Derthona plays on par for more than three quarters, Virtus prevails in the final
Virtus Segafredo Bologna-Bertram Derthona 101-83
(28-29, 49-53, 78-67)
Scoreboards:
Bologna: Tessitori, Mannion 11, Belinelli 5, Pajola 15, Alibegovic 8, Hervey, Ruzzier, Jaiteh 23, Shengelia 8, Sampson 8, Weems 7, Teodosic 16. Coach Scariolo
Derthona: Mortellaro none, Wright 6, Pezzulla none, Tavernelli none, Fridriksson, Filloy 9, Mascolo 6, Severini 8, Sanders 14, Daum 22, Cain 5, Macura 13. Coach Ramondino
Bertram Derthona leaves the Segafredo Arena defeated, at the end of a match conducted for over twenty-five minutes and in balance for thirty-five. In the second half, Virtus Bologna's defensive growth slowed down the attack of the Lions, who surrendered at a distance to the Italian champions.
First period of great offensive level for the two teams, who find continuity in the three-point shot (5/7 for Virtus, 5/8 for Derthona): the initial ten minutes - with high scores - they end with a 28- lead 29 from Bertram. In the second half the team coached by coach Ramondino continues to produce very effective offensive basketball, expanding its margin even beyond double figures. In the final stages, Virtus comes back into contact, but Derthona is ahead 49-53 at halftime.
Upon returning from the locker rooms, Bologna raises the level of intensity of their defense, overtaking with Pajola's baskets, which start the break for the home team, who lead 30-78 in the 67th minute. In the last quarter Derthona produced its maximum effort to close the gap, finding two consecutive triples from Daum and Macura which made it 87-80 five minutes from the end. Teodosic and Jaiteh, after Scariolo's time-out, scored a 7-0 run that definitively closed the match, won by the home team with a score of 101-83.
Thus coach Marco Ramondino at the end of the race: “Congratulations to Virtus for the victory, for the way in which their performance improved over the course of the match, unlike us who moved the ball well for about twenty-five minutes. In the first half we conceded many points due to Virtus' ability to systematically punish errors, while in the second half we struggled, we lacked clarity and we persisted in looking for solutions that didn't give us what we would have expected.".
