Studio Morandi Wolf Basket’s dream has turned into reality. The Pistoia team managed to move up the category to Regional Division 1, one year after the bitter disappointment of relegation. It was a basket by Martini two seconds from the end that gave the team led by coach Francesco Tasselli a 56-54 victory against Valle Mugnone, decisive for promotion.
The one that took place at the King gym in Bottegone on Saturday evening was to all intents and purposes a play-off, after both teams had defeated Argentario Basket in recent weeks, the other team forming part of the final round of Regional Division 2. Aquili and his teammates had to sweat the proverbial sweats to overcome the Florentine team, who started the match better, going +6 during the second period. Then the reaction of Studio Morandi, which impacted the result at half-time at 24. However, the third period of play for the home team was to be forgotten: partial score of 20-10 in favor of the Florentines, favored by Sgrani and Michelacci , with Wolf also trailing by 12 lengths.
With 10 minutes left in the match, with just as many points to recover, the mountain to climb for the Pistoia team was truly high. And the music didn’t seem to want to change even during the last quarter, in light of Cherici’s baskets, who kept Valle Mugnone in front with a reassuring advantage. Then, here’s the episode that changed the face of the match: an unsportsmanlike foul suffered by Cappellini, who carried the team on his shoulders in the most delicate moment of the season. The initiatives of Wolf’s number 23 favored the 12-2 partial with which the match ended, decided by Martini’s seal just two seconds from the final siren. Scarselli’s desperate 3-point attempt did not hit the target and so the celebration of coach Tasselli’s boys could begin as they reached a highly desired goal that erased the disappointment of last season.
“It’s a deserved promotion, even if for a good part of the match we absolutely didn’t respect the match plan – said the Pistoia coach – At -12 I saw the ghosts of the defeat against Livorno in the regular season, which represented the lowest point But in the last 10 minutes we rediscovered that spirit that allowed us to play for promotion in the last match. Now we can celebrate an achievement that represents great satisfaction for everyone.”
Francesco Bocchini
