Biella is more concrete and wins the Derby
Edilnol Biella-Bertram Derthona
(27-17, 51-36, 66-58)
Scoreboards:
Biella: Harrell 7, Antonutti 21, Nwokoye ne, Chiarastella 2, Saccaggi 11, Sims 27, Pollone ne, Massone, Wheatle 9, Stefanelli 8. Coach Carrea
Derthona: Alibegovic 18, Blizzard 15, Buffo ne, Ndoja 19, Garri 6, Lusvarghi ne, Viglianisi, Bertone 6, Gergati, Spizzichini ne, Lydeka 17. Coach Ramondino
Defeat for Bertram Derthona in the Piedmontese Derby, at the end of a match that Biella led - even with a double-digit lead - for almost its entirety, resisting the return of the Bianconeri in the final quarter. The start of the match was characterized by the balance between the two teams, before a 7-0 run scored by Biella earned the first lead in the match at 20-13 in the 7th minute. The favorable moment for the home team also continues in the final minutes of the first half, which ends with the score 27-17. Even in the second period the two teams alternated partials and against partials - thanks to excellent three-point shooting percentages (58% Biella, 63% Derthona at the end of the first twenty minutes) - which kept the distances unchanged. At the end of the first half, Edilnol took advantage of a technical foul given to Bertram's bench for protests to extend the lead to 51-36 at the break. Upon returning from the locker rooms, after the new break produced by Biella which earned them the maximum advantage in the match (59-43), the Bianconeri increased the intensity of their defense and shortened their gap (59-48 at 26'), forcing coach Carrea to stop the game. In the final minutes of the quarter, the plays of Alibegovic and Ndoja brought Bertram back to under double digits: in the 30th minute the score was 66-58. The great pressure put on the pitch by the Bianconeri allows them to continue the comeback, fueled by Garri's basket, it makes it -3 (70-67 at 33'): in the moment of maximum difficulty in the match Biella relies on Sims, who with two baskets consecutive puts six points between the two teams (76-70 at 36'). Sims and Antonutti again find the baskets that give coach Carrea's team the lead (82-74), before two consecutive baskets by Alibegovic shorten the distance again (82-78 with 35" to go). After Saccaggi's 1/2 on the line, Alibegovic misses the triple for -2 and a glacial Stefanelli gives success to Edilnol who triumphs 85-81.
Thus coach Ramondino at the end of the match: ʺCongratulations to Biella for the victory, ours was a match characterized by ups and downs as happened during the season. In the first half we were unable to effectively counter Biella's physicality and athleticism: this gave direction to the match. In the second half we made great steps forward in terms of physicality and presence, holding Biella to zero offensive rebounds in the third quarter after being ten down at halftime in this statistical item. In attack, our ability to read or not read the defensive changes and Biella's quintets and consequently find advantages. When we came back into contact, our opponents did well to go to Sims who played two isolations in the mid-corner, scoring two baskets like the great player he is. We should have been more lucid in finding the right offensive pairing against their defensive changes, but the effort produced in the second half was important. Biella is a different team compared to the one faced in the first round, it has included two players of great quality and pedigree: I believe that, even if there are only a few games left until the end of the regular season, it is a team still looking for solid and stable balance and it can be dangerous from a playoff perspective. Events like the one in Siena happen a little too often in A2, I don't have any particular tools to judge the situation but I can say that we and Biella are lucky from this point of view..
