Game 3 of this match ends in extra time and sees Fortitudo Bologna get the better of Gruppo Mascio in the sprint with the final score of 63-64 which means the Emilian team will go through to the next round. A match that the team from Treviglia had to win at all costs to keep the series open and to make up for the bad performances offered in the first two clashes and the boys coached by coach Valli had almost succeeded by leading the charge for 3 quarters thanks to a very solid defense in front of a dull and very imprecise Fortitudo in shooting. Ahead by 10 points after 30′ of play, Gruppo Mascio was put back by the boys coached by Attilio Caja in the final period until Ogden equalized in the last minute. In extra time, triples from Conti and Bolpin dealt a big blow to the ambitions of the hosts who tried until the end with triples from Harris and an indomitable Cerella who at the final siren scored -1 which ended his career but not gives game 4 to Treviglio who ends his season with many regrets while Fortitudo flies to the next round.
The quintets on the pitch
Coach Valli deploys the quintet made up of Miaschi as director, Pollone and Harris on the outside, Pacher and Barbante under the basket; on the other side, coach Caja responds with Fantinelli as director, Aradori and Bolpin on the outside, Ogden and Freeman under the basket.
First quarter
Limping start on both sides, it’s Miaschi’s triple from the corner after almost 3′ of play that breaks the deadlock with Fortitudo responding immediately with Ogden’s mid-range shot. The winger from Treviglia scores once again with a 2/2 in free throws for a Gruppo Mascio who defends well and extends to +6 with Barbante’s triple from the corner which pushes coach Caja to call the first time out of the match. Pollone puts the +8 shot on the scoreboard, Bologna shakes up with penetrating baskets from the newly entered Giuri and Morgillo while the home team maintains the double possession advantage with 2 points from Barbante. In the final 2/2 from the line by Harris and Giuri’s third personal foul, after 10′ Blu Basket is ahead 14-6.
Second quarter
Bologna tries to raise the pace compared to the first period and moves its score with Conti’s triple and the 2/2 of Freeman’s free throws, Treviglio responds with Pacher’s 2/2 and the support of Guariglia’s iron in a first very physical part of the quarter with several shooting errors. Unsportsmanlike foul called against Cerella which Fortitudo does not fully exploit with only 2/2 from the line by Bolpin, Gruppo Mascio takes advantage of the many shooting errors of the Emilians to widen the gap with 7 points from a wild Pacher taking it to +12 at half period. A Fortitudo in obvious difficulty that is unable to score from the field interrupts the home team’s trend with 1/2 free throws by Freeman and 2/2 by Ogden, on the other side Treviglio wastes a couple of conclusions and the Emilians took advantage of this to get back to -7 with Bolpin’s 2/2 from the line. In the final, Bologna broke free from the field with Ogden’s basket from underneath, Guariglia responded for the home team and sent the teams to the locker rooms at 27-20 in favor of Blu Basket.
Third fourth
Treviglio gets off to a great start again with Harris’ dunk and Guariglia’s basket from underneath, Bologna continues to argue with the rim and breaks the deadlock after more than 2′ with Fantinelli’s placed goal and the first 3 points from Aradori, realizations interspersed with support to the Pacher scoreboard. Slalom in the middle of the area by Harris who finds 2 comfortable points, Bologna responds with Bolpin and Morgillo but the ball is still in the hands of Gruppo Mascio who return to +9 with the triple from Cerella’s corner. It is once again the former Milan and Venice player who scores in penetration by responding to Bolpin’s placed, a balanced phase of the match which sees Treviglio score a 2/2 from the line with Harris yet another triple from a wild Cerella while Fortitudo tries to stay in the game with baskets from the area by Ogden and Fantinelli, closing the third quarter down 45-35.
