GROSSETO – Two applause victories for the first Gea teams, both involved in the postseason albeit on opposite fronts. The women’s team is back in the running for salvation, thanks to an extraordinary home victory of 62-54 at the expense of Pallacanestro Femminile Pisa, on the first day back of the team’s salvation team. C series. Driven by Clara Nunziatini, in a graceful evening with seven long-range baskets, and by a Martina Borellini who is growing performance after performance, the red and whites got the better of an expert team against whom in the previous three outings they had also suffered harshly lessons.
Given that Luca Faragli, between injuries, work commitments and school trips, was only able to score seven players, who however never felt tired and tamed the Pisans with perfect match conduct and an even rampant last quarter with 23 points scored, which allowed us to close with an important haul of 62 points.
“The secret of success – underlines Faragli – is that we passed the ball and took a safe shot. Clara Nunziatini’s evening of grace, with seven beautiful bombs, certainly did the rest, but the girls defended well and didn’t let the fact that there were only seven of them against Pisa’s twelve athletes weigh on them. I’m happy, everyone was good, with Borellini who did wonderful things. Pisa didn’t give up until the fourth, in which we went ahead.”
Gea rises to four points, against Florence’s eight: “We must win next Saturday against Castelfiorentino, beatable by playing like this and then on May 12th go on to win by four points on the Florentine pitch.”
Gea Grosseto-PF Pisa 62-54
GEA GROSSETO: Tanganelli 7, Nunziatini 29, De Michele 5, Melissa Picchianti, Cipolletta 1, Faragli 6, Borellini 14. Coach Luca Faragli.
PF PISA: Sereni 6, Ferri, Berrettini 23, Barghini, Ward, Selmi 2, Nannini 4, Cioni, Beccari 2, Mercolini 3, Fazi 3, Garruto 11. Coach Stefano Zari.
REFEREE: Gentlemen from Piombino.
PARTIALS: 14-12, 26-27; 39-44.
A great success also for the first men’s team, which sets one foot in the final of the championship Regional Division 1 going on to win the first match of the semi-final at the Pala Tagliate in Lucca (85-82 final), at the end of another extraordinary match. Marco Santolamazza’s boys faced the very difficult match with the right attitude and finished ahead by six points, thanks also to the bombs of Mari, Liberati (two each) and Furi. DP Lubrificanti Lucca, dominators of the regular season, came back from behind with a partial of 27-19 and went into the break two up. The match remained on the edge of balance, but Gea found the break to take the lead again in the 30th minute. The two rivals challenged each other point for point until 2’30 from the end, with the Grosseto team moving forward and controlling it, even adjusting the shot from the foul line.
It’s difficult to make merit rankings on such good days, but Piccoli, the best scorer, deserves a mention, but important baskets came from Mari, Furi and Liberati.
“Congratulations to the whole team – smiles Santolamazza – whoever entered did their part. The boys were good, they respected the game plan. We prepared it well and implemented everything very well. We immediately took control of the game, the Lucca team tried to come back and did so in a balanced second quarter. At the beginning of the second half we took control of the game, even reaching a 10 point lead, but the locals came back thanks to the two shooters Cecconi and Lorenzi, who scored more than half of the team’s points. At the end of the third we were back on top, before a heart-pounding finish. A bomb from Lorenzo Scurti put us back on top and then we managed possession until the end, also scoring baskets with Furi in the final seconds.”
After this blitz, the second of the playoffs after Venturina’s, Gea has placed a claim on progressing to the next round, having a home match available on Wednesday at 9pm in via Austria.
“We haven’t done anything yet – warns Santolamazza – If we play like this we have great chances. On Wednesday we have to try to tighten up to avoid game 3, which would be dangerous. We will try in every way to take advantage of the match point at home.”
DP Lubrificinanti Libertas Lucca-Gea Basketball Grosseto 82-85
LIBERTAS LUCCA: Canciello 12, Mattei, Lorenzi 22, Fracassini 5, Lombardi 9, Piercecchi, Morello 5, Guidi 7, Cecconi 20, Brunelli, Tonacci 2. All. Romani.
GEA GROSSETO: Scurti 10, Fanelli 6, Piccoli 19, Ignarra, Furi 16, Ricciarelli 4, Simonelli 1, Liberati 14, Alvarez Rodriguez, Mari 15. Coach Marco Santolamazza.
REFEREES: Valfré from Massa and Benenati from Cecina
PARTIALS: 22-28, 49-47; 63-69.
OUT FOR FOULS: Guidi and Cecconi.
