A tenacious Bertram tries everything at the PalaBigi. In the end, Reggio Emilia smiles.
Una Hotels Reggio Emilia – Bertram Derthona Tortona 93-86
(25-25, 47-48, 69-67)
Reggio Emilia : Barford 21, Edwards 3, Thor 2, Rossato ne, Visconti 24, Manfredotti, Uglietti 10, Severini 4, Fainke ne, Echenique 17, Ogbeide 9, Smith 3. Coach Priftis.
Derthona : Eboua ne, Hubb 13, Gorham 9, Pecchia, A. Alibegovic 11, Di Meo ne, Bortolani 17, Olejniczak 6, Maddox 16, Gazzotti, Jallow 7, Durham 7. Coach Fioretti.
Referees : Rossi, Valzani, Miniati.
Spectators : 3.393
Bertram's attempt at everything at the PalaBigi in Reggio Emilia wasn't enough. Hosts Una Hotels won the third match of the LBA Serie A SisalClub championship 93-86, but it was the details in the final 2-3 minutes that punished Bertram Derthona Tortona. Not even a commanding 19-0 run at halftime was enough for them in a game that had been back-and-forth for the first three quarters. Still tied with five minutes remaining, in that overtime of sorts, a long-range basket by Barford, an offensive turnover by Derthona (14 total), and a three-pointer by Echenique created a gap that never closed with just over two minutes to play.
Bertram thus suffered its second consecutive league defeat, despite offering the most convincing performance of its national campaign on a court and against a strong opponent eager to secure its first Serie A win. Gorham and his teammates had also dominated the rebounding battle in the first half against a Reggio team known for its ability to make its presence felt under the boards. The team returned to that feat in the second half, making the difference once again, capitalizing on Riccardo Visconti's MVP performance, Lorenzo Uglietti's valuable work on the flanks, and Barford's usual scoring contribution. On the Tortona side, Giordano Bortolani responded offensively, leading the way with 17 points in 17 minutes on three-of-four three-pointers, supported in particular by Maddox.
The match
Still forced to postpone their season debuts due to well-known injuries to Paul Eboua and Edoardo Di Meo, who was also on the scoresheet for Bertram, the first five minutes of the game saw Reggio up 14-11 after a mini-break by newly arrived Visconti (8 points in the first quarter), after the game had begun with a nice back-and-forth between centers Olejniczak and Echenique, and some magic from Hubb that got Derthona going. The mini-break turned into a full-blown break for Reggio, with an 11-0 run to make it 18-11 in the 6th minute following a basket from under Thor that forced Fioretti to call his first timeout of the game. Two tap-ins by Gorham gave the game a boost, and Maddox's drive made it 20-19, prompting Priftis to call his first timeout just two minutes after his teammate's. Two triples by Bortolani and Alibegovic, the latter at the buzzer, brought Bertram to a tie at 25 in the opening period, despite Reggiana's 7-for-7 two-point shooting record.
A third straight three-pointer, Bortolani's second, put the Bianconeri back in the lead on the first play of the second quarter (25-28). Echenique's excellent work around the basket (nine points in total) and Visconti's consistent shooting accuracy allowed Reggio to attempt another breakaway, even restoring their lead, which Uglietti extended with a three-pointer to make it 44-32 in the 17th minute. During the first half's most difficult period, Bertram responded forcefully. Capitalizing on Maddox's threat from beyond the arc (2 of 2 threes, 7 of 14 for the team in the first half) and Alibegovic's threat inside the paint (both leading Bianconeri scorers at halftime with 11 points each), Derthona mounted a 13-0 run to go from 47-35 to close the game in front thanks to Jallow's three-pointer at the buzzer, 47-48.
Hubb, Olejniczak, and Jallow, returning from halftime, extended the lead to 19-0 after one minute of play, 47-54, before Ogbeide broke it shortly after for Reggio, sparking yet another burst of momentum, a 10-0 run for the home team to retake the lead, 57-54 at the 24th minute. The game reached the end of the period without any further momentum, but with Durham now in the game and also scoring Bertram's third three-pointer at the buzzer as the quarter-final buzzer sounded. At the final short break, the score was 69-67.
At the start of the final quarter, Alibegovic twice missed from beyond the arc to give Tortona another lead, while Bortolani was increasingly effective with his shots. Visconti continued his stellar night, scoring a difficult basket from outside the area to make it 75-70, prompting coach Fioretti to call a timeout with six and a half minutes remaining. The team responded appropriately, with Gorham's three-pointer at the line tying the score at 75-70 midway through the quarter, thus prompting overtime. Barford's long-range shot, a Derthona turnover on offense, and a three-point play by Echenique all added to the score, making it 86-80 with 2:07 to go. The score remained unchanged when Fioretti called a one-minute timeout with 1:13 to go. Hubb gave Bertram another chance with a three-pointer to make it 86-83 with 47 seconds left. Barford quickly responded to the reversal, making it 88-83 with 28 seconds left. Maddox's missed three-pointer with 20 seconds left and the resulting rebound by Reggio ruined Bertram's spirited performance, forcing them to concede defeat.
The league will resume play next Sunday, October 18, at home at 7:00 pm against Maxima Roma, a match preceded on Wednesday by the BKT EuroCup away match at Aris Salonicco Betsson.
The statements
Coach Mario Fioretti: "It was a very close game, decided by a short period at the end, with a few fouls called during the penalty period. They had a small break in the second quarter, but we quickly came back, even finishing the first half ahead, all against a tough defense like Reggio always has. However, in the second half, we struggled more, we had a few turnovers too many. We had done a great job rebounding in the first half, but in the second half, we really suffered in this crucial area, and I think that was one of the keys to the defeat."
We still have a lot to do, a lot of improvement, both individually and as a team. Our schedule now puts us right back into Wednesday's game, so we need to improve in the match, too; there's no other way. It's always difficult to come to Reggio Emilia, a tough venue. We fought to win until the end, but we didn't manage it, and we're clearly disappointed.
(PHOTOCREDIT: CIAMILLO-CASTORIA AGENCY)
