Virtus Padova is unable to follow up on Sunday’s good performance against Faenza, leaving the Andrea Costa Imola field defeated (76-71) on the third day of the championship at the end of an uphill match from the start. In the first half of the match, in fact, Virtus is forced to chase, struggling already in the first 10 minutes of the game to find the feeling with the attacking basket (21-11). Things seem to improve in the second quarter when, thanks to 9 consecutive points from Bianconi and two bombs from Andrea Scanzi, the neroverdi re-establish parity only to then suffer the return of the hosts who, within five minutes, find the break in three-pointers that put them ahead by double figures at halftime (43-32). The script does not change in the second half with Virtus chasing and the Romagna players able to contain the Neroverdi’s comeback attempts, then extending the game to within eighteen between the end of the third and the beginning of the fourth period (74-56). In the last 4 minutes of the match, Coach De Nicolao’s players, led by triples from Antelli and Bianconi (best scorers with 18 and 19 points), created a positive, but late, comeback attempt with a partial score of 2-15 useful to make the deficit less bitter without however managing to reverse the fate of the match.
The Coach’s voice
“Today we weren’t able to take the field with the right mentality and the necessary concentration. We were unable, for large stretches, to best express our game, resulting in a dull performance. – commented the Coach of Virtus Padova, Riccardo De Nicolao, at the end of the match – The reaction of the last minutes, however positive, cannot and must not be enough. Fortunately we immediately had the opportunity to make up for it, playing already on Sunday against Lumezzane, a match in which we must return to our performance levels.”
The report of the match Andrea Costa Imola – Virtus Padova
FIRST QUARTER
Coach De Nicolao starts with the same quintet as the first two outings but, after Ferrari’s basket, Imola immediately takes the lead (6-2). The Antelli-Molinaro alley oop closed with the dunk of the Friulian big man is the response of the neroverdi who then equalize at six with a quick counterattack by Antelli. Virtus struggles in attack, arguing with shooting percentages from the arc, while Imola continues to punish the black-green defense (3/5 from three points in the first 5′) taking the lead in the middle of the half when Coach De Nicolao spends his first half- out at 15-6. Bianconi’s 2/2 on the line unlocks Virtus who recovers the ball and finds Michele Antelli’s immediate triple (15-11). For many minutes the black-green zone seems to rein in the home team’s attack but Padova continues to not find the feeling with the irons, despite good shot choices. In the last minute Imola manages to score the mini-break closed with a further bomb that sets the score at 21-11 at the end of the first quarter.
SECOND QUARTER
The second quarter starts well for Virtus: Corrado Bianconi breaks the fast and immediately scores a triple and, after a good team defense, on the counterattack it is Bianconi himself who draws a three-point play that brings Padova within four (21- 17). The long neroverde takes pleasure in it and brings him back to two lengths with another bomb. The match increases in intensity: Imola scores again from three, but Andrea Scanzi responds immediately with the same coin (25-23) and, after another good defense by the neroverdi, Lorenzo Molinaro’s one-of-two on the line brings Virtus even closer . Now it’s Imola
struggle in attack but two naive turnovers and an unsportsmanlike performance by the neroverdi allow the home team to stay ahead in the scoreboard 5′ from the break (27-24). Molinaro is forced to the bench, burdened with three fouls and, after many minutes without baskets, Scanzi invents the beautiful triple which is worth the draw. The bomb in Padua is immediately followed by that in Imola which then extends again to the most five (32-27). After a nice counterattack orchestrated and finalized by Antelli and Scanzi, Andrea Costa finds the new break useful to distance the neroverdi, continuing to shoot with very high percentages from three points (40-29). Captain Schiavon reduces the gap with a bomb from him, but Imola once again confirms his magical shooting evening (10/18 from three in the first half) with the basket that makes it 43-32 at mid-match.
THIRD FOURTH
The third quarter opens with 2 minutes without any jolts before Michele Ferrari finds the first baskets of the second half with four points in a row. Padova defends strongly and lights up in attack thanks to Lorenzo Molinaro: with a bomb and a great dunk assisted by Ferrari the big man brings Padova back to within four, reopening the match (45-41). After Andrea Costa had scored just two points in the first 5 minutes of the second half, the hosts recorded four in a single action with the bomb, the foul suffered and the additional free throw bringing the gap back to eight points ( 49-41). Padova doesn’t take full advantage of the trips to the line and then allows the Romagna players to get back to within eleven with 2′ left in the third quarter (54-43). Corrado Bianconi scores from below but Imola with six points in a row flies to plus fifteen (60-45). In the last minute of the game Lorenzo Molinaro scores from the arc but the neroverdi remain behind at the siren (62-48)
FOURTH ROOM
After 2′ of the fourth quarter, with a triple on each side (the black-green one by Antelli), the points remain unchanged. Imola tries the decisive extension (69-51) but Michele Antelli with another bomb and Ferrari try to rekindle their hopes (69-56) with 6′ to go. The neroverdi miss two open triples. However, the hosts made no mistakes as they scored again from beyond the arc and, in the following action, rewrote the maximum advantage from the line (74-56 with 4′ 20” from the siren). Michele Antelli, with a hot hand in this last quarter, scores another bomb, imitated shortly afterwards by Corrado Bianconi who, with 2′ 40” on the clock, reduces the gap to twelve points (74-62). Imola scores from underneath but Antelli immediately writes another three and Osellieri, after a good recovery, makes one in two from the line, bringing Padova back to within ten (76-66). Antelli immediately steals another ball and the 2/2 to Scanzi’s free throws is worth minus eight (76-68). Virtus defends strongly, forcing the hosts to violate the shot clock but on the reversal in front the neroverdi twice fail to find the back of the net. In the last 40” Imola held the ball without scoring and Corrado Bianconi’s fourth triple of the evening could only make the deficit less bitter for the final 76-71.
ANDREA COSTA IMOLA 76 – VIRTUS PADOVA 71
ANDREA COSTA IMOLA
Marangoni 15 (3/3, 3/7), Aukstikalnis 15 (1/3, 3/7), Fazzi 11 (0/3, 2/4), Crespi 11 (5/11, 0/0), Drocker 9 (0/3, 3/7), Corcelli 9 (1/2, 1/3), Sorrentino 6 (1/3, 1/3), Bresolin 0 (0/2, 0/0), Martini 0 (0 /1, 0/0), Bassi ne, Ronchini ne
THE POWER OF PADUA
Bianconi 19 (2/4, 4/7), Antelli 18 (1/2, 5/8), Molinaro 11 (2/2, 2/7), Scanzi 10 (1/4, 2/5), Ferrari 9 (4/8, 0/0), Schiavon 3 (0/0, 1/5), Osellieri 1 (0/0, 0/2), Cecchinato 0 (0/0, 0/6), Ius 0 (0 /1, 0/1), Guevarra ne
Referees: Luchi and Mariotti
Note:
Partials: 21-11; 43-32 (22-21); 62-48 (19-16); 76-71 (14-23)
Two-pointers: Imola 11/31 Virtus Padova 10/21
Three-pointers: Imola 13/31 Virtus Padova 14/41
Free throws: Imola 15/23 Virtus Padova 9/13
Rebounds: Imola 39 Virtus Padova 41
Assist: Imola 78 Virtus Padova 74
2023-10-12 10:28:58
#Telenew #BASKETBALL #Virtus #Padova #leaves #match #Imola #defeated
