Federico Peretti/Pianetabasket
PREVIEW: The highly advanced Salento team fresh from five consecutive victories visits a Tezenis Verona team fresh from the burning defeat in the sprint in Piacenza, for the absent hosts Massone and Bartoli who significantly reduce the rotations available to coach Ramagli but the guests will probably have to give up back to their star Russ Smith, the top scorer in the entire league averaging over 22 points. Ball at two o’clock 8.30pm raised by Messrs Bertuccioli, Barbiero and Lupelli with live text on Pianetabasket.com
1st PERIOD: Penna, Devoe, Udom, Esposito and Murphy the five Veronese players, Parravicini, Nikolic, Latorre, Stewart and Iannuzzi for the guests. Everything starts in the name of Murphy who scores all the Tezenis points and flies to dunk on Devoe’s usual alley-oop, Di Carlo prefers to stop the game (6-2 -7’44”). Upon returning to the parquet it is Iannuzzi who go wild but a solid Esposito keeps the yellow and blue one lap ahead (14-10 -3’58”), from the bench Nardò finds energy and points with Baldasso and Borra and overtakes (14-17) when entering the last two laps of the game partial. Final skirmishes that close the period with the result of 18-19 for the Granata
2nd PERIOD: It’s the American duo Devoe-Murphy who puts the arrow back on for the home team but the balance remains almost total and at the halfway point of the half it’s tied at 25; the triples by Nikolic and Latorre compensate for Veronese’s mid-range baskets and the free throws by Udom (32-32 -3’30”) and they continue arm in arm as the minutes pass. The triples by Nikolic and Penna make it 38- 38 with which the teams enter the locker room of a match so far without any particular breaks and which promises to be very intense also in the second half. Murphy the top scorer with 10 points (with 4 rebounds) while the best for Nardò is Iannuzzi with 8 followed by Latorre (7)
3rd PERIOD: Pace struggling to pick up, defenses keeping their respective attacks well under control; Penna tries to light up with a triple and a spectacular layup, it’s certainly not a break but Di Carlo prefers to stop the game (47-43 -5’31”). Tezenis fails to give continuity to the good moment and Iannuzzi with Stewart’s help keeps the guests in touch (56-55 -2’37”), in the final rounds there are only a few points from the free throw line and in the 30th minute the absolute parity persists: 57-57
4th PERIOD: Stewart begins to take the stage and gives the guest the maximum advantage, forcing Ramagli to time out (59-63 -7’32”), the gap widens to 6 points then the same triple action by Devoe, a foul committed on Murphy who from the line and coach Di Carlo with Tezenis who find themselves with an episode at -1 (65-66 -5’27”) thanks to a 5-point possession.
