LIVORNO If something can go wrong, it will get worse. Murphy’s theorem hits Libertas in the face, who stumble upon a terrible Monday, fall under the blows of a Faenza risen from the grave and now find themselves having to overturn the field factor: on Friday or Sunday in Romagna they need at least one victory to return in via Allende for game five. Although from what we saw in the first 80 minutes of this duel the Amaranths have what it takes to close it even earlier. But we need to move on immediately.
The office of the president
President Roberto Consigli, in the end, gives credit to Garelli’s Romagna players but believes in his boys: “Faenza played a great match, they deserved it – he says -. We can do better, we struggled to match their intensity and we got nervous about the low shooting percentages. But it can be there. The series is very open. Great teams win away, championships are won by winning away.”
Nightmare start
Game lost in attack, with a lot of errors from the arc and great difficulty in serving the big men (just two shots in the area made between Fantoni, Fratto, Tozzi and Buca).
Anyone who imagined enjoying the sequel to race one was stunned. The first quarter is a nightmare that materializes minute after minute. The Amaranths remain mired in the quicksand prepared by Gigi Garelli who decides to increase the pressure on the wingers as much as possible and seals the area. In the first nine minutes Libertas scored only two field goals (in penetration with Ricci), while from the arc the statistics say 0 out of 7, with Saccaggi forced to shoot with three men on him and Ricci from 7 meters.
Faenza extends to plus 6 (6-12), until Sacca breaks the spell from the corner (9-12 in the 9th minute). But it’s an immense effort and the absence of Williams, who ended up sitting after 2 minutes with two fouls, doesn’t help. In an amen Sebastian Vico and Begarin give Faenza the maximum advantage: 9-17 at 10′, while the scout from Livorno talks about 4 turnovers, 4 attacking rebounds conceded, 8 fouls made, 1/9 from three, with Fantoni (on which Garelli sends Poletto by moving Papa to Fratto), Buca and Tozzi with zero attempts.
The illusion
However, Libertas is not this and its strength this year should be awareness. With the mentality of the great team he begins to play. The second quarter is a concentration of pride and unity. The amaranths start again with their lethal weapon, the defense: in ten minutes the Faenza guns score just 8 points, while in attack they regain confidence inspired by Allinei’s opening triple, followed by those of Tozzi and Bargnesi and five points in a row of a Saccaggi who impresses with his determination, desire to rock and who tries to become the driving force of the group. His match is the only positive sign that comes this evening.
Lining up from the line takes the lead, 20-19 (13′), from there a deluge of baskets begins. The partial of the half is impressive, 28-8, with Fratto’s basket at the siren which gives Amaranth the maximum advantage, 36-25 and makes us imagine a completely different evening.
The nightmare part two
But it’s an illusion. After returning from the break the nightmare begins again: on the Livorno basket it seems that someone has put the cap, while Begarin seems to have the remote control, as he shoots he makes the basket. And so it ends in disaster: 6 points scored in 10 minutes (the triple by Williams and that by Saccaggi) and 29 conceded, of which 8 from the foul line, the result of embarrassing refereeing, which allowed Faenza to hit hard, even blowing the whistle for the sighs at Libertas. At 30′ the scoreboard shows minus 12, 42-54. At 35′ the tunnel seems endless 47-61. But Libertas doesn’t give up, Tozzi rekindles their hopes from the arc, 50-61, Amos from the line brings the deficit under double digits (51-60), but it’s not a day: Petrucci on the other side scores a deadly triple (52 -64). Tozzi shortens from the line (54-64) but with 180 seconds to go until the siren the Amaranths still have Pordoi to overcome. They get to within 6 with ball in hand with 75 seconds to play, but Williams misses the basket at minus 3 and Allinei does the same on the next play. End of the race. The true Libertas was seen only once, too little. If you want to go to the semi-finals you have to get out of the hole.
