Pallacanestro Trieste scares Italian champions Virtus Bologna at the end but doesn’t have the strength to overtake with at least three opportunities to do so in the last three laps. The strongest team won, the most physical, the one with the longest bench. In the Trieste home, points from Ramsey and Uthoff were lacking in the end.
Trieste bids farewell to the year with the need to find at least one more victory in the next two matches (in Trento and against Cantù) to reach the Final Eight of the Italian Cup.
The standings two rounds from the end of the first round: Brescia, Bologna 22; Venice, Tortona, Milan 18; Drills 15; Trieste Basketball, Naples 12; Cremona, Trento, Sassari, Varese 10; Cantù, Reggio Emilia 6; Treviso 4.
Trieste without Sissoko, Bologna responds with the absences of Edwards and Smailagic. Then Diarra and Ross also get injured. For Gonzalez’s boys, Moretti is unavailable (on the bench) and zero minutes on the court for Iannuzzi.
Alston opens the match, Diarra scores 0/2 on the line and Brown from beyond the arc gives Trieste the first and only advantage: 3-2. Morgan and Pajola respond with the same coin and then Morgan again (2+1): 3-11. Bologna reaches their maximum lead of the quarter at 7-19. Brown with a 3+1 and Toscano bring Trieste back behind: 13-19. Ruzzier from three: 18-23. A free throw each for Toscano and Deangeli and Ramsey’s basket make it 22-25 at the first break.
The second quarter begins with a bomb on each side, Morgan and Toscano. Uthoff also did little at 6.75: 28-34. Vildoza and Taylor equally: 32-42. In the final, Brooks scores from below and Candussi from distance: 39-44 at half time.
Little was scored in the third quarter, Ross immediately scored, Bologna scored just in the 3rd minute with Niang: 41-46. At 43-48 Ross comes out due to injury. Three-point hack: 45-51. Trieste gets closer: Ramsey, Toscano and Ramsey’s bomb that explodes the building: 52-53. Vildoza sets the score at 52-55 in the final interval.
The fourth quarter opens with two baskets from Niang: 52-59. Toscano and Deangeli respond from three: 58-60. Trieste misses the overtaking bomb twice (Brown and Ruzzier). Two free throws from Toscano tie the score: 62-62 at 3’24”. Morgan and Alston: 62-66 at -1’14”. Brown by 64-66. Two free throws by Vildoza: 64-68. Two more from Brooks: 66-68 at -47″. With 30″ left to go, Alston closes it and scores from beyond the arc, also suffering a foul from Toscano Anderson (the fifth): 66-72. At -18″ in attack Ruzzier is unable to return within 5″. Game over.
The scoreboard.
BASKETBALL TRIESTE 66
VIRTUS OLIDATA BOLOGNA 74
(22-25; 17-19; 13-11; 14-19)
TRIESTE BASKETBALL: Toscano Anderson 13, Martucci ne, Ross 6, Deangeli 4, Uthoff 3, Ruzzier 3, Candussi 7, Iannuzzi ne, Brown 15, Brooks 6, Moretti ne, Ramsey 9. All. Gonzalez.
VIRTUS OLIDATA BOLOGNA: Vildoza 9, Pajola 3, Niang 12, Taylor 3, Alston 16, Canka ne, Hackett 3, Morgan 19, Diarra 2, Jallow, Diouf 5, Akele 2. All. Ivanovic.
NOTE.
2-point shots: Trieste 16/40, Bologna 21/38
3-pointers: Trieste 9/27, Bologna 7/22
Free throws: Trieste 7/11, Bologna 11/14
Rebounds: Trieste 34, Bologna 42
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