Venice wins the LBA Super Cup semifinal: Bertram falls to Nova Arena
Bertram Derthona Tortona – Umana Reyer Venice 90-98
(27-25, 56-47, 71-68)
Derthona : Eboua ne, Hubb 17, Gorham 20, Pecchia, Furfaro ne, Di Meo ne, Bortolani 13, Olejniczak 14, Maddox 9, Gazzotti, Jallow 10, Durham 7. Coach Fioretti
Venice : Bowman 12, Tessitori 8, Maretto 3, G. De Nicolao 3, Candi 14, Boakye 2, Janelidze ne, Olinde 9, Parks 7, Watson 19, Wiltjer 16, Grant 5. Coach Spahija.
Referees : Giovannetti, Borgioni, Bartolomeo.
A scintillating first half, with Bertram Derthona Tortona finishing with 56 points and a 9-point lead, wasn't enough to prevent Umana Reyer Venezia from winning the semifinal of the 2026 LBA SisalClub Super Cup. On their home court at the Nova Arena, the Bianconeri suffered a more difficult second half than their opponents, in a match that renewed a long series of meetings with Venezia, faced seven times in a row by Bertram between the end of last season and the start of this 2026-27 season. Coach Neven Spahija's team will therefore be playing for the first title of the year tomorrow, while the Bianconeri will focus on their Serie A debut on Sunday, September 27th at 5:00 PM against newly promoted Tezenis Verona, also at the Nova Arena.
The match
With Eboua and Di Meo (along with Vene) out of action due to injury, the Bertram starting five for the official opening game of the 2026-27 season features Hubb, Maddox, and Jallow on the outside lines, along with big men Gorham and Olejniczak, who scored the first two points of the season on the very first offensive play for the Bianconeri. The Polish center scored all six of Derthona's points, with both teams scoring consistently in the opening half of the quarter (12-12 after 4'). The rest of the quarter was no different, with Tortona missing just one of their first nine shots from the field, but Venice responded effectively, and at the first mini-break, the home team led by two points, 27-25, with Jallow leading the way with seven points from several trips to the free throw line.
Bortolani's 5-0 run sealed the Lions' mini-escape (34-27 in the 12th minute), Venice immediately responded with a 0-8 run sealed by Olinde's fouled triple, a run closed for Derthona from beyond the arc by the usual Bortolani (all 13 of his points in the first half). It was the turn of Gorham and Maddox to rein in Bertram's maximum lead, with the American guard's second triple bringing the lead close to double digits, which was reached shortly after thanks to Durham's 5 points (56-45), before Bowman sent Venice to the locker room at the buzzer with the final 56-47 halftime score against a Derthona team that showed incredible offensive percentages (13-16 from two, 7-12 from three), despite Hubb's three early fouls.
Venice's sudden 10-0 run from the locker room changed the score for the team in control, forcing coach Fioretti to call a timeout after Wiltjer's three-pointer, 56-57. The Venetians didn't let up, building on defense to Bowman's counterattack that extended the lead (56-59). Maddox broke the ice for his team after more than five minutes, and after getting within four for the first time (57-61), it was the Gorham-Hubb duo that put Tortona back in the game. Hubb himself, having fully entered the game (8 points in the period), sealed the 71-68 lead at the buzzer, heading into the final period.
The fourth quarter was Reyer's. Tessitori, Parks, and five points from Watson sealed the lead and a decisive push forward, 76-85 with four minutes to go, while Tortona couldn't stem the offensive turnover rate (21 at the end). The Gorham-Hubb duo revived the home team once again, each hitting a three-pointer to suddenly reopen the game (84-87 with 2'41" remaining). At least until the former Candi player opened the gap again with four free throws and another crucial basket from Wiltjer: the 85-94 score with just under two minutes to go would never be closed by Bertram.
The statements
Coach Mario Fioretti: "We had two really strong offensive quarters, despite committing some incredible turnovers in the first, which allowed Venice to score open baskets. In the second half, we struggled to read their pressure; beyond the significant turnovers, we really struggled to move the ball. They did well, obviously, but we didn't, with so many forced and unforced errors that kept us from holding our own. We were still there, and at the end of the third, we were still up by three points, but it was just too much of a struggle against their physicality."
