With a display of great authority, staying in command for 40 minutes and repelling every proud opponent’s attempt at a comeback, the Academy conquers the Cercola neutral in game 2 and wins a deserved pass to the semi-final.
The Portici bogeyman was definitively exorcised with another game of extreme self-sacrifice, in which, despite changing some performers, there were still five rossoblù players who closed in double figures at the final siren.
Diaz in the opening minutes and Lorusso from the midrange opened the fire in a first quarter whose epilogue was entirely taken by Matteo Cagnacci: the seven consecutive points earned the first double-digit lead in the 10th minute.
Potenza continues to hit effectively and consistently in attack And control the game even in defense, and then attend an authentic show by Gerardo Esposito. In just under five minutes the power forward from Potenza scored thirteen points in a row (two two-pointers, two three-pointers and three free throws), finalizing the team-building work and allowing the Academy to even touch the +17 (28-45).
As expected, however, the reaction of the home team, which passed mainly through the hands of Pasquale Greco, was not long in coming, even if triples from Sansone and Esposito (who was prematurely eliminated by fouls) still kept the guests at a safe distance (53-66 at 27′) and the local 8-0 was stopped with an important bomb from Diaz (63-69).
Sansone with five points in a row and a jumper from Lorusso still wrote +12 (64-76) at the start of the fourth quarter, before Matteo Cagnacci returns to the scene.
The winger scores the 2+1 of +11 (68-79) and then with two consecutive triples he definitively sends back to the sender any residual hope of Growatt of returning to the game, also thanks to the obscure but highly energetic work on the rebound and in defense of Pace, Labovic and Assui.
The last points all come from the foul line, the coaches also grant the right glory to their respective youngsters and the Academy can celebrate a solid and convincing success which earns them the anticipated pass to the semi-final: the opponent will be one between Caiazzo and Cercola, with game 2 scheduled for tonight on the same parquet in Viale dei Platani.
Polisportiva Portici 2000 – Academy Basket Potenza 81-92 (15-26; 34-48; 63-69)
Polisportiva Portici 2000: Cirillo, Marra 18, Cautiero 1, La Marca 1, Minieri 1, Campa 2, Greco 24, Abete 10, Chiacchio, Vecchione 4, Cullia 9, Sabellico 11. All. Massaro
Academy Basket Potenza: Marchetti 5, Vece 1, Pace 2, Lorusso 11, Labovic 2, Diaz 10, Assui 1, Guglielmi, Cagnacci 28, Serra, Sansone 12, Esposito 20. Coach Miriello
Referees: Serino from San Nicola La Strada and Gensini from Cercola
