Mestre comes out defeated from the away match on the Ristopro pitch but returns home with the awareness that in this final part of the season they will always be able – and will have to – to fight to climb as high as possible in the standings and achieve the playoff placement that Mazzucchelli and his teammates deserve. Without Smajlagic and Perin, in fact Gemini played it on the parquet of a team – together with Jesi – in the best moment of the season, defending the difference in goals gained in the first leg and coming close to a success that only the great hand from the arc of the hosts and the tiredness due to the limited limitations prevented us from achieving, however, positive indications in view of a calendar which for Gemini now includes the away match on the Virtus Imola pitch, the home match which will be played at Palavega against Taranto and finally the exit at Lumezzane. The objective of this trio of events will be to win as many games as possible, first to reach the playoffs and then, possibly, to get there with the best possible placing.
It was an immediate uphill match for Gemini who suffered a 5-0 start with Negri and Giombini on target, Mazzucchelli charged for Mestre with a bomb that brought Gemini closer together who, working in defense and finding captain Mazzucchelli as the ideal offensive terminal, Mestre slowly comes back to 15-15 halfway through the quarter. Fabriano seems to have an impact from long range but Lenti scores the first goal for the guest (17-19) with the first period ending in a draw (23-23). In the second quarter Mestre defends and is precise in attack, Fabriano arrives at the long break with 11 turnovers resulting from defenses that cloud the ideas of Stanic and his associates while Mestre stings. Slow, Aromando bring Mestre to 25-29, Fabriano finds no outlets from long range and Gemini increases the margin which becomes 7 (25-35) with a counterattack finalized by Aromando. The hosts don’t find easy ways to get to the basket and Sebastianelli, Mazzucchelli again and then Pellicano coming in push Mestre up to 32-41 with 1’20” to play, a margin that is confirmed at the end of the quarter with Pellicano again at the basket for Gemini and Centanni on the other front.
In the third quarter, Mestre also took the maximum advantage after 50” thanks to Caversazio’s bomb (34-48), from there however Fabriano broke free from the arc by making 6 bombs, even forced ones, which brought the home team back in while Mestre forcibly paid the price on a physical level, missing a few baskets, even unluckily, with Fabriano first finding the equalizer at the halfway point (49-49), and then building a game based on perimeter shooting. Mestre, however, resists and with four small players on the pitch – only Lenti among the big men – finds a new minibreak from the line and from Aromando (54-59). Negri from 3 and then from free throws however closes the margin with Bocconcelli who scores two more free throws which make it 58-61, Pellicano from the line (1/2) closes the fourth quarter which ends with Stanic’s bomb which allows Fabriano to close the fraction to a single length (61-62). Negri and Gnecchi opened the period in Fabriano’s favor with the ball spit out twice from the home rim on shots from Bocconcelli and Mazzucchelli, but the Mestre captain himself found the bomb to make it 66-65, with Mestre still alive. Centanni from 3 and Stanic sign the new home stretch which Sebastianelli shortens again with 3 free throws (71-68), Gemini, however, loses clarity as is logical and, although continuing to defend strongly, is unable to contain Fabriano who again from the arc he scores the bomb with Centanni to make it 76-68 which leads the game with 4’34” left until the siren. There Mestre is no longer able to hit the heavy shot that could reopen the challenge, with Fabriano defending the margin until the final result.
Ristopro Fabriano – Gemini Mestre 80-73
RISTOPRO FABRIANO: Verri 6, Stanic 10, Negri 15, Centanni 23, Granic 2, Gnecchi 5, Corsetti none, Romagnoli none, Bedin 4, Giombini 15, Bandini none. All. Niccolai.
GEMINI MESTRE: Bocconcelli 4, Mazzucchelli 22, Pellicano 12, Lenti 9, Caversazio 9, Sebastianelli 9, Zampieri ne, Dalle Carbonare ne, Aromando 8. Coach: Ciocca.
REFEREES: Barbieri and Gai both from Rome.
NOTES: partials 23-23, 34-43, 61-62. Free throws Ristopro 3/6 – Gemini 18/24, 3-pointers 15/32 – 5/22, rebounds 41-33
