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Flats Service Fortitudo Bologna secured a 75-65 victory against Bertram Derthona Tortona in a pre-season basketball scrimmage held behind closed doors at the PalaBakery in Piacenza.
A Closed-Door Clash of Italian Competitors
The match marked the second pre-season outing for the Emilian side.
Both teams prepared for upcoming competitive campaigns. Tortona entered the matchup as a Serie A and Eurocup participant.
Roster adjustments defined the evening. Tortona played without Aljami Durham due to a muscle strain. Dominik Olejniczak was also absent due to national team commitments with Poland.
Bologna took the floor without captain Matteo Fantinelli and Valerio Mazzola.
Tight Exchanges Shape the First Half
Tortona opened the game with a starting lineup featuring Hubb, Maddox, Jallow, Gorham, and Eboua. This surge was highlighted by a dunk from Bortolani.
A three-pointer by Di Meo allowed Tortona to edge ahead 19-18 at the end of the opening period.
Defensive adjustments defined the second quarter. Tortona scored just a single point over the initial five minutes.
Gorham anchored the Tortona offense with 11 points by halftime. He helped his side recover from a five-point deficit.
Three successful free throws by Bortolani as the clock expired tied the game at 37-37 heading into the locker rooms.
Momentum Swings Through the Third Period
The third quarter featured constant shifts.
Bologna countered with outside shooting. A buzzer-beating three-pointer from Sorokas at the end of the third period gave the Emilian squad a 55-54 advantage.
Bologna Pulls Away Down the Stretch
Bologna pulled away in the final frame. The team leaned on a 5-0 burst from Guariglia and steady perimeter shooting.
The visitors extended their margin to double digits at 73-63 with two and a half minutes remaining. This run was anchored by a total of 12 three-pointers converted across the night by Bologna shooters.
Radonjic and Galassi hit key shots down the stretch to secure the ten-point margin.
Balanced Box Scores and Coach Reactions
Individual box scores highlighted balanced scoring across both rosters. For Bologna, Morris led all scorers with 15 points. He was supported by 13 points from Radonjic, 10 from Zanelli, and 9 from Guariglia.
Tortona was paced by Maddox with 17 points, alongside 11 points each from Bortolani and Gorham.
Reflecting on the performance, Tortona head coach Mario Fioretti told club media that his team maintained good intensity and execution through the first three quarters. He noted that fatigue and defensive breakdowns in the final period made it difficult to move the ball effectively against an opponent that was already playing its second scrimmage of the pre-season.
Fortitudo Bologna continues its pre-season schedule as preparations for the regular season progress. Bertram Derthona Tortona’s next scheduled friendly takes place on Wednesday, August 26, at 5:30 local time at the Cittadella dello Sport facility in Tortona against Serie A2 side Urania Milano.
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