Undoubtedly the match was decided by the great quality of the visiting players, who after three quarters in which they shot 5 out of 23 from three, in the last 10 minutes scored 6 out of 9 from distance. Shots that Piombino has little to complain about because he almost always defended them well, but it wasn’t enough. A match that Piombino led for a long time and where he also defended excellently, even if it is true that some of Ruvo’s errors from outside came on well-constructed shots. The first quarter ends at 11 to 12, but Piombino can also complain about many errors, mainly from below. Gialloblu who with many errors in attack, even in the second did not take advantage of several opportunities to significantly extend. In the middle of the quarter Piombino goes up 20 to 13, favored by the baskets of De Zardo, who steals the ball and dunks with two hands, by a basket by Azzaro who fights in the area and hits the net after an offensive rebound, by Piccone’s bomb and by a another offensive rebound converted into two points by Okiljevic. Another extension in the final with Almansi’s bomb and Berra’s plus 8 basket. Golfo, however, slows down the Apulian attack and closes ahead at the break at 28 to 22. Ruvo reacts at the start of the third quarter and seems to be able to put the game back on track, bringing it to within 2, but still the yellow and blue, with Venucci from the midrange and Turel’s first center from outside brings the score back to plus 7 after 4′. However, coach Cagnazzo’s attack fails to have continuity and with 4′ of blackout, he is overtaken by Ruvo, signed by Leggio from three. Coach Rajola’s winger again, from outside gives the maximum advantage to his team, at plus 4, an escape attempt stopped first by a bomb from Piccone and then by De Zardo who at the end responds to a two-point basket from Jackson, for the 42 to 43 at the last break. But that basket from the American is the sign of his awakening, in fact after three quarters with 1 out of 8 from three, in the first 4 minutes of the final quarter he scores three missiles. At the first, Piombino responds, with De Zardo’s bomb and two baskets from Almansi and Berra, for the plus 3, but Jackson adds two more and Piombino, between missed shots and missed shots, goes into a blackout again for almost 4′. On the other side, Ruvo takes advantage and flies to the plus 8, 4′ from the siren. Piombino, however, in front of a wonderful audience, does not want to raise the white flag and captain Venucci tries to drag a difficult comeback towards him. First from three he hits the net for minus 5, then he again penetrates to bring the yellow and blue back to minus 4 just over 2′ from the siren. But Ruvo’s basket machine has now turned on and a bomb with a defender on him, from Contento, re-establishes the distance and allows him to manage the last 90 seconds without worry. It ends 57 to 65, for 2 to 1 in the series in favor of Ruvo. Credit goes to Piombino who once again fought on equal terms with a team and on Sunday will have another chance to try to subvert the prediction.
Solbat Piombino – Tecnoswitch Ruvo di Puglia 57-65 (11-12, 17-10, 14-21, 15-22)
Solbat Piombino: Lautaro Berra 13 (6/11, 0/0), Lorenzo De zardo 11 (4/9, 1/4), Mattia Venucci 10 (3/3, 1/9), Fabrizio Piccone 9 (0/1 , 3/9), Mirco Turel 5 (1/4, 1/6), Gian Paolo Almansi 5 (1/1, 1/1), Alessandro Azzaro 2 (1/3, 0/1), Zdravko Okiljevic 2 ( 1/2, 0/0), Carlo Cappelletti 0 (0/0, 0/2), Stefano Longo 0 (0/1, 0/0), Francesco D’antonio 0 (0/0, 0/0). Free throws: 2 / 6 – Rebounds: 38 10 + 28 (Lautaro Berra 9) – Assists: 10 (Fabrizio Piccone 4)
Tecnoswitch Ruvo di Puglia: Darryl Joshua Jackson 20 (3/7, 4/11), Luca Toniato 13 (2/8, 2/3), Gianmarco Leggio 13 (2/3, 3/9), Lorenzo Galmarini 10 (4 /4, 0/0), Marco Contento 9 (1/2, 2/5), Mario Jose Ghersetti 0 (0/4, 0/3), Lorenzo Deri 0 (0/0, 0/0), Giacomo Eliantonio 0 (0/0, 0/0), Manuel Diomede 0 (0/0, 0/1), Armin Mazic 0 (0/0, 0/0). Free throws: 8 / 10 – Rebounds: 34 7 + 27 (Luca Toniato 8) – Assists: 12 (Darryl joshua Jackson 4)
