BENBUY LATINA INSURANCE – SELLA CENTO 84 – 81 (25-15; 46-41; 64-59; 73-73)
Match statistics
OPENING QUINTETS
Benacquista Insurance Latina: Parrillo, Amo, Alipiev, Moretti, Parrillo.
Sella Cento: Palumbo, Mussini, Toscano, Archie, Bruttini.
The news of Latina-Cento
First match point of salvation for Sella Hundredengaged today against the bête noire of this season: Latin. The match at Pontini’s home ground, in addition to representing a considerable obstacle given the two previous seasonal matches, could, in the event of a red and white victory and simultaneous defeat by Chiusi, already certify their stay in A2. Coach Sacco’s boys, already arithmetically relegated, will play free from any type of pressure, attempting to cause further disappointment to the guests. The men of MecacciHowever, still orphans of Mitchell, they will seek the two points at all costs, to close the question of salvation once and for all.
First quarter
With nothing left to expect from this season, the home team gets off to a flying start, immediately opening the gap. Even though it was Sella who unlocked the bright scoreboard, the hosts managed a deadly 10-2 partial with Cicchetti and Parrillo. Sacco’s team senses the escape, first Palumbo and then Toscano clipping their wings from the arc. Cento’s assault on the blade did not break the home ambitions, resumed at full speed by Amo and Cicchetti for the +10 with 2:17 left in the quarter. Not even coach Mecacci’s timeout stems the overflowing Pontine attack, which even reached +14 before Ladurner’s “double” for 25-15 in the 10th minute.
Second quarter
Ten points down, Sella changes and inserts Delfino and Moreno, who immediately repay the trust with five points. However, the centers of the red and white duo did not dent the Pontine armour, further strengthened by Cicchetti and Borra. The home big man is a real puzzle for the defense and, with his six consecutive points, forces Mecacci to stop the game. The guest coach’s tactical adjustments work and, with Palumbo, Mussini and Delfino, Cento closes to -5. With just two possessions left, the red and whites stopped after slaps from Parrillo and Cicchetti and were thrown back to the bottom of the crevasse. Forced to come back from the abyss, Cento relies on one of its pillars Mattia Palumbo who hits from the arc, ending the second period at 46-41.
Third fourth
Once the rift has been repaired, Sella returns to the field from the long break determined to do battle without sparing herself. Moretti and Cicchetti disguised themselves as firefighters to dampen the enthusiasm of the guests, but Delfino and Mussini combined, bringing their team to just one possession behind. The situation makes Benacquista nervous and it is Parrillo who pays the consequences, expelled from the field for a double technical foul. Difficult moment for the hosts, Alipiev and Amo take care of taking the chestnuts out of the fire, whose eight points allow Latina to breathe. The back and forth is incessant but, despite the continuous attacks, Toscano and his teammates are unable to impact the match and Borra scores the +5 from the paint in the 30th minute.
Fourth quarter
In close contact, at the start of the last shot, Toscano scored the opening basket, useful for further shortening the gap from the opponents. A three-point shot which the red and whites abused, however, failing repeatedly and exposing their side to the home team’s hits with Borra, Alipiev and Cicchetti. Everything has to be done again for Sella, who entrust their hopes to Mussini and receive a very important triple in return. And it is the Reggio Emilia point guard who takes center stage in the final, scoring two very heavy shots from beyond the arc which, with less than a minute to go, lead to a draw. A perfectly balanced challenge, Delfino tries to land a decisive push on the Pontini players who, after a double timeout, take a crucial basket from Borra and win extra time.
Overtime
Exhausted teams, thanks to the great heat, an inspired Amo made his debut in extra time. More square, the Sella records a partial that sounds like a hook to the face of the pontini, with the Mussini-Bruttini-Delfino trio. Having completely overturned the inertia of the match, the guests rested on their laurels and Benacquista thanked her, sending first Borra and Alipiev to the basket and then Cicchetti from beyond the arc. With a few seconds left on the clock, the red and whites threw away the decisive possession to get back into the match and, on the reverse, Moretti closed the match from the line.
This is how it ends at the Palazzetto dello Sport in Ferentino: Latina beats Cento 84-81.
Even slipping down by sixteen points, Sella patiently remained engaged in the challenge and closed the gap, also finding the advantage in the final. Despite this, the Pontinians mocked the Emilians with a 7-0 run in overtime, gaining the victory. Wasteful and too soft for a large part of the match, Cento conceded two fundamental points to cement salvation. Factors in the victory for Benacquista were Alipiev and Cicchetti, authors of two excellent performances (16 points, 9 rebounds and 12 assists for the first, 25 points and 8 rebounds for the second). Coach Mecacci’s team complains a lot, guilty of having given way once again to the rebounds (46-42) and being too stubborn with the three-point shot in the last quarter, repeatedly missed by Archie, undoubtedly the worst of the of him.
The next appointment for the Sella will be Wednesday 29 May at 8.30pm at the Baltur Arena, with Moncada Energy Agrigento as guest in the evening for the seventh round of the salvation phase.
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