defeating Nutribullet Treviso 87-76 in the seventh round of the LBA Serie A SisalClub.
It's a victory that also bears the hallmark of the Italian soul of the group, captain Andrea Pecchia, MVP for his contribution on both ends of the court with the team's leadership in points (14), rebounds (7, 3 offensive) and rating (21), Giordano Bortolani, more important than the final numbers suggest, and, considering his Italian formation, Paul Eboua, a presence of strength and quality under both baskets. But it was truly a team success, five players in double figures, a sixth coming close, a compactness and fluidity of play that never failed throughout the challenge by the black and white group, who managed to stay ahead practically from start to finish with a single, quick forward excursion by the Treviso team at the start of the second quarter.
The match
Bertram approached the match with a decisiveness that would characterize them throughout the game, finding points in attack, particularly from Jallow, as well as two early fouls each from former player Macura and center Anigbobu. After the first five minutes, the score was 15-10. Eboua's two free throws, Hubb's shot from beyond the arc, and two more free throws from Pecchia following an offensive rebound foul by the captain produced a 7-0 run that gave Nova Arena a chance and the first break of the game, 22-14 at the 8th minute. Eboua caused the other big man Chery to pick up his third foul, but Senglin and Cappelletti at the buzzer almost closed the gap for Treviso at the first break, 22-20.
The Veneto counter-break extends to 9-0 with Russell's triple on the first play of the second quarter, giving the visitors their first lead, 24-25. It's a period of elasticity, as Derthona responds with an 8-0 run, capped by Hubb's triple in the 13th minute, making it 32-25. The Lions are always on the ball, with Pecchia coming on both plays to secure their first double-digit lead, first scoring from deep on an assist from Hubb (nine total for him) and then serving a fastbreak pass to Jallow to make it 43-33, which, with four minutes remaining, forces coach Nicola to call a timeout. At halftime, the score is 44-39.
Maddox's five-point surge allowed Jallow, an increasingly effective 2-for-2 free throw streak, to close the gap to 61-50 at the 26th minute. Treviso responded once again with a counter-run, going 8-0, bringing the deficit back to within a full possession, 61-58 at the 28th minute. Here, the Eboua-Bortolani duo took center stage, leading to a breakaway that would prove decisive. The Italian-Cameroonian big man from Derthona provided the momentum, first with a defensive recovery in collaboration with the former Cantù guard, and then with a 2-and-1 run to make it 66-58 on a pass from Bortolani. Bortolani then hit a three-pointer, allowing Eboua's dunk to seal the 11-point lead for Bertram going into the final quarter, 71-60.
Bortolani found the net again from 20 feet, extending the lead to 72-60 in the 31st minute. Pecchia responded to two consecutive baskets from Chery, allowing Bertram to enter the final five minutes with relative confidence, 79-70. Pecchia closed the game with three brilliant shots, grabbing two offensive rebounds and hitting a three-pointer to make it 83-73, sending the Nova Arena into a frenzy with 1:29 left on the clock. It confirmed the team's second championship win and a boost in morale for both the team and the crowd.
Derthona's next league match is away on Sunday, November 15th, at 17:30 PM at PalaDesio against Acqua S.Bernardo Cantù. Before that, they play a home match in the BKT EuroCup against Hapoel Midtown Jerusalem, scheduled for Wednesday, November 11th, at 19:30 PM at Nova Arena.
The statements
Coach Mario Fioretti: "We played a solid game for the entire 40 minutes. We were very careful on defense, and on offense—except for a brief moment in the third quarter—we managed to move the ball properly, getting where we wanted to go, both close to the basket and playing pick-and-rolls. In the last two weeks, we've lost two games by two points. It's not easy when you lose games like that in a row, even if they're a bit dramatic. I'm happy, and so are the guys who are working really hard."
Andrea [Pecchia] played a very solid game. The fact that they contained their strongest players was both a defensive skill and the fact that they were able to attack them very well early, forcing Macura to draw fouls early on. I think this was a key factor in the game. Paul [Eboua] also stood out, but everyone was very close. There was certainly a bit of a reaction in not accepting losing certain types of games, but there was also an improvement; I think the defensive improvement has been visible in this period. Sometimes the improvement isn't gradual; there are bumps in the road. Let's hope this is the right one to continue at this level.
(PHOTOCREDIT: CIAMILLO-CASTORIA AGENCY)
