Derthona scores a convincing 54-point lead over Varese in the friendly match at Varallo Sesia.
Bertram Derthona Tortona – Openjobmetis Varese 116-62
(29-14, 69-20, 95-35)
Tortona : Vital 17, Hubb 8, Gorham 16, Manjon 8, Pecchia 7, Chapman 16, Tandia 7, Baldasso 8, Olejniczak 9, Biligha 12, Josovic 3, Riismaa 6. All. Fioretti.
Varese : Alviti 6, Moore 4, Villa, Assui 10, Nkamhoua 21, Librizzi 2, Farias, Ladurner, Moody 5, Bergamin 3, Freeman 11, Prato. All. Kastritis.
Referees : Quarta of Turin, Gonella of Genoa, Cassina of Desio (MB).
Bertram Derthona Tortona returned to winning ways in their sixth preseason friendly. At the Italo Grassi Gym in Varallo Sesia (VC), where they are currently on a three-day training camp, Mario Fioretti's team once again defeated Openjobmetis Varese with a commanding 116-62 victory, following a 20-point lead in their previous matchup in Tortona, Baldasso and his teammates' very first outing of the new season.
The match was marked by the record-breaking partial run achieved by the Bianconeri between the second half of the first quarter and the arrival of the interval, the 36-0 run that first served to escape to a 15-point lead at the end of the opening period and then to contribute to the +49 on the electronic scoreboard with which the two teams went into the locker rooms.
Convincing debut for Chapman
The Lions' latest acquisition, Brekkott Chapman, made her debut. The 29-year-old American power forward arrived in Italy last Sunday and took the court with just a couple of practices under her belt with her new teammates. Her debut coincided with Bertram's powerful break. The score started at 16-14 with a three-pointer from Baldasso, two free throws from Chapman, and two carbon-copy bombs from Riismaa from the corner, which helped boost the team's double-digit lead at the 10th minute, 29-14.
The margin widened to 52-14 with which the black and whites definitively escaped in the second period, won 40-6 with a suffocating defense and the points of Pecchia (returned to the field after the pit stop of the previous matches), Biligha and the inspired Manjon which joined those of Chapman and Baldasso for the 69-20 at the long break.
In the second half Derthona was not satisfied, after a three-pointer by Vital they reached +55 at the start of the second half (78-23) and three consecutive winning actions by Chapman, together with two free throws at the buzzer by Baldasso, brought the gap to 60 at the end of the third, 95-35, which however did not represent the maximum advantage because in the final period they also reached +64 (102-38).
The Bianconeri's next match will also be their last preseason match, against Vanoli Cremona on Saturday, September 27th at 6:00 PM in Soresina (CR). The league season will then resume with a match against EA7 Emporio Armani Milano on Sunday, October 5th at the Assago Forum.
PHOTO CREDIT: Alessia Doniselli / Ciamillo-Castoria
