A sensational Logiman Orzinuovi conquers PalaBorsani at the end of an intense and complicated match, made up of ups and downs for both teams, playing a perfect last quarter, leaving Legnano 7′ without scoring from the field and overcoming a 14-point deficit in the third period. Enormous performance from Cappelletti, the soul of the comeback in the most complicated moment, but once again it is the collective that makes the difference, with Chaves and Giacomini closing it in the final. Very heavy victory for coach Gabrielli’s band, which breaks away from Legnano and remains at the top of the rankings. The start is all Legnanese, with Oboe taking center stage. Orzi responds with Caversazio and Oxilia taking the lead 7-5 and after a couple of attacks that ended badly coach Piazza immediately stops the contest with a timeout; sterile attacks, Cizauskas finds 4 points to extend the Knights +1, a match that immediately heats up with lots of contacts, then Chaves breaks free and finds the bomb to make it 12-10 Orzi. Cappelletti enters and immediately shoots the +5 bomb then a free throw from Scali sets the first quarter at 20-16 Logiman. Orzi tries to escape with the Venturoli home specialty, extending to +9, Legnano suffers from the super aggressive defense and Oxilia on the counterattack supports the 29-18 which forces Piazza to have the second suspension. Legnano finds itself in attack with Scali as the protagonist, the first moment of Orcean difficulty and Mastroianni’s triple is worth minus 5, with the momentum completely reversed in a truly hot and heated climate. The home team’s partial continues, impacting and then overtaking with Quinti at 37-35. Giacomini unblocks Orzi but at the siren Cizauskas scores a sidereal triple to make it 42-38 at the break. Legnano starts the second half with bombs from Oboe and Stepanovic for the +8 Knights, Cacace scores a bomb but it is always the two former Crema players who dig the furrow until 56-44, with Gabrielli forced to timeout. The story doesn’t change, Stepanovic master of the match extends to +14, then finally Orzi finds a favorable moment thanks to Cappelletti and Zilli, who with a couple of baskets from below close the score to 54-62. Mastroianni and Stefani share the last emotions of the third period, which Legnano ends up ahead by 7 at 64-57. Cappelletti gives the charge, scores and Orzi shortens to minus 1, thanks to a technical to Oboe, then Stefani supports the Logiman overtaking which brings Piazza to the minute of suspension. De Capitani on the way out scores at 67, very high tension on the pitch, Orzi’s coach on the bench with Cizauskas scoring for the 69-67 Legnano; Chaves lights up, making two triples in 40 seconds for +4 Orzi, but then thanks to trips to the line the home team scores at 73. Giacomini shoots from 3, Mastroianni replies and then it’s a sublime Stefani who supports +2 Orzi, with Legnano timeout 35″ from the end. Heroic defense on Cizauskas by Gnecchi, the Lithuanian loses the ball and commits an unsportsmanlike act on Giacomini, however, scores only one free throw for the +3 Logiman, who however does not materialize the possession, immediately fouling and sending Sodero to the line, who scores 2/2 for the minus 1. Immediate foul on Chaves, glacial from the line, Sodero replies with the same coin, then it is Cacace who goes from the charity line, scoring the free throw for the final 84-82. “The match was in some ways the a photocopy of the one with the Herons”, coach Gabrielli’s comment. “We started very well, with a double-digit lead, then we stopped a bit, also because they took advantage of their physicality, obtaining a very quick partial of ten points. The start of the second half was difficult, we were even down by 14 points. This was the match in which we showed the greatest consistency, because reacting on a difficult pitch, against a strong opponent and with a large home crowd was worthy. Today everyone was important, but I underline the game of Stefani, a young boy who comes from B2 and who always challenges himself, and of Cappelletti, who increased his playing time from 7 to 17 minutes.” Luca Consolati
