Bertram fights and beats a tenacious Libertas Livorno in the second pre-season test
Libertas Livorno – Bertram Derthona 69-82 (21-31, 35-50, 50-61)
Lineups:
Livorno : Buca 2, Banks 17, Bargnesi 9, Fratto 8, Fantoni, Tozzi 11, Filloy ne, Deri, Allinei 8, Baroni, Paoletti 2, Italiano 9, Spinelli, Soviero 3. Coach Andreazza.
Bertram : Zerini ne, Vital 13, Kuhse 12, Gorham 4, Candi 3, Denegri, Strautins 15, Baldasso 10, Kamagate 5, Biligha 9, Severini 4, Weems 7. All. De Raffaele.
Referees : Ursi from Livorno, Costa from Livorno, Marzulli from Pisa.
Bertram Derthona played an intense friendly match in their second preseason game. A PalaMacchia in Livorno , buzzing with excitement to see the home team return to Serie A2, defeated a combative Libertas Livorno 82-69 . Tortona's team put in a convincing performance over the course of 40 minutes, especially considering the preparation period. They started off with a flying start, scoring 50 points and a 15-point lead in the first half, and focused on fending off their opponents' numerous attempts to come back in the second half.
THE GAME: A festive homecoming for Juventus coach Walter De Raffaele, recognized early in the game by the Amaranto club and applauded by the fans for his past as a Libertas player. Livorno, without one of their two American players, Quinton Hooker, and with former Juventus player Ariel Filloy unused on the bench, struggled initially against a Bertram team that quickly got going. Three 3-pointers from Vital, Strautins, and Kuhse, who also broke the opposing defense twice in a row on drives, created an early gap that reached a double-digit lead after a defensive recovery by Strautins, capped off on a fast break by another long-range basket by Vital, making it 8-20 after less than five minutes. After finishing the first quarter with over 30 points, Bertram's consistent production from beyond the arc (eight threes in the first half, 11 at the end) lifted them to an 18-point lead heading into halftime, with a 32-50 lead in the 19th minute. Tozzi's buzzer-beater and a Banks point at the start of the second half warmed up the home fans, who cheered as they pulled within double digits thanks to Allinei's three (48-57 in the 27th minute), in a third quarter that saw Bertram score 11 points. Vital, despite being hampered by foul trouble, held the Tuscans back, who were brought back by two threes from Tozzi and Soviero, while Baldasso, Weems, and Strautins (pictured) added baskets to re-establish a 18-point lead, 57-75, with four minutes to go.
"It was definitely a good test. Our attitude and energy were excellent, especially in the first two quarters. Then, in the second half, especially in the third period, there was a clear drop in energy, partly due to the intense heat," De Raffaele commented . "There are many things we need to fix and improve, but given the current situation, that's normal, so let's move on and move on to the next one. A special thank you for the greeting my city gave me, thanks to President Roberto Consigli. I hope Livorno can achieve some success in the championship; its organization and fans certainly deserve it."
