The results of the trip to Chiusi are terrible. The defeat (87-77 for Umana), the advantage over the Tuscans now reduced to just two points (with San Giobbe having to recover a match), the lack of personality, the mental and athletic weakness. The feeling is that Hdl is able to compete on a technical level with its opponents in the survival group, until it becomes a question of fuel in the engine, of bites and claws. When the matches become bullfights and the intensity rises, the Bull loses himself, prey to fear.
Aware that they are risking their season in these direct clashes, Dalmonte’s men probably lose their balance, they don’t shoot calmly, they commit avoidable fouls, they lose very heavy balls. It wasn’t necessary, the stop in Valdichiana complicates the race for salvation by giving all the inertia to a fresher and more courageous team. The 42 points from the two Americans weren’t enough, nor was the return of Iannuzzi enough, who despite the less than optimal conditions played 20 minutes, topped off with 5 points and 5 rebounds. The center from Avellino will certainly be useful in the next matches from inside or outside, but evidently he alone won’t be enough.
“The credit goes to Chiusi – commented coach Luca Dalmonte – because she managed to find important points on the pitch and because she managed to support a player like Stefanini. Our demerits, for which I for one necessarily take responsibility, are related to the fact of not having tried to find potential solutions. We are entrusted with an individual responsibility that has not been successful. As for the future, we have to spend our mental energy on the fact that there are six games left in Chiusi, so it’s still a long way off.”
“A rough match – was the definition of Chiusi’s coach Giovanni Bassi – the two teams showed that they felt what was at stake. It wasn’t beautiful, but honestly it couldn’t have been. We were good at rearranging our ideas after the end of the first half We played the first twenty minutes with great energy, but also great carelessness, and this led us to be equal instead of ahead by a few points. In the second half, however, we were very careful in defense talented baskets and we managed not to suffer too much in the defensive rebounding phase. Then we rode Stefanini, a very hot day for him and we were good at not stopping the ball anyway.”
The margin of error for HDL, more than small, is close to zero. The name and motivations of the next six opponents will be relatively important. We just need to straighten out the course and the only way is to win. Starting on Sunday, in Lecce, with the pacesetter Cento, who perhaps only needs one victory to cross the finish line.
