Proud comeback for Derthona but the derby goes to Casale 69 to 81
DERTHONA BASKET – NOVIPIU' CASALE 69-81
(15-20, 30-46, 55-60)
DERTHONA BASKETBALL: Meluzzi, Stefanelli 5, Sorokas 13, Radonjic 5, Divac ne, Apuzzo ne, Quaglia 2, Garri 25, Mei, Johnson 12, Spanghero 7. All. Pansa
NOVIPIU' CASALE: Ielmini ne, Banchero ne, Tomassini 12, Valentini, Blizzard 3, Martinoni 14, Severini 8, Cattapan 4, Bellan 12, Sanders 20, Lazzeri ne, Marcius 8. Coach Ramondino
VOGHERA – The law of external victory is also confirmed in the fifth act of the derby between Derthona and Casale. It is the leaders who emerge victorious, with a burst of pride that allows them to take home for the second time a match that they led by twenty-one points (39-60) during the third quarter and in which Bertram had the great I deserve to reopen with a partial of 21-0 which was worth the draw. In the final however, Sanders' baskets and the league leaders' defense make the difference, allowing Casale to extend his streak of consecutive successes to 8.
The guests started immediately with the attitude of the league leaders, hitting the first ball played with Severini's triple. In the following play Tomassini scores five points thanks to assists from an excellent Sanders. For Tortona, captain Garri scores and scores: a triple and an assist for Sorokas' dunk almost five minutes from the end of the first quarter are worth the temporary basket of 10-9 in favor of the guests. At the PalaOltrepo 'we see a match of great intensity, Sanders is answered by the Montenegrin born in '97 Radonjic thus keeping the distances unchanged, but towards the end the league leaders show all his quality, extending with Severini and Marcius.
The second quarter will resume with a score of 15-20. Quality and intensity among the circle of coach Ramondino, Marcius and Martinoni try to create the first guest break. Garri tries to put a patch from seven meters away on a good discharge from Stefanelli, but Blizzard and Tomassini continue to keep the gap unchanged. A blackout in defense allows Tomassini and Bellan to extend the distance. One minute from the end Casale, with an inertia of the match in favor, leads with the result 28-43. Sorokas tries to shorten the deficit on free throws, but Tortona lacks quality from the three-point range (20%). The teams thus go to the locker rooms with the result 30-46.
The inertia of the match continues in favor of the guests. In the very first moments of the game, Bellan scores four points for his personal scoresheet, which he will then shore up as the minutes pass (9 points in the reference quarter). Garri, Sorokas and Johnson try to reduce the deficit from the three-point range but the scoreboard says 46-60 with almost two minutes left in the third quarter. Derthona reacted one minute from time. Johnson takes two men away and Garri scores from long range on the off-load. 20" left, Sorokas gets an unsportsmanlike penalty (1/2 from the line) and Stefanelli scores a triple from almost 8 meters away. Tortona returns to the game with a score of 55 to 60. Last ten laps of the clock and Garri evens the score (60-60) with 25 personal points on the scoresheet. The two quintets travel point to point until Sanders and Severini break. After which Derthona collapses and Casale regains the momentum of the match with Sanders. At 1′ 15″ the two teams are at a score of 67 to 78. The game will then end 69-81 with Stefanelli's last basket.
Lorenzo Pansa: “I have to thank the public because they were there for us in the hardest moment and gave us a hand in getting back. Tactically nothing changed between the first and second half, except the energy that our players put on the pitch. In attack we knew that Casale would play to break our partnerships. I take full responsibility for the first half. A derby must be experienced as men before players, because otherwise solid teams like Casale will sweep you away. I'm sorry because we didn't immediately understand how to do it. We must remember that, before speaking, we must show something. I can't accept what I saw in the first half."
