The final sprint rewards Bergamo, Bertram falls at PalaOltrepò
Bertram Derthona-Bergamo 75-78
(16-21, 34-38, 54-50, 66-66)
Scoreboards:
Derthona: Tuoyo 9, Alibegovic 15, Cremaschi ne, Blizzard 21, Ndoja 12, Ugolini ne, Garri 3, Lusvarghi ne, Viglianisi 6, Gergati 2, Spizzichini 7. Coach Ramondino
Bergamo: Augeri ne, Casella 2, Roderick 24, Bedini, Taylor 13, Fattori 11, Zucca 1, Piccoli ne, Sergio, Marelli ne, Benvenuti 21, Zugno 6. All. Dell'Agnello
Defeat in the sprint after extra time for Bertram Derthona, who fell against league leaders Bergamo at the end of a very balanced and emotional match, in which the Bianconeri offered an encouraging performance on both halves of the pitch. After a positive start, with good intensity on both halves of the pitch, Bertram conceded the first partial of the match in Bergamo (5-9 at 4') which forced coach Ramondino to stop the game. The favorable moment for the Lombards is fueled by the three-point baskets of Fattori and Benvenuti, which push Dell'Agnello's team to +12 (5-17) in the middle of the half. At the moment of maximum difficulty, the Bianconeri reacted led by Blizzard's triples: at the first siren the guests led 16-21. In the second quarter Derthona produced a great defensive effort which limited the opponents' solutions: it was then following a technical foul imposed on Dell'Agnello for protests that Bertram returned to just one point behind (22-23). The favorable moment for coach Ramondino's team continues in the following minutes: the overtaking comes in the 16th minute (30-29) with a triple from Tuoyo which forces Bergamo to stop operations. In the final, the guests once again took the lead: the first half, closed by baskets from Spizzichini and Zugno, ended with the Lombards leading 34-38. Upon returning from the locker rooms, the Bianconeri started better and, with a 5-0 run, regained the lead (39-38): Bergamo then responded with a 6-0 all scored by Roderick. The match flows on the edge of balance, with continuous overtaking and counter-overtaking: in the final, Alibegovic's plays push Bertram to 54-50 with which the third quarter ends. At the start of the last half Derthona produced a 6-0 break, which resulted in a double-digit lead (60-50 at 32') and forced coach Dell'Agnello to stop the game: Bergamo, coming out of the time-out, reacts by raising the intensity of their defense and relying on the creativity of Roderick and Taylor in attack, reducing the gap to 62-56 in the 36th minute. In the following minutes the favorable moment continued for the guests, who reached the score at 64 with two free throws from Roderick with 46 seconds left. In the following attack, a two-point basket by Blizzard brings Bertram back ahead (66-64 with 28 seconds to go until the siren): it is Roderick again, glacial on the line, who ties the game with 12 seconds to go. Blizzard's last shot misses the back of the net: it's overtime at PalaOltrepò. Bergamo's sprint start in extra time: the 6-0 scored by Benvenuti-Taylor is worth +6 (66-72) and forces coach Ramondino to stop the game. Baskets by Blizzard and Spizzichini bring Derthona back to -2 (72-74). In the final, after Blizzard's triple which makes it 75-76, a steal with a basket from Taylor gives the leaders success, who win 75-78.
