Az Pneumatica Saronno – Bcl 84-79 (15-10, 36-33, 62-58)
SARONNO: Canton, Ugolin 13, Negri 19, Quinti 13, De Capitani 5, Nasini, Mariani, Pellegrini 25, Tolotti, Beretta 9, Motta, Figini. All. Biffi, ass. De Piccoli.
BASKETBALL CLUB LUCCA: Landucci, Burgalassi 10, Barbieri, Lenci, Lippi 5, Barsanti 3, Simonetti 3, Tempestini 15, Del Debbio 21, Brugioni, Pierini 4, Trentin 18. All. Olivieri, ass. Giuntoli.
The dream of Basketball Club Lucca ends in game 3. A knockout in Saronno ends the season for the Lucca team.
The news. First ball to Burgalassi for a three-pointer that hits the rim, a decisive response from the home team who scores the first triple of the match.
Saronno scored again from the area to make it 5/0, then Burgalassi and Del Debbio equalized the score to make it 5/5. The hosts pushed hard and closed a three-point play for 8/5, in a very tense match played at a dizzying pace, with very fierce defences, the score was 8/7 after 7 minutes of play.
A couple of bursts and the score rises to 13/10, Trenti, Del Debbio and Tempestini try from outside to get around the opposing defense, but find the rim to deny them the basket, while for Saronno, Pellegrini gives the plus 5 at the end of the quarter.
The recovery finds Saronno more ready: Negri and Pellegrini make the team fly at plus 10, Del Debbio responds from three, then Tempestini from below for minus 7.
Then it is Trentin to close a game of three, andTrentin again for a basket and a foul 6 minutes before the half-time siren, with Bcl still chasing at minus 6.
It’s Pellegrini who scores two more points for the minus 8, then Trentin and Tempestini hit a triple for one, bringing the score to 4 with just over two minutes to play before the siren sends everyone to the locker rooms for a long break.
Still Storms marks the minus one then a daring shot by Pellegrini who dances for at least 5 seconds on the irons and then enters, closing the quarter on 36/33
The second half begins with a real assault by the home team on the red and white basket, stretching again to plus ten, but the Bcl doesn’t give up and recovers points up to minus 4, but De Capitani burns the retina from 6 meters for 58/52, Barsanti responds with another triple for minus three, but there is no respite, Saronno’s shooting precision it’s impressive.
This time it’s Tempestini who responds for the minus two just a handful of seconds from the siren, but enough for Quinti to score 62/58.
The last quarter opens with a basket by Burgalassi for the minus 2, these will be the ten minutes longer than the Bcl has ever played since the start of the championship, the semi-finals are at stake and the tension on the pitch is starting to be able to be cut into slices, it is so dense.
Seven to go Burgalassi it puts Bcl ahead by just one point, a trifle, but perhaps good for increasing the pressure on the home team.
Come on free Fifths goes back to plus onebut Bcl also scores 69/70, it’s a final with an exaggerated adrenaline rate, again from the Liberi Saronno takes the lead again by one, but Del Debbio from an abysmal distance puts it from three for the plus two, the answer is however immediate 73/73 with three minutes to play.
Two minutes to go with the score still perfectly tied 76/76. Trentin sinks from below, but the iron is not in the right mood and denies the two points, however earning a turn to the line for two free throws, for 76/78, a joy that lasts a handful of nanosecondsbecause Beretta puts it from three, Trentin tries again, but it’s not his moment, the ball turns on the rim and goes out and Pellegrini instead scores the plus 3 with a minute to play
Tempestini hits free throws for one out of two and minus two with 40 seconds to go it’s yet another triple from Saronno which makes it almost impossible for Bcl to win, down 5 with 34 seconds to play.
Thus ends the Bcl adventure in the 2023/24 season in Saronno at the end of a very hard-fought match where no one managed to impose their game, Olivieri’s boys lacked a pinch, but really a pinch of luck otherwise now we will tell a completely different story.
The season that ends was the best one could have hoped for: salvation obtained well in advance then the play in silver and then the play-offs again.
