Partials 25-18, 54-42, 75-73, 104-93.
Germani Brescia: Bilan 21, Ferrero ne, Massingurg 7, Doneda ne, Santinon ne, Della Valle 2, Ndour 14, Burnell 13, Ivanovic 16, Mobio 9, Rivers 22, Cournooh. All. Cotelli.
Tessitori 7, Cole 10, Horton 4, De Nicolao, Candi 2, Bowman 4, Wheatle 16, Nikolic 4, Janelidze no, Wiltjer 34, Valentine. All. Spachia.
The match
Umana Reyer’s 2025 season ends with a high-scoring defeat, falling 104-93 on the difficult pitch of Germani Brescia, always victorious in home matches. A game with two faces for coach Spahija’s boys: the first two quarters were difficult, the reaction in the third period which reopened the game was extraordinary, before the home team’s decisive extension at the end. The absence of Parks in the defensive rotations weighs heavily, but the team showed a lot of character.
Game Keys
The first half gap: percentages and rebounds. The first 20 minutes dug a deep furrow, reaching -20 2’21” from the break. The difference in precision from the arc (a tiring 2/11 for Reyer compared to Brescia’s 6/11) and the suffering under the boards weighed heavily: at the break Brescia did much better, 19-12, in rebounds. Furthermore, after a first quarter of good shots that didn’t materialise, the quality of the offensive choices was dropped in the second period, suffering from the physicality of Burnell and Bilan.
The reaction in the third quarter: defense and precision. Upon returning from the locker rooms the music changed thanks to a 3-12 partial which reopened the match. The key was the mix between the offensive impact of an “on fire” Wiltjer and coach Spahija’s tactical move, with Lever very positive in containing Bilan in defence. The newfound confidence unlocked the attack, capable of shooting an unreal 5/6 from three points in the half.
The “leg-breaking” partial of the fourth quarter The inertia, which seemed all gold and gold, was broken at the start of the last quarter. Brescia made a deadly 10-0 break in the cold which cut off the legs of the comeback. Despite the desire not to give up and the positive final data on offensive rebounds (+1 compared to Brescia), every subsequent attempt to return was rejected by the home team.
Night notable
Kyle Wiltjer: Simply unstoppable. He closed with a monstrous performance of 34 points and 32 rating, putting the attack on his shoulders in times of need. His triples were the soul of the comeback in the third quarter.
Carl Wheatle: The usual warrior. On an evening where physicality was needed due to the absence of Parks, the Englishman responded on both sides of the pitch. In addition to the points (double figures for him), he was fundamental in rebounding and in the “dirty” defensive work on Della Valle (held to 2 points). 16 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and +6 plus/minus for Carl, 26 overall rating.
Alessandro Lever: Excellent impact from the bench. Called to provide solid minutes, he responded with great concreteness, bringing valuable points and defensive substance. 12 points for him.
Post game
Coach Neven Spahija: “Congratulations to Brescia. It was a very important match for both teams and I think the crowd witnessed an excellent match, especially from an offensive point of view. They scored the open shots, while we missed them. Two of their players, Mobio and Rivers, shot 9 of 11 from three points overall: you don’t see these percentages every day. Especially Rivers, who isn’t shooting so well this season, did so tonight. For our part, instead, two of our best shooters finished with a 2 out of 10 overall from the arc. It can happen: when you take an open shot and miss it, it’s not a mistake, it’s part of the game, it’s the ‘Miss or Make’ game. So congratulations to Brescia, who played better and won thanks to these details. We started the fourth quarter in a terrible way: in a minute and 40 seconds we threw away everything we had built in the third quarter.”
Alessandro Lever: “We maintained a high pace for the entire match, but in the final minutes we were stuck shooting threes and, in defense, we were unable to contain them, allowing too many second opportunities, like those two baskets resulting from offensive rebounds. These episodes punished us severely: if we had been more attentive to loose balls, we could have brought home the victory. I believe that the second shots conceded and their precision from the arc were the decisive factors. Marking Bilan is always a complex challenge: he is a very experienced player. We know well what his characteristics are, but limiting him on the pitch is still very difficult. As far as I’m concerned, I honestly would have preferred the team’s victory a thousand times over a good individual performance.”
Next commitment: Monday 5 January at 8.00pm LBA Umana Reyer Venezia – Nutribullet Treviso
Related News :