Coach Fioretti enjoys qualifying for the Final Eight: "We're happy with the results and the group we've assembled."
On a night when Bertram struggled with their usual outside shooting, the Bianconeri's defense came to their aid. After conceding 71 points against Cremona last Sunday in Lombardy, Derthona repeated the feat with 67, holding off UNA Hotels Reggio Emilia. The team beat Reggio Emilia by 14 points at the Nova Arena on Matchday 13 of the Unipol Serie A, securing qualification for the Coppa Italia Final Eight with two games to spare.
The satisfaction is evident after the match on the part of the coach Mario Fioretti: “Defensively, we were able to do what we wanted to do—defense the paint—except in the first quarter, where they managed to get in. We're making progress, which is certainly pleasing. Both Justin [Gorham] and Brekkott [Chapman] helped us a lot on defense: they were both very attentive and focused on what they had to do, so, although I rarely talk about individuals, I applaud them.”
Having mathematically reached the Final Eight, just days before the end of the calendar year, gives rise to a very initial assessment of the 2025/26 Juventus season: "The satisfaction of winning the Coppa Italia is a club goal. We've never spoken openly with the players about objectives. We don't just show up to training and sit in the locker room discussing them, but we think about it game by game, working day by day. The idea is that we're making progress. When you think about what's happened so far, as a coach, there's always something you think you can do better with some situation, with some player. However, I have to be honest, considering we've won nine out of 13 games, I also realize that things could have gone much worse in terms of results. There's no reason to kid yourself. We're truly happy with the path we've taken, the choice of personnel, the work, the relationships. These are the things that drive our sport, and they're going well, so we can only be happy," concluded the Tortona-born coach.
