Iron mocks Vital and Bertram on the buzzer, Reggio Emilia passes in a sprint
Bertram Derthona Tortona – UNAHOTELS Reggio Emilia 67-69
(26-11, 32-37, 57-57)
Tortona: Zerini, Vital 21, Kuhse 4, Gorham 7, Candi 7, Denegri, Strautins 2, Baldasso 3, Kamagate 7, Biligha 4, Severini 6, Weems 6. Coach De Raffaele.
Reggio Emilia: Barford 8, Gallo ne, Winston 23, Faye 14, Smith, Uglietti 7, Fainke ne, M. Vitali 7, Faried, Grant 5, Chillo, Cheatam 5. All. Priftis
Referees: Giovannetti from Bari, Perciavalle from Turin, Patti from Montesilvano (PE).
viewers: 1923.
Three quarters lived on a dizzying rollercoaster and a final period in balance that punishes Bertram Tortona in the sprint, unlike the good habits it had shown in this regard in this early 2025. It goes the opposite, however, for UNAHOTELS Reggio Emilia, as happened in the first leg the Emilians confirm themselves as winners in the final point by point, mocking for the Tortonesi with the three-point shot by Vital for the possible victory on the buzzer that turns on the iron and goes out. In the direct clash in the playoff zone, it is thus the guests who emerge victorious by 69-67 from the PalaEnergica Paolo Ferraris of Casale Monferrato in the 17th day of the Serie A Unipol, a victory with which they catch up and overtake Tortona in the standings at 20 points by virtue of the double confrontation in their favor. The home black and whites thus see their positive moment and the streak of four consecutive successes between the championship and the Champions League stopped.
The powerful 15-0 with which Bertram had started the match defending the same margin of 15 points at the end of the first quarter (26-11), with Gorham in great form on offense and a team defense that bit, did not last long, because the Emilians of Dimitris Priftis responded with an even more powerful partial in the period that led to the long interval, 26-6 including a 16-1 that took them into the locker rooms with the score on their side in a way that was difficult to predict, 32-37, initially dragged by Winston and then by Vitali and Barford, with Cheatam the man of the baskets that gave them the lead.
At the beginning of the second half, it was Reggio's turn to act as the hare and Tortona as the effective hunter. When UNAHOTELS seemed to be in control of the game, building its +13, 38-51 at 24', especially on Faye's activism under the basket, once again the team that was on the run suffered the partial of the team that was in more difficulty. The 12-0 Derthona, signed by two consecutive triples by Vital, by a counterattack by Weems on a steal at half court by Severini and by 4 points by Candi, reinvigorated the PalaEnergica that was further excited when Severini scored the bomb to tie the game at 53 with two and a half minutes left to play in the third period, despite the many offensive rebounds by Reggio. With seven minutes to go, it's another three-pointer, this time by Baldasso, that puts the home team back in front, then galvanized by the basket from a distance that's even more sidereal than the usual Vital who puts two full possessions of distance with 5' to go, 63-57. Kamagate defends tooth and nail the advantage with which they reach the last two turns of the hands, 64-61, increased by Vital's penetration with less than 100" to play for 66-61. It will be the last moment of joy for Tortona because from there the inertia changes. Winston scores only one free throw out of two but also the three-pointer for -1 with one minute to go, 66-65. The overtaking by Reggio is signed by Faye, who scores the 66-67 suffering a foul but he also misses the additional free throw, as does Vital on the foul that with 25" to go sends him to the free throw line. It's 67 all, Reggio manages the ball well with Winston who beats Kamagate's tentacles with a layup for 67-69. Tortona has 3 seconds and three tenths left and on the offensive three-quarter throw coming out of the time-out Vital manages to create a shot from beyond the arc that the rim doesn't welcome in a merciful manner.
On Tuesday at 18:30 p.m. Bertram resumes its European adventure with the start of the Champions League Round of 16, which for the Bianconeri includes a trip to Germany at the home of FIT/One Würzburg for the 1st day of Group I. The championship also includes a trip away from home in the next round, on the parquet of Pallacanestro Trieste, another direct clash in the playoff zone scheduled for Saturday 1 February at 20:30 p.m. at the PalaTrieste.
STATEMENTS “A very tough, physical, tough match, with a lot of contact, almost a playoff match”, is the incipit of the coach's post-match commentary Walter De Raffaele. "We had a great impact on the game and then ruined it all with 6 minutes of collective madness in the second quarter and started the third quarter in a soft way, without adapting to what had to be done on the field and also to the referee's yardstick. Well done Reggio who was always there and, beyond the last shot that could have gone in or out but is part of the game, the game was then decided on our +6 when we committed two defensive naivety and errors in attack, all things that cost us the inertia, with Reggio Emilia then very cynical in punishing us. There is regret because the way we had turned it we could have easily taken it home, especially at the beginning of the final two minutes when the game seemed to be ours".
