Defeat has arrived, the first of the season for Virtus Cagliari, beaten in the return match of the women’s B play-off against Fe.Ba. Civitanova Marche (75-62), but the +19 obtained in the first leg turned into the pass to access Concentration 1. The next step, the one that will see Virtus Cagliari fight for promotion to the women’s A2 series.
Compared to the match seven days ago, today Virtus did not shine. She entered the game well but already from the second period she showed signs of confusion: lost balls, forced shots and little incisiveness. The only department that worked in practice was the defensive one. The hosts fought for every ball and above all tried to put coach Staico’s girls in difficulty: they partially succeeded. Because with water up to your throat you play badly. Time was inexorable and in some way it was on the side of the Cagliaritan team who at the end thought more about managing the +19 from the first leg rather than trying to recover to close the score. Coach Staico tried above all to give space to all the girls on the bench and they all made a small contribution to keep the qualification safe.
Two-ball and we start with Anna Lussu and her teammates who immediately find a good advantage (11-2). Virtus could increase but it’s not the right day and the mistakes are starting to become important. Luckily the defense holds up and often forces Civitanova to shoot from distance with very low percentages. The +10, thanks to Lucchini’s free throws, is really important (14-4) even if Civitanova begins to take measures and finds some important baskets from distance which only allows them to get closer and, for the moment, avoid problems with pressure on the virtussine who calmly managed the advantage until 23-17 in the first period.
We start again and Virtus seems to transform into an elastic band, capable of breaking away (26-19 at 12′) but also being caught again by the hosts who insistently try to get closer, reaching -2 (28-26). Coach Staico understands that Virtus is in difficulty and immediately asks for a time out to reorganize the girls’ ideas. The technician’s indications do not seem to give the desired results. Virtus suffers and Civitanova understands the guests’ moment of difficulty and punishes them with Angeloni. He scored the overtaking triple (29-28 in the 17th minute). Lussu and Corda take the team by the hand and they react, regaining the advantage and an escape attempt (34-29 for Virtus in the 18th minute). It seems like the turning point. None of this. In the final Civitanova again and baskets again with the score set at the end of the second quarter at 34-33 for Virtus.
Upon returning, Rabchuk’s baskets seem to be digging an unbridgeable furrow (46-37 at -6′). In fact, Civitanova needed a few minutes to distance themselves, react, recover and take the lead: 54-52 with a basket from Jaworska. Final half: 56-52 for the hosts.
In the last 10′ Virtus seems to want to manage the advantage of the first leg and lets their opponents play who, despite at a slow pace, manage to nibble away on points (67-56 at 37′). The Cagliaritans play with the clock, while the hosts try to turn it around, arriving with Sciarretta at +13 at 73-60. Time passes inexorably and the two free throws made by Anna Lussu at the end of the match really hurt. Civitanova surrenders, while Virtus celebrates going through to the next round.
Fabrizio Staico
“It wasn’t a good Virtus, we certainly didn’t see that team that impressed us last Saturday by playing for almost 40′ at a high pace. Today we missed the easy basket, but above all the shooting errors affected our game. Above all, I tried to vary and make the most of the characteristics that the girls could bring to the field, giving important minutes to all of them. In the third quarter we entered into difficulty but despite everything the group held up well, above all avoiding them punishing us with their best weapon: the long distance shot. They didn’t succeed also thanks to us. We passed the round and this is a really important result. Now the gauntlet has been thrown and the girls are ready to face this new adventure which, if played with the right mentality, could take us very far indeed.
Fe.Ba. Civitanova – Virtus Cagliari 75-62
Partials: 17-23; 16-11; 23-18; 19-10.
Fe.Ba. Civitanova: Streni 4, Panufnik 17, Sciarretta 9, Severini 9, Angeloni 5, Binci 7, Contati, Cesareo, Jaworska 9, Pelliccetti 15, Lazzarini. Coach: Melappioni
Virtus: Lussu 6, Vargiu 8, Lucchini 9, Gallus, Pasolini, Corda 13, J. Valtcheva, Rabchuk 11, Podda 3, Pellegrini Bettoli 2, D. Valtcheva 8, Anedda 2. Coach: Staico
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