Having archived the home victory against Geas, Umana Reyer returns to the field for another high-ranking clash. The opponent of the day (twenty-third of the A1 Techfind championship) will be Virtus Segafredo Bologna. Tap-off at Taliercio, Saturday 30 March at 7.30pm. It is an important match for the standings from a playoff perspective, in fact there are only four points separating the two teams: the Orogranata are first with 36 points (18-2 balance), while the Vu Nere are in third place (32 points tied with Schio who has one game less, but having the direct clash against them) with sixteen victories in the twenty games played.
At the Virtus Segafredo Arena, in the first leg, it was Pan and her teammates who prevailed, winning 69-80 in a match conducted right from the tap-off: in the third half, the home team had gotten dangerously close to within four, but Umana was cynical, rejecting the Juventus comeback and then winning with authority by eleven points (Kuier 22, Berkani 20, Pan 11).
This is how coach Mazzon presents the match: “In the last home match against Geas we had a great crowd, I am convinced that even in this big match the fans will support us, their support will be fundamental for us. Our greatest victory is growth exponential increase in the public, we have reached over 2000 people in the palace and it is a beautiful thing. The bond that has been created with the people, the sense of belonging, there are many young people who come to see us… we are creating a wonderful environment .
We know we face a tough team, they have a deep Euroleague-level roster with a lot of experience. At the moment, however, we are ahead of us in the standings and we want to confirm what the rankings say. We have trained and prepared intensely, we have a great desire to play this match and win. We will do whatever it takes to bring home a victory.”
