Derthona extends in the second half and beats Fortitudo
Bertram Derthona-Fortitudo Kigili Bologna 74-64
(19-17, 33-33, 59-48)
Lineups:
Derthona: Mortellaro ne, Wright 9, Rota ne, Cannon 2, Tavernelli, Filloy 7, Mascolo 4, Severini, Sanders 10, Daum 14, Cain 4, Macura 24. Coach Ramondino
Strength: Manna ne, Gudmunsson 3, Aradori 11, Durham 4, Zedda ne, Procida 4, Feldeine 18, Charampopoulos 5, Groselle 11, Borra 8. Coach Martino
Bertram is cynical, plays a lucid second half in attack and defense and takes the third consecutive home victory of their season. After two balanced scoring halves, the team coached by coach Ramondino takes control of the match in the third quarter and controls every attempt at an opponent's comeback. Great protagonist of the match was JP Macura, who recorded his maximum points in the black and white jersey (24).
First quarter in balance at PalaEnergica: after Fortitudo's intense start, Bertram reacts and overtakes in the final stages of the half, finishing the opening ten minutes ahead 19-17. In the second period the match flows in balance, in rhythm and in scoring: at halftime the match is tied at 33 points.
Upon returning from the locker rooms, the opening minutes of the third quarter flow with the same leitmotif as the first half, then Bertram - with some offensive plays and defensive growth - extends the score by placing an important break: in the 30th minute the score is 59-48 . In the final period, Fortitudo puts in maximum effort to try to get back into contact, but Bertram maintains clarity and finds in Macura the offensive terminal who seals the fifth success of the season, which reaches 74-64 at the siren.
Thus coach Marco Ramondino at the end of the race: ʺThis is a truly beautiful and tough championship and every victory must be taken with great enthusiasm. Among the positive aspects is our gradual growth over the course of the match, which was seen when we started to eliminate defensive errors which in the first half were mainly individual. The 33 points conceded in the first half were also the result of their ability to play possessions for a long time, even reaching the third option. We need to improve on this, it's a question of reliability and trust, of many small things that have not yet completely changed in our DNA. Defensively, also from the point of view of presence as a team, the second half was very good: in my opinion today Fortitudo's potential was seen in not going out of control and balance despite having a set-up with new players. Tonight the match had a low number of possessions and didn't stop for many minutes, so the trend was particular: rotating ten players isn't easy because not everyone is able to have an immediate impact.
