TURIN – Second match of the return round in the A2 series championship for Terme Salus, expected this Sunday afternoon from the difficult trip to the parquet of Normatempo Italia Torino, currently fourth in the standings behind Costa Masnaga, Sanga Milano and San Giovanni Valdarno.
Fresh from participating in the Final Eight of the A2 Italian Cup, in which they narrowly lost the quarter-final against Ecodent Alpo, coach Mario Corrado’s quintet has been the protagonist of an extremely positive season so far, characterized by a balance of nine victories in thirteen games, in which the young Francisca Chukwu, born in 2006, has particularly stood out, a wing/pivot who is averaging almost 13 points and 9.8 rebounds per game and is the best scorer of her team ahead of wing Elisabetta Penz (12.2 points with almost 40% from three) and French point guard Marion Heriaud (11.4 points per game but also 3.8 assists for her teammates). The Czech Stejskalova guarantees solidity under the basket (6.9 points and 3.4 rebounds) while the group of Italian players can count on the precious contribution of the pivot Ilenia Cordola (8.4 points and 6.7 rebounds) and the winger Cecilia Albano who scores 5.6 points and 4.7 rebounds.
A group with many different protagonists, victorious in the first leg match at PalaMalè 69-48 thanks to an evening of over 50% from three points with Penz who closed with an incredible 6/7 from beyond the arc, directing the match from the first quarter. The attempts to recover Terme Salus were useless and they were forced to raise the white flag in their first official outing in front of their own public.
For this trip, coach Scaramuccia will also be able to count on the new arrival Diana Valtcheva who will begin this second adventure in Viterbo with the desire to immediately make an important contribution.
“Diana has brought her enthusiasm and her talent – comments the Terme Salus coach – and I am convinced that she will be an important addition for us. We have seen her at work throughout this first part of the season, including the match in Viterbo last week, and she has matured a lot compared to the first years with us. Thanks to her we have raised the quality and depth of our staff, an essential element to continue chasing salvation; the victory against Salerno was fundamental, especially because it came in a match that now it seemed to have slipped away, but it was only a step forward that sees us starting as a clear underdog but it is one of those races that, if won, can really make the difference in a season.”
The match is scheduled for 4pm and the match will be directed by Marcello Martinelli from Brescia and Claudio Marconetti from Rozzano (MI).
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