Bertram hosts league leaders Treviso: "It'll be a tough match, we need to be ready."
Trying to end their league losing streak against one of the three current league leaders. That's Bertram Derthona Tortona's goal tomorrow in the seventh regular-season match of the LBA Serie A SisalClub championship. At 5:30 PM on Sunday, November 8th, Mario Fioretti's men will face Nutribullet Treviso at the Nova Arena. Treviso, with five wins in the first six matchdays and a top-seeded league position, is enjoying their best run ever in the top national tournament.
The race will be streamed live on LBATV.
How do the two teams arrive?
The defeat with just seconds remaining in overtime in Wednesday's BKT EuroCup match in Ljubljana didn't help the Bianconeri's current form improve. In the league, the latest defeat in Udine (86-77) left them with just two points in the standings, thanks to the home win on the opening day against Verona. This morning, Christian Vital's team had their first practice, but the American guard—who returned to Derthona after two years with the Bianconeri and a brief stint in China this season—will not be able to play against Treviso due to the impossibility of signing her in time.
Treviso, top of the standings with 10 points along with Virtus Bologna and Napoli, will have all its players at their disposal, including two well-known acquaintances of the Tortona environment, JP Macura, who played for Derthona in the club's first two Serie A seasons and is the third-best scorer in the current tournament with 20.8 points per game, and Brekkott Chapman, who spent last season with the Lions and is now the fourth-best rebounder in Serie A (7.7). The Nutribullet, led by Argentine coach Marcelo Nicola, reconfirmed after securing safety last year, has only known victories so far except for the away game against a Euroleague team like Milan (106-77) and is riding a wave of three wins in Udine (102-86), the overtime blitz in Venice (97-89) and the last home outing against Reggio Emilia (81-68).
Previous
Treviso's record against Derthona in Serie A has been very favorable. The two teams have faced each other in the previous five years of Juventus in the top flight, with the Treviso side having won 8-2, all in the regular season. The Venetians also had a clear away record (4-0) when Derthona's home games were still played at the PalaFerraris in Casale Monferrato, before the Bianconeri's victory in their only game played at the Nova Arena, a 107-95 victory on October 12, 2025, the historic date of the Tortona team's official debut in their new arena. In the last match, on April 4, at the PalaVerde, the home team won 91-86.
The preview by Iacopo Squarcina
"We're facing a very healthy team, playing at a high pace and with enormous confidence ," the Tortona assistant coach began his presentation of the match. "Treviso has three players who are having a tremendous season: Macura, who for me is the MVP of the season so far, Russell, who is equally as worthy, and Cappelletti, who is proving to be a key player and a top-notch handler. Among others, Chapman and the rest of the big men are making notable contributions in terms of physicality, presence, and rebounding on both ends of the court."
It will be crucial to limit their young players' ability to create shots and play, and to rebound with five men, limiting their second chances. Up front, we urgently need to regain our confidence, raise our percentages, and continue to improve our aggressive ball-sharing. It will be crucial to get into the paint as often as possible, not only to finish with higher-percentage shots, but also to create quality ones from outside. It will be a battle, and we need to be ready.
Happy Birthday, Derthona! Born on November 1, 1955, the match against Treviso will be an opportunity to celebrate the 71st anniversary of the Bianconeri club with its home fans. Several dozen Derthona Legends will be in attendance for the occasion: former players, coaches, and managers who have helped shape the history of the Lions. During halftime, they will parade onto the pitch to say hello.
Shuttles: As with every home match, free shuttles will be available to make it easier to reach the Cittadella dello Sport from the Tortona city center. The two scheduled shuttles will depart from the Movicentro adjacent to the train station as usual, two hours before the match, at 15:30 PM. They will depart every ten minutes, with the last departure scheduled for 17:30 PM. They will stop in Piazza Allende (Corso Cavour side) before reaching the Nova Arena. For the return journey at the end of the match, the shuttles will depart from the Cittadella at 19:30 PM, with the last departure scheduled for 20:30 PM.
