
Bertram doesn't tremble after a difficult start: Venice KO in comeback in the direct clash at PalaEnergica
Bertram Derthona – Umana Reyer Venezia 89-82
(12-27, 39-48, 69-63)
Bertram: Zerini ne, Vital 23, Kuhse 9, Gorham 4, Candi, Denegri 8, Strautins, Baldasso 9, Kamagate 10, Biligha 8, Severini 9, Weems 9. All. De Raffaele.
Venice: Tessitori 7, McGruder 12, Lever ne, Casarin, Moretti ne, Ennis 19, Janelidze ne, Kabengele 8, Parks 4, Wheatle 4, Simms 5, Wiltjer 23. All. Spahija.
Referees: Giovannetti of Bari, Borgioni of Rome, Salustri of Rome.
viewers: 1876.
Bertram Derthona wins the direct clash against Umana Reyer Venezia on the eleventh day of the Unipol Serie A. Led by the home crowd at PalaEnergica Paolo Ferraris in Casale Monferrato, the black and white team wins in a comeback by 89-82 after a negative start in which they had also fallen to -16. The credit goes to the decisive change of face upon returning from the locker rooms, from the -9 of the long interval Tortona comes out with the 30-15 of the third quarter that makes them shoot the arrow. A partial in which the 26-6 break stands out, starting from 43-55 in the 22nd minute up to 69-61 a few seconds from the last mini-break. From then on Derthona will never let go, despite the absence of Gorham for the entire second half due to the ankle problem suffered in the very last defensive action of the first half.
The first black and white player to change the wind for Bertram from the 8-24 on which Venice had immediately risen, dragged in scoring by Wiltjer (17 points at half time) and Ennis (12), was Davide Denegri, who in his debut in the game in the second half of the second quarter almost single-handedly built an 8-0 break with a basket in percussion, an assist for the triple by Baldasso and a personal one of his own to break the ice for the team with the 37-44 just before the long break. At the beginning of the second half the comeback work was completed, with the impetus of Kuhse, especially Severini, who ignited the fans with two consecutive three-pointers that allowed a steal at half time by Kamagate to send the French center flying on the counterattack to nail the dunk for the tie at 61 at 27'. The partial continues with the possessed Vital (top scorer of the match with 23) and again with Severini from beyond the arc, supported by the triple of 69-61 of Baldasso that completes the 26-6 break with 33” to go. Venice however tries not to let go, with five minutes to go the score is 77-74 for Tortona, but it will be the last moment of balance of the challenge. Vital finds a very heavy bomb near the twenty-four second mark for 80-74, Weems inside the area scores the 82-74 with 3' to go and the basket of the stirrup is scored by Kamagate making it 86-76 from below with 90” to go.
In the standings, Bertram rises to 12 points, settling at least for a few hours in sixth place in the standings and detaching the Venetians by 4. In the championship, the next appointment is the away match against Estra Pistoia on Sunday 22 December at 17:30. The Bianconeri will get there after knowing if they have achieved the historic goal of qualifying for the Top 16 of the Basketball Champions League in the decisive challenge of the first group stage at home to BAXI Manresa, scheduled for Tuesday evening at 20:30.
STATEMENTS “A victory with a huge specific weight, which goes beyond the two points, for the importance of the match and the opponent and for the way in which it came about”, it's the comment of the black and white coach Walter De Raffaele. “Ours is a team that still has to learn to manage the double commitment of championship and cup, in the first quarter and also for part of the second Venice dominated, we had great difficulty finding a quintet that could provide balance. Instead in the third period we did all those things that are needed to win, going beyond technique, with the contribution of everyone, even without being able to count on Gorham due to his injury. I want to underline the important contribution of the public, whom I thank, because it is an osmosis from which to draw energy. In short, it was a great victory in every sense. Now we need to recover our energy because another great match awaits us on Tuesday in the Champions League in Manresa”.