Of Letizia Gaeta
TRENT – The play-off train for Estra passes through today’s match against Dolomiti Energia Trentino at the T-Quotidiano Arena: a (more than) positive result for coach Brienza’s team could even allow them to dream of fifth place . The penultimate match of the regular season could give Pistoia the achievement of a unique and unforgettable goal.
The match in Trento is a riot of celebrations for Estra who, for the first time in the season, manages to win with a difference of more than 20 points (80-105), also sending Metzla, one of the youngsters of the cantera, on target red and white, good at being ready at Moore’s invitation. A victory of heart, mind and character that took place on the parquet of L’Aquila Basket, the icing on the cake of a formidable year: Pistoia Basket entered the play-offs by reaching their hundredth success in Serie A, a desired and achieved goal which few will forget.
News
Coach Galbiati fields Forray, Baldwin, Mooney, Alviti and Biligha; the red and white coach responds with an unusual quintet made up of Moore, Willis, Wheatle, Hawkins and Ogbeide.
I quarter
Despite an excellent defense by Estra, Mooney managed to score the first two points of the Juventus game with a great basket after the game was broken. The red and whites, as often happens in the first minutes of matches, feel the game too much and after just over two minutes Trento brings the score to 9-4, also due to a Pistoia team that is extremely in difficulty in the offensive half of the pitch and predictable attacks. From that moment on Wheatle and Moore put together a partial of 12 to 0 which gave coach Brienza’s men the maximum advantage at 13-19: Trento did not allow itself to be surprised, continuing to build in an organized manner and realizing a counter-partial of 7 at 0 which brings them back to the lead at 20-19. The pace increases, as does the defensive aggressiveness of Estra capable of running on the counterattack with a personal action by Saccaggi who, diving, recovers the ball and finds Moore in an acrobatic solution: Pistoia seems reinvigorated and closes the quarter above 20 -24.
Second quarter
At the start of the second period Varnado often found the way to the basket, constructing excellent shots and helping his team reach their maximum lead at 24-31. Trento is a very talented and physical team and remains attached to the match with Alviti and Mooney; but Estra appears focused and has in Della Rosa the protagonist you don’t expect. The captain leads him with two triples, showing off his arsenal not only as a shooter from off-loads but also from the dribble (31-40). In recent months, coach Brienza’s men have accustomed their fans to switching on at alternate moments within the same match: when this happens, however, Pistoia basketball is one of the most electrifying in the entire championship, capable of scoring points in transition and quickly and to build important advantages. In front of 4000 spectators at the T-Quotidiano Arena, Estra’s offensive clinic allowed them to escape at 33-48; Trentino’s reaction was immediate but Pistoia’s first half was nothing short of incredible, as was his 63% from the 6.75m line (7/11). At the end of the half Ellis earns a foul which he only converts halfway, while Moore’s all-court assist for Hawkins sets the score at 41-55.
Third quarter
The third quarter opens with Baldwin’s basket to which Pistoia responds immediately with the Moore-Ogbeide axis: the red and white number 8 raises for his big man who scores points 7 and 8 of his game. Trento tries to mend things, but in its own defensive half it is difficult to interrupt the flow of an attack that is totally confident and which sees Willis as the first point of fire. Both teams play very aggressive: Biligha is a factor for Aquila Basket both in attack and in protecting his area. It was precisely the eleventh triple of his season that forced coach Brienza to call a time-out, also because Trento came back dangerously behind (63-71) after having sunk to -16. Upon returning to the field, Varnado scores a very important long-range basket and a few seconds later gives an assist to Del Chiaro for a new +11 (65-76). Hubb doesn’t agree and closes the period at 68-76.
Fourth quarter
Coach Brienza starts the last 10 minutes with the second unit and it is Della Rosa, Saccaggi and Del Chiaro who reverse gear. The class of 2001 makes very few mistakes, being ready in the area and scoring 5 points in a very short time, including an excellent 2+1. Dolomiti Energia’s attack stumbles, although for many minutes they remain in Pistoia’s defensive half of the field which is guilty of allowing too many offensive rebounds to coach Galbiati’s team. Estra plays with the clock, without forcing but defending with great intensity: Trento, now on its feet and with very confused ideas, does not score for some time; Pistoia for its part continues to play as it knows how and attack the free spaces, flying to +18 with Ogbeide and Moore (78-96). The show of strength of coach Brienza’s men continues even after the minute requested by the home bench: Trento, now incapable of reacting and scoring. Moore scores 5 in a row, reaching the 100 mark and then giving Metzla the joy of their first points in Serie A.
T-Quotidiano Arena annihilated, the celebrations can begin because the play-off dream has become reality.
Dolomiti Energia Trentino- Estra Pistoia 80-105
Dolomiti Energia Trentino: Alviti 14, Forray 5, Biligha 19, Mooney 10, Baldwin 10, Ellis 5, Hubb 14, Conti, Cooke 3, Diarra ne
Estra Pistoia Basket 2000: Willis 19, Moore 21 (10 assists), Wheatle 6, Hawkins 7, Ogbeide 14, Della Rosa 9, Metzla 2, Saccaggi 3, Del Chiaro 9, Varnado 15.
