Luiss Basket suffers first Serie B Nazionale defeat against Latina Basket

Luiss Basket suffered its first defeat of the Serie B Nazionale season, falling 82-55 to Latina Basket in its home opener.

Early Lead Slips Away as Latina Takes Control

The match started with high energy from the home side, as Bergamin hit an early three-pointer and Graziano added free throws to establish an early cushion. Latina responded through Arletti, who leveled the score at 7-7 after three minutes of play. A subsequent basket by Demetrio pushed the visitors ahead, prompting coach Righetti to call a timeout. Longo answered for the capital side to keep the deficit narrow, with the first quarter ending 19-17 in favor of Latina.

The second period brought a brief resurgence for Luiss, sparked by Toselli and Longo as they combined to reclaim a 20-19 lead. Latina quickly wrestled back momentum, using a burst of scoring to stretch the margin to 26-20 and forcing another Luiss timeout. Although Toselli finished an alley-oop from Bottelli and Bergamin connected from deep during a sharp team sequence, Demetrio scored on the halftime buzzer to send Latina into the locker room ahead 38-25.

Youth Experiment Meets Veteran Resilience

Trailing by double digits after the interval, Luiss attempted to mount a comeback behind perimeter shooting from Casella and Bergamin. Latina absorbed the pressure and answered every run, extending their advantage to 46-31 midway through the third frame. The visiting side’s depth and experience proved decisive, allowing them to pull away further and close the third quarter comfortably ahead at 62-41.

With the outcome largely settled in the final period, Righetti continued to cycle young players through the rotation. The closing minutes marked significant personal milestones, as 2007-born Toselli and 2008-born Alioto both scored their first career points in Serie B Nazionale. Despite the final 82-55 scoreline, the fixture served as an extended developmental opportunity for the younger members of the Luiss roster.

Match Statistics and Scorers

Luiss Basket finished the game shooting from across a depleted rotation, while Latina utilized a balanced scoresheet led by double-figure contributions from Demetrio and Arletti.

• Luiss Basket scorers: Krajina 13, Toselli 9, Bergamin 9, Casella 6, Pugliatti 5, Longo 5, Eramo 3, Bottelli 2, Graziano 2, Alioto 1, Orsano (n.e.), Paolini. Head coach: Righetti.
• Latina Basket scorers: Demetrio 16, Arletti 12, Nikolic 10, Pastore 8, Simonetti 6, Nwohuocha 6, Nonkovic 6, Zugno 5, Calò 5, Donadio 4, Di Emidio 4, Dellisanti. Head coach: Paccariè.