Cruel but meritocratic sport, basketball: Latina wins 67 to 65 thanks to Moretti’s buzzer beater, a match where they were ahead from the first minute, condemning Luiss to their eighth defeat in the championship within three points.
Luiss was the protagonist of a first half that will certainly not be shown to the youth basketball teams, granting 40 points to a not irresistible Latina. Then the nervous reaction, but not enough, to get the game back on its feet: 65-65 with Cucci’s free throws, offensive rebound granted to Moretti and at the siren a shot that goes in.
THE MATCH
Really dull first quarter, with Moretti and Amo doing pots and lids, after coach Paccariè’s timeout the players on the field give birth to three turnovers and at the first break it’s 21 to 9. Slight jolt for the traveling players who try to protect the iron better thanks with two defenses by Cain, on the other side D’Argenzio and Jovovic come back (26-22, 15′). At the long break it was 40-27, with Luiss 1/11 from three points.
Cucci enters and the music changes for the Capitoline players who return to contact: Sabin scores from the elbow, counterattack by Jovovic and partial score 3-14 (43-41 at 25′). But Luiss is not continuous, they concede a lot of offensive rebounds (there will be 16 in total) and many turnovers, Borra finds himself with two balls in his hands and can’t make a mistake (60-52 at 35′) D’Argenzio and Sabin try to make a comeback , Cucci scores the equalizing free throws but Moretti’s last prayer condemns Luiss.
COACH PACCERIE’: “REALLY BAD FIRST HALF”
“Really terrible first half, one of the worst since I’ve been in charge of this project – commented coach Andrea Paccariè in the press room -. I would like to justify the defeat with the tiredness of so many matches in a few days but it doesn’t stand up: a truly soft attitude for a team, mine, which came here to Latina with the aim of winning to continue to hope. In an episodic manner we got it back on its feet, but for Latina it would have been truly unfair to lose the match in the final moments.”
THE SCORESHEET
Benacquista Assicurazioni Latina – Luiss Roma 67-65 (21-9, 19-18, 11-21, 16-17)
Benacquista Assicurazioni Latina: Samuele Moretti 21 (8/10, 0/0), Ivan Alipiev 15 (4/7, 2/7), Jacopo Borra 9 (4/12, 0/0), Felix Amo 7 (3/4 , 0/1), Demario Mayfield 6 (1/4, 1/2), Gabriele Romeo 4 (2/12, 0/4), Lorenzo Zangheri 3 (0/1, 1/2), Salvatore Parrillo 2 (1 /2, 0/7), Jacopo Rapetti 0 (0/0, 0/0), Maurizio Spadon 0 (0/0, 0/0), Alexander Cicchetti 0 (0/0, 0/0)
Free throws: 9 / 13 – Rebounds: 43 16 + 27 (Samuele Moretti 12) – Assists: 8 (Gabriele Romeo 3)
Luiss Roma: Riccardo Salvioni 13 (6/14, 0/0), Matija Jovovic 11 (4/6, 1/4), Domenico D’argenzio 10 (1/2, 2/7), Valerio Cucci 9 (2/ 2, 1/3), Marco Pasqualin 7 (0/2, 2/3), Tyler Cain 6 (2/5, 0/0), Tyler francis Sabin 6 (3/7, 0/6), Riccardo Murri 2 (1/1, 0/0), Francesco Villa 1 (0/0, 0/1), Matteo Fallucca 0 (0/0, 0/2), Davide Tolino 0 (0/0, 0/0)
Free throws: 9 / 12 – Rebounds: 40 9 + 31 (Riccardo Salvioni, Tyler Cain 9) – Assists: 15 (Tyler Cain 4)
