To continue the chase for the play-offs, made into a real hill climb worthy of the Tour de France by direct, fierce competitors who don’t give up a step, today’s stage included another wrist-shaking climb for Stefano Pillastrini’s men: the challenge to the second strength of the green group, Acqua San Bernardo Cantù.
The Cantù team, although today carrying only the coat of arms of the distant past which in the 70s and 80s saw it excel in Italy and Europe, presented itself in via Perusini with the intention of defending second place from the assault of Reale Mutua Torino and with a roster among the best equipped in the championship to attempt to climb back to the most suitable level of a club that since 1936 has written among the most beautiful pages of Italian basketball in the province.
Ultimately there couldn’t have been a sweeter Easter on the banks of the Natisone, with Gesteco playing a match close to perfection in defense and also crushing Cantù, a result that now brings them very close to completing a feat that is truly difficult to predict only on Christmas Eve.
THE MATCH
The news (Source UEB Cividale Press Office) – We start with Redivo, Lamb, Marangon, Dell’Agnello and Miani for Cividale while coach Gagnardi chooses Baldi Rossi, Hickey, Bucarelli, Nikolic, Nwohuocha with the ducals who immediately break the deadlock with Miani but then they suffer the Cantù defense and the long range shot from the guests who are ahead 2-10 with 6’02” left.
The entry of Mastellari proved to be decisive and with two consecutive triples from the new entry Cividale first made it 10-10 at 4’01” and also raised the defensive intensity then closed ahead 21-17 at the first siren thanks again to a triple from a wild Mastellari.
The match unfolds on the edge of balance in the first half of the second half before Redivo and Lamb light up from the arc and launch Cividale at +8 (33-25) at 6’09” with coach Gagnardi calling minute to stop the inertia unfavorable to his team who struggle to find solutions in attack other than Hickey’s plays.
Upon returning to the field, Pillastrini’s men fail to gain possession of the +10 and waste some counterattacks, thus allowing Cantù to come back at 35-34 with 2’36” left before the long interval, which is then reached at 43-39 because Lamb responds to the guests’ triples.
Upon returning to the field the “Mayor” lights up and in amen he brings Gesteco to +10 (49-39) with 8’05” and then holds up Cantù’s comeback attempt with Lamb who brings Cividale back with a three-point action at 54-46 with 4’20” left and then Rota sends Berti to conclude for +13 (59-46) with 2’25” left before the penultimate siren in a stadium that has literally become bedlam, pushing Gesteco to maintain their lead.
The final period sees the hosts still on fire from the arc with Redivo and Campani and the scoreboard at 67-52 with 7’34” left in a match played with great intensity on both fronts.
Gesteco now feels the scent of the “settebello” and produces its maximum effort which leads it to +19 at 5’49” (71-52) which mortgages the conclusion of the contest, sealed by a triple from Lamb at 3’15” for 77-56 and the guests are now in confusion. The final is a walkway up to 82-59 sealed by a triple from the young Barel.
THE SCORESHEET
UEB Gesteco Cividale – Acqua S.Bernardo Cantù 82-59 (21-17, 22-22, 18-9, 21-11)
UEB Gesteco Cividale: Lucio Redivo 18 (0/0, 3/8), Doron Lamb 18 (4/5, 3/6), Martino Mastellari 18 (3/4, 4/5), Gabriele Miani 8 (3/5 , 0/0), Matteo Berti 6 (1/2, 0/0), Giacomo Dell’aggi 4 (1/4, 0/0), Luca Campani 3 (0/1, 1/1), Pietro Barel 3 (0/0, 1/1), Leonardo Marangon 2 (1/4, 0/2), Eugenio Rota 2 (0/2, 0/0), NicolÒ Isotta 0 (0/0, 0/0), Luciano Dri 0 (0/0, 0/0)
Free throws: 20 / 23 – Rebounds: 26 6 + 20 (Gabriele Miani, Eugenio Rota 4) – Assists: 15 (Doron Lamb, Eugenio Rota 4)
Acqua S.Bernardo Cantù: Solomon Young 13 (4/6, 1/2), Stefan Nikolic 11 (4/5, 1/3), Anthony Hickey 10 (5/6, 0/3), Filippo Baldi rossi 10 ( 2/7, 2/6), Christian Burns 8 (4/5, 0/2), Lorenzo Bucarelli 7 (0/3, 1/1), Curtis Nwohuocha 0 (0/2, 0/0), Riccardo Moraschini 0 (0/1, 0/0), Nicola Berdini 0 (0/0, 0/0), Luca Cesana 0 (0/0, 0/1), Gabriele Tarallo 0 (0/0, 0/0)
Shots: 6/10 – Assists: 27 7 + 20 (Stefan Nikolic 7) – Assists: 14 (Anthony Hickey 5)
2024-03-30 22:06:10
#row #Cividale #UEB #sinks #battleship #Cantù
