In the midweek round of the 30th day of the Old Wild West Group A National Serie B Championship, coach Lorenzo Dalmonte’s Fiorenzuola Bees host Legnano in a delicate challenge. Fiorenzuola arrives at the match after 3 consecutive defeats, including two burning comebacks away from home, while Legnano approaches the match with great enthusiasm deriving from the latest victory.
The guests started better by taking advantage of Sacchettini’s physicality under the basket, with the number 18’s jumper making it 2-7 in the 4th minute.
Preti launches the open triple to make it 7-9 in the 6th minute, but the game remains low-scoring and with particularly aggressive defenses. Sipala is surgical from the charity line, but Biorac and Bottioni keep Dalmonte’s team on the waterline. 16-16 at the first interval.
Ricci and Biorac make the Bees extend their lead at the start of the second quarter with a break from 7-2 which forces coach Piazza to take a full timeout at 23-18 yellow and blue.
Fiorenzuola erupts and drags his audience along with Biorac’s dunk and Sabic’s triple after team action (28-18), but Marino with his experienced triple tries to get SAE Scientifica back on track. 28-24 at 15′.
Casini completes the overtaking with the triple from the corner which says 0-7 mini counterbreak for Legnano, but Venturoli with the fade away after the turn in the center of the area continues a challenge full of hits and counters. On the chocolate behind Marino’s back for Casini it is Legnano’s captain who closes the first half with the guests ahead by 3 points. 34-37.
Ponziani uses harsh methods on Seck at the beginning of the third set, with the Italian-Senegalese center forced to come off after a clash due to a knee problem. Raivio proves himself to be a high-level player for the category with the start and third half of 38-42 in the 23rd minute, with the Bees looking for and finding points from the line with Preti to try to reverse a non-positive trend in the third set.
Fragonara with a triple in isolation of high difficulty coefficient writes the +7 for Legnano entering the last 3 minutes of the third quarter, but Giacchè and Bottioni give a rush of adrenaline to PalArquato. 46-48 in the 28th minute with two plays from the yellow and blue playmakers.
Ricci with 1/2 from free throws brings the Bees back to -1, but Sacchettini with the offensive rebound and tap in closes the third set with Legnano ahead by 3. 47-50.
It is the usual Sacchettini who proves to be lethal in the paint in the decisive moments of the match, surpassing the personal double figure in the 0-4 at the beginning of the last partial. He smashes with another contested triple to make it +9 in the 34th minute, forcing coach Dalmonte to time out at 50-59.
Sabic tries to give new life to the Bees with the triple to make it 55-62, with the Bees trying to believe in it all the way despite the difficulties and thanks to the Croatian guard they get back to 60-64 in the 37th minute.
With the third half, Preti equalizes with 57 seconds to go, suffering a foul and going to the line. Despite a micro injury suffered on his hand, Fiorenzuola brings Venturoli onto the pitch who is ice-cold from the line. 67-66.
After 57 seconds of pure basketball adrenaline, the Valdardese defense holds up, making PalArquato explode with joy and closing the match with 2 fundamental points in the standings for the Fiorenzuola Bees.
30th Day of the Old Wild West National Serie B Championship 2023/2024 Group A
Fiorenzuola Bees vs SAE Scientifica Legnano Knights 67-66
(16-16; 34-37; 47-50)
Fiorenzuola Bees: Ricci 7; Biorac 8; Venturoli 5; Bottioni 9, King; Seck 2; Guaccio; Since 7; Priests 12; Gayè ne; Sabic 17. All. Dalmonte
Legnano Basket Knights: Casini 12; Ghigo ne; Planetius; Marino 3; Pirovano ne; Ponziani 2; Sipala 4; Bags 15; Fragonara 8; Amorelli ne; Raivio 15; Scali 7. All. Piazza
Referees: Di Franco from Bergamo and Purrone from Mantua
Uff press Fiorenzuola Bees
