BCC shows pride on the field, but in the second half San Martino wins the match and the series
Autosped BCC Derthona-Alama San Martino di Lupari 72-82
(23-21, 40-36, 51-53)
Scoreboards:
BCC Derthona: Dotto 9, Marangoni, Fontaine 11, Milani ne, Premasunac 2, Leonardi 6, Zahui B. 11, Arado 2, Attura 7, Melchiori, Penna 24, Gatti ne. All. Cutugno
San Martino: Simon 9, D'Alie 18, Cvijanovic 11, Cedolini n/o, Gilli, Del Pero 7, Pilatone n/o, Piatti n/o, Robinson 20, Bickle 17. All. Piazza
The first season in A3 of Autosped BCC Derthona ends with the defeat in game 1 of the playoff quarterfinals against Alama San Martino di Lupari. The team trained by coach Cutugno impacts the game well, leads for the entire first half and stays in contact until the initial minutes of the last period, which digs the decisive gap in favor of the guests.
The balance of the first year in the top division is extraordinary: the qualification for the Final Four of the Italian Cup, reaching the playoffs and fourth place before the end of the regular season and many historic moments proudly mark the season of Autosped BCC Derthona.
High intensity start to the match at the Cittadella dello Sport: the two teams play openly, with energy and competitive spirit. Autosped leads for long stretches, but San Martino stays in contact, taking advantage of their verve in shooting from outside (5/7). At 10' the home team is ahead 23-21. The Lupe start with a 0-7 break in the second period, before BCC increases in intensity, slowing down the opponent's attack and making the counter-overtaking. The match flows under the banner of great balance, and at halftime the Giraffes lead 40-36.
Upon returning from the locker rooms, the guests put in a partial of 2-12 that puts two full possessions between the two teams (42-48) halfway through the third quarter. Dotto and Zahui unlock the Autosped attack, allowing the Giraffes to close the gap to 51-53 at 30'. In the last quarter, San Martino finds great ballistic precision in the outside shot and punishes the defense of the team coached by Cutugno: Del Pero's three-point basket two minutes from the end is worth the double-digit advantage (67-77). The BCC, despite its efforts, is no longer able to get closer and ends its season with a 72-82 defeat.
Coach's comment Orazio Cutugno: “I congratulate San Martino di Lupari, who deserved to advance to the next round. There is a bit of regret for how we ended the season, in front of our fans. I thank the staff that allowed me to have twelve players available to play tonight, I thank all the players for the splendid season, with the great results we achieved. I also thank the management that reconfirmed me. Tonight they were hungrier and more precise than us in the important moments of the game. We had a good impact, we managed to limit them in the first half, but something didn't work between the third and final quarter”.
The words of Nathalie Fontaine: “It was a tough game, which didn't end as we hoped. We fought, but some defensive errors, especially in the 1-on-1, made the difference”.
