After the break, Cantù returns to the Nova Arena: "They're growing a lot."
After the victory two weeks ago against Vanoli Basket Cremona and the bye last weekend, Bertram Derthona Tortona returns to the court against Acqua S.Bernardo Cantù. The match, valid for Round 23 of the LBA, is scheduled for Sunday, March 22nd at 17:30 PM in live on LBATV.
How do the two teams arrive?
As anticipated, Mario Fioretti's team, who were originally scheduled to face Trapani Shark, did not take to the field last weekend and were therefore rested.
The last league match saw the Bianconeri prevail 85-78 against Vanoli Basket Cremona, returning to victory in front of their fans after their exploit at the Frecciarossa Final Eight 2026.
Today's opponents, coached by former Juventus coach Walter De Raffaele, are enjoying an excellent period of form and are coming from a convincing victory for 94 - 77 on Guerri Naples.
Since De Raffaele took over as coach, Cantù has a 3-3 record, but defeats have only come in extremis against Umana Reyer Venezia, Cremona and EA7 Emporio Armani Milano.
The first-round match against Acqua S.Bernardo Cantù
The Brianza team were the first opponents of 2026 for Bertram, who had been able to conquer the PalaDesio 85 - 79 with a tenacious performance, overcoming a 13-point deficit.
Arturs Strautins, the MVP of the day, played a key role with 19 points (3/4 two-pointers, 3/4 perimeter shots, and 4/5 free throws). The Latvian was joined by Christian Vital (14 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists) and Prentiss Hubb (10 points and 7 assists).
The point of Iacopo Squarcina
As usual, the challenge is presented by one of Mario Fioretti's assistants. "Cantù is obviously a growing team, and I expect them to be incredibly capable of scoring. Since Walter arrived, in their last six games, they've ranked second in points per game (89.2), first in three-point percentage (38.1%), and second in field goal percentage (49.5%)," comments Iacopo Squarcina.
"They're a team with enormous offensive potential, with plenty of guns. We'll have to be good at closeouts and challenging their three-point shot. At the same time, we can't be discouraged when they make tough shots, because the quality of their players, especially the outside ones, is crucial. We have to approach this game by controlling the pace, running every chance we get, and trying to move them around the halfcourt as much as possible," he continued.
The assistant coach also discussed Derthona's unusual weekend of no-shows. "We managed our workloads, rest periods, and training days perfectly. We're coming in after two weeks of intense, real, and tough preparation," he said.
"At the risk of sounding monotonous, we have the right physical and mental energy. There's a great sense of cohesion, a great attitude in the gym, and it's a pleasure for everyone to share the work, effort, and sacrifice on the pitch. This gives us extra motivation to stay together and do great teamwork: this has been our mantra since the beginning of the year. We're coming in full of confidence: the goal is to continue the positive streak."
(PHOTO CREDIT: Ciamillo-Castoria Agency)
