HDL Nardò Basket – Moncada Energy Agrigento 61-68 (20-23, 19-19, 8-14, 14-12)
HDL Nardò Basket: Russ Smith 30 (7/8, 4/8), Wayne Stewart jr 9 (4/8, 0/4), Lorenzo Baldasso 8 (1/2, 2/6), Matteo Parravicini 8 (1/ 4, 2/5), Andrea Donda 2 (1/3, 0/0), Andrea La torre 2 (1/3, 0/3), Lazar Nikolic 2 (1/2, 0/4), Matteo Ferrara 0 (0/0, 0/0), Alessandro Ceparano 0 (0/0, 0/1), Antonio Iannuzzi 0 (0/0, 0/0), Lorenzo Scarano 0 (0/0, 0/0), Gabriele Bum 0 (0/0, 0/0)
Free throws: 5 / 9 – Rebounds: 33 3 + 30 (Wayne Stewart jr 8) – Assists: 9 (Matteo Parravicini 3)
Moncada Energy Agrigento: Lorenzo Ambrosin 27 (3/5, 4/8), Dwayne Cohill 10 (2/7, 2/6), Albano Chiarastella 9 (1/2, 2/4), Alessandro Sperduto 8 (0/1 , 2/4), Jacob Polakovich 7 (3/12, 0/0), Davide Meluzzi 4 (1/7, 0/2), Emanuele Caiazza 3 (0/2, 1/3), Mait Peterson 0 (0 /0, 0/0), Sadio soumalia Traore 0 (0/1, 0/0), Nicolas Morici 0 (0/0, 0/0)
Free throws: 15 / 18 – Rebounds: 38 9 + 29 (Jacob Polakovich 14) – Assists: 13 (Davide Meluzzi 6)
The salvation round begins very badly Hdl Nardò Basketballdefeated at home by an excellent team Moncada Energy Agrigento. The Sicilians played a game of substance and extreme application, bringing home the two points of hope. On the day that Cento falls at home with Latina, Toro complicates his life, proving soft and very imprecise. Smith alone, 30 points today too, cannot be enough on the complicated road to salvation.
The first granata quintet is Parravicini, Baldasso, Stewart jr., La Torre and Donda. The visiting team started better, lethal from the perimeter with Chiarastella, Ambrosin, Meluzzi and Cohill. Nardò was light in defense and Fortitudo accumulated a first, substantial lead of 11 points (9-20), which led Dalmonte to time out. On the pitch now there are Ferrara and especially Smith, immediately on the scoresheet with an assist, a rebound and a bomb (with a foul immediately). The American, as usual, changes his face. Baldasso also scores the providential triple from distance to make it 17-20. A few seconds and Smith equalizes and draws, before a new derailment in the final seconds that brings Agrigento back to +3. The outcome of the first part of the race is 20-23.
There will be suffering. Meanwhile Parravicini and Stewart jr. they complete the comeback (25-24). The match is dirty, the stakes are very high and affects many plays. Pilot’s assignment to him is to keep very close attention on the Americans in the grenade jersey, who were devastating three weeks ago. Agrigento is definitely in the game and shoots with extraordinary percentages from the arc. The leitmotif of the dispute, so far, is this. It is a phase in which Toro is forced to chase again (35-39). Smith puts his teammates on his shoulders, scoring (18) almost half of Hdl’s points. He goes to long rest on 39-42.
Baldasso (triple) opens the ball in the third quarter, but the impression is that the defenses are now much more effective. Ambrosin is the best in this segment of the match, Nardò has watered down the offensive actions and is forced to chase. Only Donda rises in the paint, muscles and centimeters needed. Dalmonte puts Smith back on. Agrigento slips again and Chiarastella scores the Sicilian +12, Pala San Giuseppe is in a panic. Toro is still nibbling away at something with the two Americans, but the just 8 points from the third quarter are very little. Dalmonte seeks dynamism with Ceparano. The last pause marks the 47-56there is a mountain to climb.
We start again with Stewart jr., who scores with a stop and a shot. Polakovich answers. Sperduto leaves limping (he will return shortly after), but the turning point for Nardò does not seem to arrive. Smith scores -7, Pilot calls a time-out. Some questionable whistles from the trio further raise the temperature, Nikolic goes to score in penetration. It’s a clash between pirates, a tremendous melee with little technique and a lot of beatings. The Sicilians appear more lucid, but they don’t have Smith who scores again by cutting the opposing defense in two. With about three minutes left, Toro’s deficit is 3 points. Ferrara’s fifth foul leaves those present speechless. Meluzzi also leaves for five fouls. Baldasso misses the triple from the corner, Stewart jr. he imitates him and ruins the illusion of a comeback. Ambrosin is glacial from the line and extends to +5. Too many errors, too little substance under the scoreboards, Hdl surrenders (61-68) to a more attentive and effective team today.
The stop burns. Toro wastes a wonderful opportunity and has to redo the schedule. On Wednesday in Rome we will need to be very different.
Nardò Basket press office
