Derthona "tasted" Cecina in game 1 of the semi-final
Derthona – Cecina 67-58
(17-16, 15-18, 19-7, 16-17)
Derthona : Rotondo 16 (8/12), Cernivani 6 (2/5 from three), Vitali 13 (3/4, 1/4), Gioria 3 (1/3, 0/1), Venuto 8 (0/2, 1/5), Samoggia 15 (3/7, 2/6), Strotz, Viglianisi 6 (0/3, 2/4) NE: Stanojevic, Gay D. All.:Arioli
In conjunction with the local food and wine event "Assaggia Tortona", the DNB playoffs come into full swing and the game becomes "tough": Derthona overcomes Cecina with character in game 1 of the semi-final, after a tough match, like the stakes requires. Score in the balance in the first quarter with a 5 lead for the Tuscans, thanks to Sanna at 6-11, immediately counterbalanced by the conclusions of the various Viglianisi, Rotondo and Samoggia, which impacts the score at 11, which ends between blows and blows at the first short interval at 17-16 for the Bianconeri.
The balance reigns supreme even at the start of the second half until Derthona seems to escape with Venuto who sets the game and Cernivani who finishes by putting in two consecutive bombs (30-22 in the middle of the quarter) but Cecina does not give up with Capitanelli and his associates who exploit a few too many errors by Gioria & co. to score a 12-0 run that brings everyone to the locker room with the visitors at 32-34.
In the third quarter, just after Captain Gioria leaves the field due to an ankle injury at 35-37 for Cecina, the Tortonesi take the reins of the match thanks to a choral defense and in attack to the revived Vitali who writes 9 consecutive points launching Derthona towards the +10 with which we go to the last break 51-41.
With quite a few difficulties Samoggia and Rotondo managed to keep the gap in the first part of the last quarter, but a few distractions were enough for the Tuscans, who were never tamed, to come back galvanized by two bombs from Bruni. Cecina gets within 4 again with ball in hand. A providential recovery by Samoggia, launches the counterattack of the usual Vitali which practically ends the fate of the match, but not the hostilities with a few too many final blows between the players.
Wednesday evening at 21pm we go to Cecina for race 2 which promises to be nothing short of sparkling. With Gioria almost certainly out and Gatti ready to replace him, to definitively "eat" Cecina, the confirmation of the approach of the entire Juventus collective to close the series without seeing each other again next Saturday for the possible match at the PalaCamagna will be decisive.
