Usual starting quintet for Coach Ilario Azzollini made up of Loprieno, Ippedico, Begić, Christensen and Došić. On the other hand, Coach Menga responds with Llaver, Cianci, Sperti, Delage and Bitetti.
Excellent start to the match by the red and white, who score the first two points of the evening thanks to the winning support of Došić. Taranto responds immediately present, successfully neutralizing the opponents’ first escape attempts and battling point by point, until an amazing Christensen (author of 11 points in the first quarter alone) allows the Molfetta team to extend the score and close the first part of the game leading 13-21.
The second half of the game is a photocopy of the first, with Coach Ilario Azzollini’s men good at building and capitalizing on good game plots, and the hosts of Anspi S. Rita Taranto chasing, albeit with sterile attacks, also thanks to the excellent defense from Molfetta and a Begić who, although not yet at the top of his physical form, makes his presence felt on the parquet.
Loprieno’s wrong lay-up on the buzzer closes the first half of the match, sending the two contenders to the long rest with a score of 25-38.
Upon returning to the field, Ippedico and his companions show the dark side that characterized the start of the second round, proving to be distant relatives of the team admired in the first two quarters of the match and in the first round.
To make the situation even worse, Llaver and Delage think about it, authentic drivers of the young home team and real star performers of the evening, able to put a strain on the Molfetta defense, which in the meantime continues to suffer easy baskets without making any.
The 19-6 run sent by the Gialloblù ends a disastrous third period of the game with a score of 44-44.
The last ten minutes of the match saw the red and white formation definitively lose hopes of victory, also due to the many missed free throws and the bad percentages from the field.
Begić’s triple of -2 just over a minute from the end is useless, because on the other side Cianci responds with a very important basket, which pushes the guests back two possessions behind, effectively handing the victory to the hosts of Anspi S. Rita Taranto.
At the PalaFiom in Taranto it ends 63-55 in favor of the young formation coached by Coach Menga, at the end of a match played on and off by Pavimaro Pallacanestro Molfetta.
Next engagement for the red and white Sunday 12 March at 20:00 at the PalaPoli in Molfetta against the leaders Ondatel Virtus Matera.
