Juventus ecstasy: Tavernelli gives the final to the Lions
Atlante Eurobasket Roma-Bertram Derthona 69-70
(19-22, 43-36, 59-52)
Scoreboards:
Eurobasket: Olasewere 5, Čepić 6, Fanti 8, Viglianisi 8, Cicchetti 8, Bischetti ne, Magro 8, Staffieri, Antonaci ne, Romeo 5, Bucarelli 21. All. Pilot
Derthona: Sackey ne, Cannon 12, Gazzotti 1, Ambrosin 1, Tavernelli 11, D'Ercole 3, Fabi 8, Mascolo 17, Severini 5, Sanders 12, Morgillo. All. Ramondino
It's final! The Lions beat the PalaPonteGrande in Ferentino again thanks to three free throws from captain Tavernelli with 9 seconds left and achieved the final act of the championship, in an all-Piedmontese derby against Reale Mutua Torino. At the end of a difficult match, trailing for a long time, Derthona found the energy and the baskets to reverse the outcome of the match and reach the final. Applause also goes to Eurobasket Roma, a great opponent who played four games at a very high level of intensity.
The Lions made a sprint start in the first quarter in Ferentino: the great offensive fluidity made it 9-22 in the 7th minute, before the opponent's lightning-fast return. At 10' it's 19-22. In the second half, Derthona had to suffer the intensity of the Eurobasket on both halves of the pitch: the hosts overtook and extended the lead to 43-36 at the break. Upon returning from the locker rooms, Derthona, led by Mascolo's initiatives, produced a great effort to close the gap but Roma continued to play with clarity and ended the third quarter ahead 59-52. In the final period the back and forth between the two teams continues, before baskets from Mascolo and Severini tie the score at 64 in the 36th minute. What broke the balance, which lasted a few minutes, was a triple from Viglianisi (67-64 with 39 seconds left) to which Fabi responded for the new tie. After Bucarelli's free throws, it was Riccardo Tavernelli's coolness on the line that gave the Lions the final.
