ALESSANDRIA – Nightmare day for the white and blue team with three days to go before the end of the Poule salvation: the match of Blindo Office Cuspo Basketball Alessandria against Basketball College Novara it is in fact finished 74-78, a result that risks definitively extinguishing the dream of salvation for coach Grattarola’s boys. The match, in the setting of the PalaCima in Alessandria, saw the hosts prevail especially in the first two periods, so much so that at the break the quintet by coach Grattarola he was +15 on his opponents.
The problems began in the third and last quarter when, thanks to a reorganization by Coach Simone Tarlao, Novara’s defense tightened and the attack became more concrete. College Novara, led by a great Giromini with 19 points, recovers after reaching -20. With less than 2 minutes left, Giromini put his team ahead with a bomb from the corner at 70-71, first Fassio for Alessandria and then Boncompagni for Novara setting the score at 72 to 73 with one minute to play. A foul, followed by a technical foul on Lorenzo Billi, practically ends the game. Bonconpagni makes one out of three from the line, but Fassio with two wicked possessions gives the victory to the Novaresi, who with this result practically ensure their salvation. 74 to 78 the final.
“We had two good quarters – the general manager declared after the match Giovanni Mazzoglio – in the first and second, in fact, we were good in defense and went to the basket with several athletes, managing to play both with the pick and roll and coming out of the blocks consistently. In the third quarter we suffered their return, taking bombs and not showing the right vitality to be able to counter them, both for physical reasons and anger, because we were unable to counter their three-point shots, which hurt us particularly . The game then resumed its progress, we were point to point, losing on episodes that unfortunately are congenital to this team, making completely wrong choices and taking a few baskets that were too simple on their part.”
Next match for Blindo Office Cuspo Basket Alessandria on Saturday 18 May at 9pm at the Gramsci Gym in Ivrea against Usac Rivarolo, on the 9th day of the Poule Salvazza of the Serie C championship.
