Fioretti: "Character and cool ball control are how we beat Sassari. Well done, the boys."
Bertram Derthona Tortona secured their sixth win in ten league away games in Sassari, having consistently led at PalaSerradimigni until the final score of 89-82 in the 20th round of the Serie A Unipol match.
Coach Mario Fioretti's analysis: "We managed to stay ahead the entire game, but Sassari deserves our compliments. They never gave up, they put in a lot of energy, they harassed us on the rebounds, they conceded a lot of second shots even when we were playing good defense, and this allowed them to stay in the game. We made a few too many mistakes in the final minutes that could have allowed us to get to the end with more composure. But we're happy to have won; it's always a battle at Sassari."
One of the keys to success was excellent ball management: "We managed to share the ball well, making few mistakes in our handling, even in crucial moments, always making the right decisions. Even when Sassari came back, we remained calm and managed to move the ball effectively. It wasn't easy, so well done to the boys."
The Tortona coach took away from the trip to Sardinia, above all, "playing on such a tough court, against a team that never gives up, showing the determination to bring home the win, even though our opponents managed to blunt our runs. That's what basketball needs."
Now comes the adventure in the Final Eight of the Italian Cup, with the quarterfinal match against Umana Reyer Venezia on Thursday afternoon at the Inalpi Arena in Turin: "Definitely arriving with two wins in a row gives you a bit of a boost, but once you get there it's a whole different story."
