Varese – After the first official matches in Turkey, it is time to unveil Pallacanestro Varese 2023/24 in the championship. Home debut against the newly promoted Pistoia for Librizzi and his associates who are looking for the first two points in a calendar that is certainly not benevolent in these initial phases with the red and whites. OJM full, Pistoia is missing the star Varnado replaced by Basile.
Varese wins by suffering the proverbial seven shirts against a tough Pistoia and played well by coach Brienza: 83-82 the final of a match that has already properly stimulated the myocardium of the home fans. It’s a Davide Moretti’s competitive trance in the last 3′ to get Varese back on track in the first 30 minutes: absent in defense and not very reactive in rebounding (the match will end 29-40 for the guests under the glass), OJM chases Estra right from the start of the second half with constant disadvantages of around ten points. Moore and Willis were impregnable and also took advantage of Moretti’s absence due to fouls. Then, the The key lies in defense: after 73 points conceded in 30 minutes, Varese concedes only 9 in the last quarter proving decisive. Then, the impact of Moretti: literally takes a Varese by the hand who couldn’t find the key to the problem and scored 9 points in the last 3 minutes out of the 11 total scored by the red and whites. In addition to this, he also worked hard in defense with a couple of decisive recoveries: the signs were already there, this match confirms how many of the red and white destinies will pass through the hands of the former Pesaro player in 2023/24. Four men in double figures for a Varese team that scores points Cauley-Stein impacting offensively while in defense he suffers the attacks of the honest Ogbeide. If Willie manages to increase the impact in his half of the pitch, then Varese will have hit the mark. Brown also did well who today plays an intelligent match on both sides of the pitch: from him too, however, Varese asks for a rebounding impact so as not to suffer like this in the future. The rest will have to be reviewed at the next match against Bologna on Sunday evening at 7pm: the calendar, as we were saying, is certainly not OJM’s friend.
THE LIVE
FIRST QUARTER
Brown first undoes, then makes: interference in defense, then a nice strike to make it 2-2 after 1′. OJM repeatedly attacks the rim while Pistoia relies on a great shot from the arc by the shooter Willis: 6-5 in the 2nd minute. Varese starts at 13-5 with Hanlan as an overbearing protagonist: triple in transition on an assist from Moretti in the 4th minute with the Canadian already 7 points. Cauley-Stein hits the bomb from a central position, then Moretti is naive by fouling Moore’s triple: 16-11 at 4’30”. Hawkins shows off a polite hand and in the 5th minute Moretti’s second foul arrives, forcing the Italian to the bench: 18-16. Pistoia completes the attack with Moore’s bomb overtaking: 18-19 in the 6th minute. McDermott with a two-man game with Cauley-Stein finds the counter-overtaking triple, but Varese suffers on the rebound and Pistoia thanks: 21-22 at 7’30”. Last two minutes with several errors before a nice central penetration by Hanlan with a foul: 27-24 at -18″.
SECOND QUARTER
Difficult start for Varese with Pistoia finding good things from Del Chiaro who provides impact in the area and Della Rosa scores two consecutive bombs with the second from over 7 meters: 27-34 at 12′. OJM continues to make even trivial errors and the turnovers translate into points for Pistoia: 0-14 between the two halves and 27-38 in the 13th minute. Moretti tries to charge him with a bomb on reception, Basile wastes an open shot and Hanlan scores the score 34-40 from the line in the 15th minute. Paired with the big man on the defensive substitution, Moretti is penalized for the third foul and abandons the contest again. OJM continues to suffer in defense under the basket: Pistoia goes back to +10 with Ogbeide supporting from underneath, then Brown scores inbounds for 38-46 at 17’30”. When OJM attacks the rim decisively, they manage to find open doors: a two-man game finalized by Cauley-Stein first, then Hanlan on the first step. 42-46 at 18’30”. Varese fails to close the gap in the last 90″ and an OJM with a lot of things to fix goes to the locker room at 44-49.
THIRD FOURTH
Pistoia restarts by taking advantage of a defensive error by Varese that leaves Moore alone at the arc, OJM responding with an alley hoop by Cauley-Stein: 46-51 at 21′. Varese is in a clear situation of difficulty: they also suffer Ogbeide in the low post who scores the hook to make it 46-60 at 22’30”. OJM who at the start of the quarter tries to play the ball a lot on Cauley-Stein and the pivot pays off with points and fouls conceded: 52-62 in the 24th minute. McDermott tries to make an impact on the match with some give and go with Cauley-Stein as a support: Moore pierces a careless defense from the arc to make it 54-65 in the 26th minute. Varese is unable to create a break due to the lack of intensity and defensive continuity: Woldetensae enters and is fouled in the 28th minute to make it 60-69. OJM tries the quintet card with four small players plus Brown as a pivot, but without success: Pistoia holds command of the operations with Basile and Willis hitting from below: 60-73 before Moretti’s basket on the siren.
FOURTH ROOM
Brown takes Varese out of trouble with a sluggish attack at the start of the half: triple and 65-75 in the 31st minute. OJM who gets close to -8 thanks to a good defensive impact, but leaves something too much in attack: 67-75 at 33′. Then, a recovery finally arrives following an advance by Cauley-Stein, a ball that reaches the corner from Brown and a triple for 70-75 in the 34th minute. Another Bosina defense keeps Pistoia dry and Moretti does it all alone: from the heart of the area it makes it 72-75 in the 35th minute. Ogbeide punishes the defensive change and scores while Woldetensae doesn’t find the open triple: 72-77 in the 36th minute. Moretti explodes the 4300 of the Itelyum Arena: bomb from the dribble and 75-77 in the 37th minute. Hanlan’s mess, confused action that rewards Pistoia who is good at catching Willis alone on the perimeter: 75-80. At 38′ Moretti goes to the line: 2/2 and 79-81. McDermott is fouled while defending on Willis and Varese recovers the ball. Hanlan’s penetration lacks strength in the last step, Pistoia recovers and goes to the line with Moore: 1/2 and 79-82 at -83″. Moretti!!! With strength and character he takes the central triple and then also goes to recover the ball from Ogbeide, suffering a foul at -54″. 1/2 and 83-82. Moretti recovers it again in defense, then Hanlan misses the basket of the bracket and Pistoia has the ball to win: it ends up inside Ogbeide who misses the support and Masnago celebrates!
Openjobmetis Varese – Estra Pistoia 83-82 (27-26, 44-49, 62-73)
Varese: Shahid 1 (0/4, 0/1), Cauley-Stein 19 (6/7, 1/2), Ulaneo (0/2), Woldetensae 6 (3/3, 0/3), Moretti 16 (2/2). 4, 3/4), Librizzi, Virginio def, Hanlan 16 (4/8, 1/5), McDermott 9 (2/2, 1/4), Brown 16 (575, 2/5), Bottelli def. All. Bialaszewski.
Pistoia: Willis 11 (2/2, 2/7), Della Rosa 6 (2/6 from 3), Moore 18 (1/5, 4/7), Saccaggi 6 (2/3, 0/1), Del Chiaro 6 (3/4), Wheatle 6 (2/3, 0/3), Hawkins 9 (1/3, 2/5), Ogbeide 14 (6/12), Basile 4 (2/3, 0/2), Farinon ne. All. Brienza.
Referees: Attard, Bettini, Pepponi.
Matteo Gallo
2023-10-05 06:57:12
#Moretti #drags #Varese #hardearned #success #Pistoia
