The bonuses are practically over. The 4 point treasure evaporated after the two defeats against Agrigento and Roma. From this moment on, Hdl Nardò Basket can no longer make mistakes and to save the priceless heritage of the A2 series it will necessarily have to put emotional fragility and bad thoughts behind it. Starting again, returning to winning, overcoming the objective difficulties of important absences such as those of Maspero and Iannuzzi and the frenetic pace of this salvation team. The opponent of the third day is Benacquista Assicurazioni Latina, but it could be anyone, Toro just needs to win. Few words, many facts, playing as a team and feeling like you belong to “something” that goes beyond the pitch, the schemes and the opponent in question. As Luca Dalmonte explains.
“Speaking is easy, acting is difficult – recalls the head coach of Hdl – explaining is easy, doing is difficult. It is our time to act and do. In the silence of courage, with respect for the symbol and for our colors and for those who “spend” themselves for us. Latina is a well-trained team, which plays essential and efficient basketball, courage and trust, united by the sense of team in the sense of belonging. .
Benacquista has 16 points in the standings and is at the bottom of this survival group, 16 points behind Cento and 10 behind Nardò. It would take a miracle to keep the A2, but he will try anyway. He changed coach during the race, in November, relying on Giancarlo Sacco, called to the bedside of a team then in full crisis. He has a roster with some important individuality and with good performers in the category. Among the stars certainly the fearsome Bulgarian winger Ivan Alipiev (14.9 points and 7.5 rebounds on average) and the American guard DeMario Mayfield, the latter in Orzinuovi in the first part of the season. The various Romeo, Cicchetti, Moretti, Mladenov, the former Borra and captain Parrillo have good numbers and a certain familiarity with the A2. Amo, Rapetti and Zangheri fall into the “interesting young people” category. Latina travels with 70.7 active and 77.7 negative average points. In the “clock” phase they won only 3 games out of 7, in the salvation pool they conquered Cento and lost very badly at home to Chiusi.
Nardò and Latina are not at their first seasonal crossing. But if the friendly match last September, played on Pontine soil and ending with a very heavy 97-67 for Benacquista, is not relevant, some indication can be given by the match of last February 11th, the first day of the “clock” phase. In Lecce, breaking a long fast of a month and a half, the Granata won 70-68, imperfect, imprecise and often psychologically lost, but with the merit of having believed in it until the last possession. It will therefore be played on Sunday 12 May at the Pala San Giuseppe in Lecce. Tap-off at 6pm. The referees of the match will be Mauro Moretti from Marsciano (Pg), Paolo Puccini from Genoa (Ge) and Michele Centonza from Grottammare (Ap).
