The winning streak comes to an end after 13 matches Viagrande basketball. The Etna team, last night, was beaten at home 54-73 by rivalsI Have a Team Ragusa in Game 2 of the Sicilian Serie B play-off finals.
The Viagrandesi team’s approach to the match was terrible as they closed the first quarter with an eloquent 10-21 in favor of their rivals. The gap is increased in the second half. The ibleas find solutions both under the boards and from a distance, while the hosts are decidedly less precise and, it must be said, also less fortunate. The 24-48 of the long break is a decidedly large gap.
In the interval the Etna close ranks and regain compactness. The start of the third set is encouraging. The first six minutes of the quarter saw the girls coached by Tania Seino regain their usual concentration and clarity. Dragged by a Martina Lombardo who finds effectiveness, even from the bow, and by the tireless captain Spampinato, Pallacanestro Viagrande tries to climb a very steep slope, while Ragusa feels the blow. At -15, (38-53), the challenge seems to be able to reopen. But a few too many errors slow down the chase of Viagrande’s girls, while Ragusa can also manage the empty passes, given the advantage. The penultimate siren rings at 42-59.
In the last quarter Ragusa returns to widen the gap. In fact, after Mertz’s initial basket, the Iblee imposed an 8-point break which sent the hosts back to -23 (44-67). Furthermore, Viagrande does not take advantage of the trips from the foul line, which are better capitalized by the guests. In the final, the two triples by captain Spampinato, the last to surrender, are especially worth it for pride. Ragusa deservedly wins Game 2 and ties the series. The final verdict on the 2023/2024 women’s Serie B will be given by Game 3, scheduled again at the “PalaMinardi” in Ragusa, Sunday 21 April.
After the race coach Tania Seino comments on the team’s performance: “The girls never got into the game. They didn’t do anything wrong, as happened to us in the first leg. The change of pace after the break? We did a little dressing room, we looked into each other’s eyes. Race 3 in Ragusa? I expect something totally different. Different from today and different even from Race 1. The championship will be decided there and we will see how it goes. We will have to play an intense and concentrated match to win the match.”.
Frank’s comment sports director Etna, Alfredo Greco: “We knew the difficulty of this race. Our start, especially in defense, wasn’t the best. We gave space to their game. Ragusa has players with excellent fundamentals and good outside shooting percentages, all with “points in hand”. By giving them a 24-point lead we jeopardized our match. Furthermore, we also struggled in attack. Our shooters didn’t have their best day. When we started to defend as we know how, we managed to straighten the score, but the accumulated gap was not easy to fill. They didn’t give up and showed determination until the end. They deservedly beat us. Now we’ll see on Sunday how we will approach Game 3.”
SCORESHEET
VIAGRANDE BASKETBALL – I HAVE A TEAM RAGUSA 54-73
VIAGRANDE BASKETBALL: Hvichiani 9; Lombard 13; Scordino 7; Mertz 13; Spampinato 12; Scalia; Of Stefano; The Manna; Bosio; Catanzaro. Coach: Tania Seino.
I HAVE A TEAM: Great; Mace 10; Antonelli; Terrone; Willow 19; Cats 14; Mallo, Trovato; Cintolo; Olodo 11; Of Fine 6; Chessari 13. Coach: Yvann Baglieri.Partial: 10-21; 14-27; 18-11; 12-14.
Referees: Gaspare Barbera (Trapani); Giorgio Palazzolo (Partinico, PA).
Tags: Serie Play Game Ragusa beats Viagrande
