Akern Livorno
72
Blacks Faenza
59
AKERN LIVORNO: Buca, Bargnesi 4, Fratto 6, Williams 4, Fantoni 7, Vicenzin nei, Tozzi 14, Ricci 17, Madeo ne, Saccaggi 2, Allinei 10, Lucarelli 8. Coaches: Andreazza
BLACKS FAENZA: Galassi, Papa 6, Poletti 9, Siberna 8, Vico 10, Naccari ne, Poggi 9, Ballarin ne, Petrucci 3, Pastore 3, Begarin 11. Coach: Garelli
Referees: Di Franco – Nonna
Note. Partials: 20-16; 41-26; 58-46. 2-point shots: Livorno: 13/28, Faenza: 11/25. 3-point shots: Livorno: 10/32, Faenza: 6/29. Free throws: Livorno: 16/23, Faenza: 19/26. Rebounds: Livorno: 41, Faenza: 37 Out for fouls: Fantoni, Poggi and Papa
The Blacks’ season ends in Livorno. This time the heart is not enough to conquer the Libertas field and reach the semi-final, because what betrays the Faenza players are the low offensive percentages that condemn them every time they try to make up for it. That the climate inside the PalaMacchia was hot can be seen from the arrival of the Raggisolaris bus with Livorno fans who ‘waited’ for him by lighting smoke bombs, then punching and kicking him. The police intervened but luckily nothing serious happened, just as nothing happened during the match despite palpable tension on and off the pitch.
Libertas starts at a thousand miles per hour and in three minutes scores a 10-3 break. Garelli calls a time out and the team reorganizes their ideas, starting to be more incisive in rebounding, but the problem is the attack. The constructed shots do not land and so Livorno maintains a few points of advantage (17-9), a trend interrupted by Poggi who with a three-point play brings Faenza back 14-17. The Blacks surprisingly throw Poletti into the fray, having recovered from his muscle injury in record time, and he makes his debut in the match with the 16-20 basket which closes the quarter. However, Faenza continues to argue with the basket and in fact after Papa’s triple at 23-29 he doesn’t score for three minutes. Libertas instead strikes and with Ricci’s fourth triple they reach 39-25 then Williams scores at the end of the break to make it 41-26.
Akern reaches 45-28 then gets nervous and Faenza takes advantage. Fantoni commits the fourth foul, the bench is penalized with a technical foul and in the following action a simulation by Williams is ‘caught’. Situation that allows the Blacks to reopen the match with Poletti, taking the lead to 39-47. Lucarelli blocks the escape with a triple at 50-39, but Pastore doesn’t have it and scores the 42-55 from long range. With tooth and nail Faenza stays in the wake then Fratto scores a triple at the end for the 58-46 which confirms how much Fortuna does not look at the Faenza players. The Blacks didn’t give up, but Libertas didn’t lose their momentum, managing to maintain a double-digit lead until the end.
Luca Del Favero
