Derthona beats Cremona 85-78 after forty minutes of battle
Bertram Derthona Tortona – Vanoli Basket Cremona 85-78
(21-15, 41-38, 59-56)
Tortona: Vital 10, Hubb 14, Gorham 14, Manjon 8, Pecchia 2, Tandia NE, Bellinaso NE, Baldasso 7, Strautins 10, Olejniczak 12, Biligha 8, Riismaa NE All. Fioretti.
Cremona: Anigbogu 4, Willis 9, Jones 2, Casarin 23, Grant 4, Galli, Veronesi 10, Udom 2, Burns 3, Durham 15, Ndiaye 6. Coach Brotto.
Referees: Grigioni of Rome, Capotorto of Rome, Miniati of Florence.
After the 2026 Frecciarossa Final Eight, Bertram Derthona Tortona returns to winning ways in the championship for the third consecutive game, defeating Vanoli Basket Cremona 85-78 after forty minutes of absolute balance at the Nova Arena.
The usual Prentiss Hubb and an excellent Justin Gorham stood out, both top scorers of the night with 14 points each. Arturs Strautins (10 points and 9 rebounds) and Dominik Olejniczak (12 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 steals) followed closely behind, playing the lead at the start and the end of the night, respectively.
Bertram beats Cremona for third straight LBA win
Returning with great fanfare from his Latvian commitments, Arturs Strautins got off to a strong start, scoring six of the first twelve Juventus points, all in a row. Bertram took a 14-2 lead with 5:44 to play in the first quarter, but Vanoli responded and pulled within six at the end of the first quarter thanks to some individual efforts by Davide Casarin. After ten minutes, Derthona led 21-15.
Paul Biligha scored points under the basket at the start of the second quarter, but Cremona quickly responded. With 6:33 left, coach Fioretti called a timeout to halt the visitors' run, which brought them within one possession (26-23).
Derthona broke the deadlock with a corner three-pointer from Strautins, but couldn't slow Vanoli, who tied the score at 29-29 with 4:33 left. The remaining minutes of the second quarter saw Justin Gorham try to lead Bertram's offense, while Christian Vital's night picked up pace. Cremona continued to stay in the game, with Derthona heading into the locker room up 41-38.
After an early three-pointer by Aljami Durham, Bertram attempted to close the gap on the visitors, quickly reclaiming a 10-point lead (54-44) with 5:45 left. However, Vanoli once again struck a 7-0 run. A stunning three-pointer by Prentiss Hubb, named MVP and Best Sixth Man for February before tip-off, gave Bertram a break, taking a 59-56 lead with ten minutes to play.
The tie continued into the final quarter: captain Baldasso, in his first game wearing the number 11 on his back, scored from long range, but Giovanni Veronesi responded immediately. Casarin dug in to make it 64-64 with 6:40 left, while Hubb and Payton Willis both fired from beyond the arc. The two teams continued to fight back possession after possession, until the break at 78-71, capped by five consecutive points from Dominik Olejniczak.
The final breakthrough came with a pair of key plays from Vital, first scoring from midrange and then blocking Willis, allowing the Bianconeri to maintain their lead. A few free throws from Baldasso sealed the victory for Bertram, their third consecutive league win. Derthona will be on the sidelines next weekend, with the next match in two weeks hosting Acqua S. Bernardo Cantù at the Nova Arena.
PHOTO CREDIT: Ciamillo-Castoria