Last quarter
Fantinelli opens the fourth period with an offensive rebound basket for a Bologna that tries to build rational actions in attack but continues to miss too many shots, on the other side Treviglio controls the situation but fails to dig the decisive furrow adding 3 consecutive errors from long distance. Conti’s placed brings the gap back to 6 points, Pacher responds with a 2/2 to the free throws but Fortitudo believes in it and gets back to -5 with Sergio’s triple. The guests raise the intensity in defense, forcing the Trevigliesi to take hasty shots, a situation that gives them confidence in attack where they fight ferociously against offensive rebounds without however managing to sink the shot. Central phase of the quarter where the defenses are the masters with the 24” expiring on both sides with every reversal of the field, the Emilians dangerously return to -2 with Freeman’s 1/2 from the line and the winning penetration by Conti while on the other side coach Valli tries new additions from the bench but his players seem blocked and almost only attempt long-range shots. The 2/2 to Pacher’s free throws is a breath of fresh air for the Trevigliesi, Bologna responds with Freeman’s winning tap in but Blu Basket insists and gets back to +4 with 1’30” from the end with Barbante’s dunk . Ogden makes 2/2 from the line to restore the -2, Harris’ error from the midrange and another turn to the free throws of the Emilians who with 56” to play impact the score at 51 with Bolpin’s 2/2. The Mascio Group runs the full 24” but misses the KO shot with Miaschi, a mistake also for the Emilians with Ogden who give Harris the opportunity to attempt the basket on the counterattack but the parable is rejected by the block of the long guest with the tank top size 35; Valli time out to organize the second that remains on the clock but Pacher’s shot goes off the rim and we go to extra time.
First overtime
Pacher’s 1/2 to free kicks inaugurates the first extra half which sees Bologna put their noses ahead for the first time in the match with Conti’s triple, Gruppo Mascio seems to have suffered the blow by wasting the next 4 possessions while the Emilians go at +4 with the counterattack completed by Bolpin. Treviglio is no longer able to score, however Bologna misses the KO shot with Fantinelli and Ogden giving Pacher the opportunity to reduce the gap to 2 points with a 2/2 from the line with 1’30” on the clock. Fortitudo misses from afar but Ogden’s offensive rebound gives her a new chance which Bolpin doesn’t miss by scoring the +5 triple which explodes the Bolognese curve which sees the finish line with 1’11” to play. Time out Valli who tries to charge him but Harris makes another mistake from afar, Bologna manages the shot clock and finds the +7 with the support of Freeman on the scoreboard which is worth the potential game-set-match for the guests. Cerella (in his last appearance as a professional) doesn’t want to give up and scores the triple for +4, a systematic foul by the Trevigliesi to send Ogden to the line who scores 1/2, with 21” Blu Basket runs and scores -1 with the Harris bomb. 10” on the clock and another foul by the home team and another 1/2 by Fantinelli who signs the +3, now it’s Bologna who stops the Trevigliese game with Harris who misses the first free throw and intentionally the second but his teammates don’t collect it the offensive rebound and the subsequent 1/2 from the line by Freeman definitively closes the game. The last ball is in the hands of Bruno Cerella who closes his extraordinary career with a triple from midfield which sets the final score of 63-64 with which Fortitudo Bologna wins game 3 and the consequent passage to the next round.
The best in the field
The performances of Ogden (11 points and 9 rebounds), Freeman (9 points and 13 rebounds), Bolpin (top scorer of his team with 15 points) and Fantinelli (7 points and 8 rebounds) were decisive for the final result.
On the other hand, the good performances of Pacher (18 points and 7 rebounds) and Cerella (in the last ball of his extraordinary career, he closed with 14 points and 9 rebounds, 4/5 from long range), also in double figures, were not enough Harris (11 points but also 1/9 from 3 points and 2/6 from 2).
The scoreboard
Gruppo Mascio Treviglio 63-64 Flats Serv. Fortitudo Bologna dts (partial: 14-6, 27-20, 45-35, 51-51)
Mascio Treviglio Group: Pacher 18, Giordano, Vitali, Harris 11, Cerella 14, Falappi ne, Sacchetti, Guerci ne, Barbante 7, Guariglia 6, Pollone 2, Miaschi 5. Coach Valli
Flats Serv. Fortitudo Bologna: Sergio 3, Aradori 3, Conti 10, Bolpin 15, Panni, Kuznetsov ne, Fantinelli 7, Giuri 2, Freeman 9, Ogden 11, Morgillo 4. Coach Caja
Statistics – Treviglio: 12/29 from 2, 8/36 from 3, 15/20 from free throws; Bologna: 16/39 from 2, 5/27 from 3, 17/22 from free throws.
Match referees: Enrico Bartoli from Trieste, Daniele Alfio Foti from Bareggio (MI), Daniele Yang Yao from Vigasio (VR).
