They'll face Rostock at the Nova Arena to consolidate their playoff spot. Jallow: "For us, the game will be all about defense."
Baglietto Derthona Tortona is preparing to play the final card in the four-game home series that has characterized their second half of October. Tomorrow, Wednesday, October 28th, at 19:30 PM, Mario Fioretti's team hosts the German Rostock Seawolves at the Nova Arena in Tortona for the fifth matchday of the BKT EuroCup Group A regular season. For Derthona, this is a chance to build on their previous cup victory against San Pablo Burgos and increase their win-loss record for the first time.
The match will be broadcast live on Sky Sport Mix and streamed on Now.
How do the two teams arrive?
Baglietto will have to forget last Sunday's stinging Serie A defeat against Napoli, trying to maintain a record in the EuroCup that has never seen them lose on home court after Le Mans and Burgos, the latter defeated a week ago 89-79, coming back from a 13-point deficit at the start of the second half to allow them to enter the top four in the standings and qualify for the playoffs.
The German team led by Polish coach Przemyslaw Frasunkiewicz is currently excluded from the playoff zone. In Europe, the "Sea Wolves", representing the city in the far north of Germany, have won only their home match against Riga Zelli (87-86), losing the rest of the way on the road to undefeated Hapoel Jerusalem (94-73), Le Mans (82-70), and a clear home defeat to the other league leaders, Aris Thessaloniki, in the final round (79-110). Their record in the Bundesliga is different, where after the first six matchdays they occupy eighth place with 3 wins and 3 losses, the last one suffered only in overtime on Saturday (103-98) on the field of the third-ranked German team, Syntainics MBC, despite the 22 points and 10 rebounds for a 30 rating from 2.14-meter German center Bent Leuchten. The American guard duo of Tj Crockett and Zach Copeland, the latter well-known for his four seasons in Italian leagues with Pistoia, Napoli, Verona and, last year, in A2 with Brindisi and Cento, is Rostock's most productive scoring duo in the EuroCup, with Crockett averaging 16.8 points and the latter 15.2.
Previous encounters with the Germans
Derthona has a favorable record against German teams. During their two Champions League appearances, the Lions boasted a 2-0 win against Chemnitz, while they held Würzburg to a 1-1 draw.
The statements
Coach Mario Fioretti : "We're working hard to ensure we can bring all the details we need to succeed onto the field. We've suffered several close losses this season, and we know that managing every single possession is the key to focusing on. We're playing against a team that can maintain a very high tempo and relies on Crockett and Copeland's one-on-one attacking skills as one of their greatest strengths. We'll need to be solid in these phases of the game, maintaining good ball circulation on offense."
Karim Jallow : "As tough as the last league loss against Napoli was for us, we can't look back. We have to look forward and bring to the court the positive energy and spirit we showed in the last two games against Burgos and, for the most part, also against Napoli. We all know what it takes to win, and especially on Wednesday against Rostock, we have no choice but to channel the anger we built up from last Sunday's game and take it out on the court. We all know that in the EuroCup, everything is at stake; every game matters, and there's no alternative to a great victory."
As a German, the Juventus small forward knows his next opponent well : "Rostock is a really dangerous team. They've steadily improved their squad in recent years, and I think this season they have the best squad the club has ever had. They're a very attacking team, focused on scoring a lot of points, so we'll have to be careful; we can't afford any defensive lapses. This match will therefore be about who can stop the opponent best in defense and who can bring the most energy to the pitch. Yes, for us, this match is all about defense."
Shuttles: As with every Derthona home game, free shuttles will be available to make it easier to reach the Cittadella dello Sport from the Tortona city center. For the outward journey, shuttles, scheduled from the Movicentro adjacent to the train station, will depart as usual two hours before the match, at 17:30 PM, with departures every twenty minutes. The last departure is scheduled for 19:30 PM. They will stop in Piazza Allende (Corso Cavour side) before reaching the Tortona stadium. For the return journey, following the reverse route, shuttles will depart from the Cittadella at 21:30 PM, with the last departure scheduled for 22:30 PM, again every 20 minutes.
Halloween Night: The match against Rostock will be dedicated to the upcoming Halloween celebration. Children and adults alike will be the protagonists of a day that begins at 5:00 p.m. in the Cittadella dello Sport facility with a Halloween Party featuring "Zombie Leo," Derthona's mascot in a unique horror version. The party will continue at halftime inside the Nova Arena with a costume parade and awards ceremony for the top three players, who will win VIP upgrades offered by Derthona Basket for one of the following home games, chosen between Treviso and Riga Zelli.
(PHOTOCREDIT: DERTHONA BASKET)
