Mestre remains glued to the leaders Orzinuovi and rises to 30 points in the standings, extending to 4 lengths the advantage over the third place occupied by San Vendemiano after a great success conquered against Virtus Padova. It is a victory that is worth double because it came at the end of a hard-fought match that featured two excellent teams on the parquet, coach De Nicolao’s Virtus was beautiful and Ciocca’s Gemini was even more beautiful, 2 points that consolidate the ranking and also morale mestrino because against this Virtus, if the Paduans continue to play like this, few will reap the rewards. Mestre succeeded because in the key moment of the match it was able to throw a shiny pride on the parquet in which Bocconcelli, up to there dry, slipped a destabilizing bomb, Pellicano dusted off on the parquet by Ciocca for 22′ he first scored a shot from bow and then recovered a key possession for the final result. A Gemini who plays, thinks and works as a team, a mix of talent and humility who is taking Mestre even beyond the expectations of the beginning of the year and who perhaps finds in Edoardo Caversazio, a winger who almost fell into the shadows last summer, the most emblematic of his spirit, devastating against Padova with 17 points and 7 assists.
Gemini approaches the match well Caversazio opens the match with a bomb, Padova leans on Ihedioha in his offensive plays and the first minutes mark balance. The first break is Mestre marked by 4 points in succession from Conti and a basket each from close range for Bortolin and Caversazio; a free first and a counterattack after by captain Mazzucchelli complete the stretch that pushes Gemini to the maximum advantage (23-13) with 3’36” in the second quarter. It’s the moment in which Virtus proves what it’s worth, it doesn’t shut down but rather immediately returns by placing a 6-0 which scores the game, fruit of the hands of Ihedioha, Osellieri and Marangon. In the second quarter Mestre is not very lucid in the first possessions, Cecchinato and Ferrari instead don’t forgive and Virtus is immediately on top (25-23), it takes an invention by Rossi for Gemini to find oxygen. However, we can see that the wave of the host sea is growing, Ciocca reshuffles the cards to keep the rudder to starboard, Di Meco and Conti put up important points but on the other side Cecchinato and above all Paolin hurt from the long run, in the middle of the quarter a his bomb is worth the first guest advantage (36-37). Mestre chooses the opposite way, ball down, Bortolin is the usual guarantee, a lot of Paduan effort costs a little lucidity, Sebastianelli suffers a foul on a 3-pointer and makes heavy free throws (41-37). Ciocca raises the intensity of the defense but Virtus also finds a bomb from Ihedioha in front of the basket, Marangon becomes an important guest terminal with 4 points in 2′, Mestre clings to Bortolin: they return to the locker room with Virtus ahead by 2.
The third quarter gets complicated for Mestre after 3′, the defenses are harsh, Cecchianto makes himself heard from 3 (50-47), Bortolin served by Caversazio brings Mestre closer who, however, has a moment of lack of clarity on which De Nicolao rages on entry first and then, above all, Marangon who crushes the 49-56 with 4’37” at the end of the period. The road appears all uphill but this Gemini never gives up: Caversazio from below and Rossi from the arc bring Mestre back into contact, Cecchinato brakes the enthusiasm, but still Caversazio from the line first and then with an assist for Rossi he signs the 58-58 which Ihedioha cancels with a basket in the closing quarter.
The last period opens uphill again for Gemini, Osellieri finds the hole, Ferrari from free throws and the usual Marangon in entry push Padova up 58-65, Gemini needs a backlash and this comes with two consecutive bombs from the long at home. First Caversazio and then Bortolin put in a 6-0 which attenuates the guests’ enthusiasm, Marangon from 3 on the other front revives them (64-68) opening a stretch of the game in which we go point to point. Again Caversazio and Bortolin from below reply to De Nicolao’s penetration, Padova does not find the basket and Bortolin scores with a foul by Lusvarghi for the new pass from Mestre (71-70) with 4’12” to play. It’s the Mestre sea that this time is getting bigger, Marangon brings his front players back in acrobatics for the last time, Sebastianelli served again by Caversazio, a bomb from Bocconcelli and a basket from Bortolin after a defensive rebound put Gemini on 78- 72 with 2’45” to the siren, for Padua it is almost the KO Cecchinato from the line makes 1 on 2, Caversazio then finds the +7 with exactly 2′ to play: Mestre defends strongly even with fouls, De Nicolao goes twice in the bezel always making 1 on 2, then Pellicano takes care of closing it, 22′ on the pitch, framing his performance first with a recovery in defense and then with the bomb that sends everyone home.
It’s a beautiful Gemini with character, we just have to keep going like this.
Gemini Mestre 72 – Luxarm Lumezzane 60
GEMINI MESTRE: Mazzucchelli 11, Pellicano 5, Di Meco 16, Rossi 16, Bortolin 9, Bocconcelli 8, Caversazio 5, Sebastianelli 2, Sequani ne, Musco ne, Zinato ne. All.: Ciocca.
LUXARM LUMEZZANE: Tiliander ne, Scanzi ne, Mastrangelo 24, Maresca 9, Ciaramella 4, Djiya, Fossati, Becchetti ne, Salvinelli ne, Perez 5, Dilas 13, Dalc ò 5. All .: Known.
NOTES: partial 20-18, 29-36, 48-47. Free throws Gemini 7/8 – Luxarm 7/9, from 3 7/20 – 9/34, rebounds 41-36.
