BERGAMO – Mazzoleni Pizzighettone begins with a bad away defeat and in game 1 of the Interregional Serie B playoff quarter-finals loses after playing on par for almost 3 quarters on the CLF Italia Bergamo pitch which prevails with the final score of 85 65. For this match coach Giubertoni recovers Belloni and Zampolli; while on the other side coach Grazzini shows up in full force. The match saw a balanced start with the two teams overtaking each other, then Mazzoleni gained a 5-point lead on a couple of occasions with Zampolli and Ndiaye, but Bergamo came back behind thanks to a triple by Manto and a basket by Gianoli brings the match back to a draw and the 1st quarter ends at 17 all. In the 2nd half Mazzoleni started strong again and with a basket from Captain Pedrini they brought themselves back to +5 at 19 to 24; Bergamo doesn’t give up and within a few minutes they score a run of 10 to zero, taking the lead to 29 to 24 with Gallizzi. The match is beautiful and fun, Mazzoleni with Boccasavia and a triple from Ciaramella restore parity at 29, then it continues point by point until the final seconds when Kingsley scores a 3-point play and sends the teams to the mid-match break with the result 37 to 34. At the start of the second half the game continued to be essentially balanced for several minutes, then the referees became negative protagonists for the Riviera players by calling a technical foul on Ciaramella who had previously suffered the same infringement and was sent off; same fate shortly afterwards also for Ndiaye and from 53 to 47 scored by Zampolli, Bergamo takes advantage of the situation to place a partial of 12 to zero and the 3rd quarter ends with the score of 65 to 47, thanks to 2 free throws by Simoncelli. The last quarter opens with Kingsley’s basket which brings the locals to +20; Mazzoleni has a timid reaction and drops back to -14; but at this point the visitors’ dreams of a comeback are interrupted and in the final seconds a triple from Clementi gives the locals the maximum advantage at +22; on the reversal in front, captain Pedrini scores the final 85 to 65. On Saturday 11 May at the PalaStadio in Soresina, Mazzoleni will try for a draw and then play for the next round on Wednesday 15 May on the Orobic pitch.
CLF ITALY BERGAMO-MAZZOLENI PIZZIGHETTONE 85-65
PARTIALS: 17-17, 37-34, 65-47
CLF ITALY BERGAMO: Kingsley 16, Clementi 6, Neri 13, Manto 8, Gianoli 9, Gallizzi 6, Bedini 10, Sackey 11, Isaia, Bellarosa, Simoncelli 6. Coaches: Grazzini.
No one out for 5 fouls.
MAZZOLENI PIZZIGHETTONE: Ciaramella 3, Pedrini 8, Ndiaye 14, Samija 15, Biondi ne, Belloni 3, Beghini ne, Zafferoni ne, Tolasi 3, Rinaldi, Boccasavia 7, Zampolli 12. Coaches: Giubertoni.
No one out for 5 fouls, double technical foul to Ciaramella with relative expulsion and technical to Ndiaye.
REFEREES: Di Giuseppe from Carugate (MI) and Forconi from Faenza (RA).
