Bertram returns to the road to face Udine: "To reverse the league trend, we'll start again in the fourth quarter against Rostock."
After four home games in the league and cup, Bertram Derthona Tortona returns to the road with a double trip to the northeast, between Udine and Ljubljana. The match begins with the sixth matchday of the LBA Serie A SisalClub at 5:00 PM tomorrow, Sunday, November 1st, against hosts Old Wild West Udine at the PalaCarnera.
The match will be broadcast live on LBATV.
How do the two teams arrive?
Tortona and Udine have a two-point difference in the standings, with Udine ahead of Mario Fioretti's team in the top ten with four points. Udine, however, is encouraged by their new comeback win in the BKT EuroCup on Wednesday evening at the Nova Arena against German side Rostock. In the league, both teams are coming off a series of defeats, three for Apu, who, after initial victories against Scafati and Cantù, lost at home to Trento and in their last two consecutive away games against Treviso and Rome against Maxima (81-75).
Coach Adriano Vertemati's team—who will have his national team colleague Iacopo Squarcina on the opposite bench—can boast the least beaten defense in Serie A (79.4 points allowed, excluding the overtime played against Cantù), while at the other end of the court they are last in three-point percentage and second-to-last in points scored (78.2). Udinese's rebounding numbers stand out, where, led by center Skylar Spencer, they are second in both offensive and total rebounds.
A special match for Amar Alibegovic, who returns to the city where he grew up and where both his brother Mirza and his father Teoman, who was also a coach during his time at Snaidero Udine, played.
The Precedents
Last season's matches are the only Serie A encounters between the teams. One away win each, the 94-90 win at Tortona in Udine in November 2025, and the rematch against Udinese at the Nova Arena with an 80-79 victory at the buzzer in late January 2026.
Andrea Vicenzutto's Preview
A Friulian from Fiume Veneto, it will be a personal derby for assistant coach Andrea Vicenzutto: "We're preparing for an away game that's clearly very important for us. We want to try to reverse what's currently a negative trend in the league. To do that, we need to beat Udine, who, like us, aren't having a great run. Consequently, I expect a somewhat nervous match, affected by the pressure both teams could be under."
Udine's key players are undoubtedly their handlers, who have very diverse characteristics, making them difficult to deal with. Let's start with a point guard we might call a "floor general" in Sisko, who is extremely capable of understanding what's happening around him and consequently punishing many defensive decisions. Alongside him are Battle and Valentine, two players with great scoring potential, thanks not only to their shooting but also to their ability to beat their opponents off the dribble. Completing the lineup are two Italians in Calzavara and Bucarelli, who are very capable of playing pick-and-rolls and equally dangerous at beating their defenders and bringing the ball down.
"To try to win, we'll have to be good at replicating the aggressiveness across the entire court we showed against Rostock in the fourth quarter. It will be crucial to be effective in the opening seconds of the game to prevent Udine's defense, which is among the best in the league based on numbers, from setting up. This way, we could also reduce the rim protection skills of their big men, especially Spencer, who is intimidating inside the paint for any opponent. I'll be pleased to have him back after having coached him in the past."
