Galloway vs Napoli
Nothing to do for a fighter GeVi Naples, who after a first half played substantially on equal terms, gave in to a second half of the match 48-36 in favor of the home team. There Unahotels Reggio Emilia plays an intelligent and tough game, leads almost from the first minute on the wings of the career-high performance of an amazing Momo Faye with 24 points and 10 rebounds and closes the contest in the second half to 88-74 thanks also to the performances of Atkins and Galloway, 16 points each for the two. Sokolowski’s 23 points and 12 rebounds were not enough for the guests.
Scoreboards
Unahotels Reggio Emilia: Weber 4, Bonaretti, Cipolla, Galloway 16, Faye 24 (10 rb, 10/14 2pt, 31 val)Uglietti 9, Atkins 16 (10 rb, 6 as), Black 7, Vitali 3, Grant 9, Chillo.
GeVi Napoli Basket: Pullen 10, Zubcic 9, Ennis 17 (5 ass, 5 rec), De Nicolao 2, Sinagra, Owens 9, Brown 3, Sokolowski 23 (12 rb, 30 val), Lever, Bamba ne, Mabor 1, Ebeling.
Below is the live text of the meeting.
1Q (16-15): the hosts take the field with Weber, Vitali, Galloway, Chillo and Faye, the guests respond with De Nicolao, Brown, Sokolowski, Zubcic and Owens. Reggio wins the ball and immediately opens the match with Faye’s left hook. De Nicolao doesn’t reply from long range and, after Owens’ block, Galloway finds the assist for Faye’s and-1 basket, which extends Reggio to 5-0. Kel Brown earns Vitali’s foul on the long shot, and sets the scoreboard up for the visitors with a triple. Sokolowski follows his teammate and, after good ball circulation and an assist from Owens, scores the equalizer at 5. Vitali finds an excellent outlet for Faye’s attack, who in the following action scores her ninth personal point and team after the turn. 9-5 Reggio after 3 minutes, but De Nicolao shortens with a running layup. Vitali scores the first triple of the evening, bringing the home advantage to +5, then an excellent defensive performance from Reggio forces Napoli to infringe the shot clock. Galloway throws a ball away, giving the substitute Ennis the chance to score on the counterattack. first two of his game and close to -3. Sokolowski 1/2 from the line, but on Ennis’ recovery he fails to score the equalizer, Pullen instead takes care of it for 12 equal with 3′ from the end of the first quarter find the back of the net, despite the good attempts attempted. Many turnovers for the red and whites, which also lead to Napoli’s overtaking on Sokolowski’s triple. Black returns to the home scoreboard, with the basket and foul for the additional free throw (wrong). , 14-15). Grant flies a defensive rebound and flies on the break for the basket 16-15, Ennis’ shot at the end doesn’t go and the first quarter ends with the home advantage. For Reggio 9 points from Faye, for Napoli 6 from Sokolowski.
2Q (40-38): Reggio immediately recovers the ball in defense and goes to 18-15 with free throws from the unsportsmanlike whistle on Lever, but the subsequent attack bears no fruit due to the shot clock infringement. Pullen disorientates Uglietti with the dribble but only finds the second iron , then Weber with his typical shot from midrange extends the lead to +5. Ennis catches the Reggio defense unprepared, and earns the trip to the line for 20-17 after 12 minutes Weber activates the defense by recovering the ball from Owens and throwing the counterattack ended with Grant’s basket. Grant and Atkins showed off excellent defense on Ennis and Owens, forcing GeVi to lose the ball, however, and closed the gap to -2 with the long range basket Zubcic follows him and regains the lead with the impromptu triple. Atkins-Owens-Faye, 26-25 after 15′ of play Owens also hits the triple from the corner, Atkins responds immediately for the new +1 at home. Grant and Uglietti fight like lions, with the latter scoring +3 thanks to the offensive rebound gained. Another important play by Grant for Reggio’s +5, but Sokolowski pushes UNahotels back with the stepback basket from the center of the area. Uglietti tries to extend the lead with the bomb to make it 36-30, but Pullen doesn’t give up and scores the new -4 from underhand a minute and a half before the break. Atkins scores 38-32 from midrange, Pullen immediately responds with a triple and Atkins replies again, Reggiana up 40-35. Milicic orchestrates an excellent last attack for Napoli, with the Reggio Emilia defense losing Sokolowski on the three-point line for the basket 40-38 which sends the teams to the locker rooms.
