The Fiorenzuola Bees fight but are defeated, Jesi passes at Palarquato 68-72

BASKETBALL FIORENZUOLA 1972 – BASKETBALL JESI ACADEMY 68-72 (20-13; 38-37; 53-48)

Fiorenzuola Bees: Casagrande 11; Kings 2; Buci ne; Device ne; Caverns 2; Giacchè 5, Giorgi 14; Priests 15; Bettiolo ne; Hedgehogs 6; Magrini 13. All. Galetti

Basketball Jesi Academy: Ferrara 9; Moretti ne; Filipinos 14; Lace 19; Ginesi ne; Cicconi; Valentines 3; Marulli 14; Rocks 8; Cats 5. All. Ghizzinardi

Referees: Rezzoagli from Rapallo – Mammola from Chiavari

Basket Serie B. The Fiorenzuola Bees are looking for very poker, looking for the 5th consecutive victory in the Serie B Group C Old Wild West Championship, facing the Basket Jesi Academy of the former Giacomo Filippini at the PalArquato. Fiorenzuola starts very strong with triples from Magrini and Giorgi who warm up PalArquato; Ferraro tries to contain the Bees’ first outburst (10-7 in the 5th minute). Preti with two moves on the baseline allows the Bees to stretch, but still Ferraro from the arc brings Jesi back in full contact. 14-13 to 7′. Coming off the bench Ricci with the power movement sets the score at the end of the first quarter at 20-13 in favor of Fiorenzuola, with Jesi paying for a large use of the 3-point shot without high percentages. Rocchi and Merletto give Jesi a 0-5 minibreak in the first 2 minutes of the second quarter which forces coach Galetti into an immediate timeout to stop the inertia. Magrini is outgoing to unlock the Bees from the arc (23-18). Magrini with the gypsy in the 15th minute suffers a foul and scores in the semi-hook; the free convert brings Fiorenzuola to +7, but Filippini with the triple at the point keeps Jesi attached to the match. 30-26 to 16′.

Jesi resiliently manages not to get away from the match, taking advantage of several 3-point shots with a few meters of space. On the 36-34 made by Rocchi the Bees bench calls another time out to better prepare for the last 2 minutes of time. The first overtaking from the match was again by Rocchi, who with the triple put Jesi up 36-37 entering the last minute of the second quarter; the tap in of the King at the end gives the advantage of 1 point to the Bees at halftime. 38-37

Upon returning from the changing rooms Casagrande first recovers the ball from Filippini, then in the offensive half of the pitch he launches the triple to make it 43-39 for the Bees in the 23rd minute. The match remains balanced despite Fiorenzuola trying to escape; in an offensively not exciting quarter, Ferraro’s 1/2 free throw keeps Basket Jesi Academy 2 possessions down. 50-46 in the 28th minute. Casagrande from the corner confirms himself as a man of providence in the third set for coach Galetti’s team, with Marulli trying to enter the match with the third half and right semi-hook. 53-48.

The triples by Merletto and Marulli inaugurate the last set in a non-positive way for the Bees, who find themselves down by a point in an amen (53-54); Giorgi takes care of it from below to put the arrow back on for the yellow and blue team, up by 1 in the 32nd minute. Filippini on the backline puts Jesi ahead in the 34th minute (57-58), but it’s Preti with the right hook and do it immediately to deliver a fundamental +4 to the Bees in the 36th minute. 62-58. Merletto throws a triple as heavy as a boulder in transition in the 38th minute in a very tight match finale (62-64 for Jesi), repeating himself entering the following action with the same result. 62-67 and timeout for Fiorenzuola. Giorgi with 3 points tries to keep Fiorenzuola’s hopes alive at 65-67 with 40 seconds to go. After the forced timeout for Jesi, Marulli’s triple puts an end to yellow and blue hopes with 65-70 for Jesi. Giacchè invents an 8-metre triple for 68-70 with just over 4 seconds left; on the following systematic foul on Marulli, Jesi’s number 22 is glacial and scores 2/2. It ends 68-72.