3Q (63-53): Napoli started the second half of the match in the best possible way, recovering the ball in defense and finding Owens’ basket in attack, 40 all after a minute of the second half. Reggio’s lack of baskets, which had lasted since the beginning of the period, ended with the baskets of Black and Weber, which brought the home team to 46-40 after 3 and a half minutes of the third period, forcing Milicic to time out. Sokolowski returns to score for Napoli, with Zubcic following him with 1/2 from the line. 46-43 but Reggio flies to the line with Black (0/4 so far). Black scores only one free throw, but on the offensive rebound Atkins finds Galloway open in the corner for his first triple of the evening, 50-43. Ennis is able to show Uglietti’s contacts and goes to the line for -5, as does Mabor, who however finds only one goal. Atkins ready for an offensive rebound scores the score 52-46 4′ from the end of the period, Ennis runs on the counterattack but is stopped by Faye. Sokolowski with a fruitful 2/2 from the line brings his team back to -4, but Grant is ready in attack and extends to +7 with the open triple. Ennis-Atkins and Faye-Sokolowski give and take, with the Pole not wanting to let the home team escape and on the rebound he scores -7, also converting the additional free throw (59-53). Faye, however, is relentless and scores two more despite Owens’ pressure, Galloway follows him with the layup that brings him to +10 a few seconds before the end of the period. The shots from Faye and Pullen at the end miss the target, the last quarter will begin with a score of 63-53 for the red and whites.
4Q: Owens’ bomb from 45 doesn’t go in, Faye instead scores her 17th personal point on the rebound, bringing the home team up 12. Pullen is not there and, from the dribble and despite Vitali’s foul contact, he scores -9 by converting the additional free throw. Pressured Faye finds an excellent offload for Uglietti’s floater basket, Atkins comes alive with a rebound and deposits the hook on the glass to make it 69-56 after two minutes of the third quarter. Milicic was forced to call timeout to stop his opponents, with GeVi sinking to -13 with a mini-partial score of 6-3 in favor of the home team. Upon returning from the minute’s suspension, things do not change: Napoli is forced to break the shot clock, with Faye’s block against Owens to complement Reggio Emilia’s good defensive performance. Faye 2/2 from the line, 71-56, then Galloway extends to +16 with the free throw from the coach whistled to Brown. Ennis doesn’t give up and, after the switch with Faye, scores the triple for -13 which keeps the blue and whites’ hopes of recovery alive. Another trip to the line for Faye. which, however, does not find the back of the net even once. Following Pullen’s error from long range, Atkins extends to +14 from the line but Napoli stays there with Zubcic’s triple and Ennis’ lay-up basket remains aggressive and penetrating Reggio scores 75-64. De Nicolao and Sokolowski try everything, combining a defensive recovery and the basket of the new -9. Faye is in a great evening and, on Vitali’s valuable assist, he scores his 21st personal point. 77th team point. At 2/2 from the line Zubcic responds with Galloway’s bomb from sidereal distance. De Nicolao scores a good layup basket, but Galloway lights up and, in a catch and shoot from the corner, scores another 3. Bomb by Sokolowski, 83-73 with one minute to go, but the Neapolitan pressure leaves them exposed in defense and at the mercy of the alleyoop between Weber and Faye. Ennis’ 1/2 from the line is not enough, Galloway and Faye make 3/4 bringing the score to 88-74. Standing ovation for an amazing Faye, with the match ending on the errors of the red and white baby Tommaso Bonaretti.
