Bologna, 04/24/2024 – La Passalacqua Ragusa conquer the Segafredo Arena and goes ahead 1-0 in the quarter-final series playoffs against the Virtus Segafredo Bologna.
The number three and number six seeds in the draw were facing each other and the underdogs were on the side of the hosts.
The Bolognese team had won both championship matches in the regular season (one in the PalaRomareon the occasion ofOpening dayand one to the PalaMinardi), but had lost that game at home, valid as the quarter-final of Italian Cup.
The absence of a player from starting fiveas Laura Spreaficocould have been penalizing for the guests (in the previous season favorable to the Sicilians they were missing Ilaria Milazzo and Ivana Jakubcovaon the one hand, ed Ivana Dojkic on the other) against a team with a deeper roster.
This last aspect needs to be discussed. It seems more like an “urban legend” than reality. The Emilians have 11 players at their disposal, but only 7 main players. The other 4 are neutral elements and could play in second tier teams without causing any scandal.
The first half was substantially balanced with the Sicilians who, in addition to getting the approach right, were preferred, until the 17th minute. That was precisely the moment in which the Emilians, thanks above all to the great defense (which was seen only in that situation) and the energy drawn from it even in attack, they began to produce a breakwhich would only end at halftime, 17-0.
The gong, as if for “a boxer sounded”, saved the team of coach Flax Lard.
Upon returning to the field, after hot tea, that inertia was no longer there. Driven by the 12 points (compared to the 10 total of the Black Vs), about 26 pm, of Laura Juskaitethe Passalacqua Ragusa he came back from -10 and equalized the score at the end of the third half of the game. From then on, it was understood that the match would be decided by the skin of its teeth and the greater final clarity and the fact of not necessarily having to depend on just two players (but we’re getting there) rewarded the Sicilians, with coach Flax Lard who continued to alternate defenses and with coach Pierre Vincent who kept raising and lowering the quintet.
It was mentioned that there were only two protagonists among the Emilians. In fact, apart from the 53 produced by the pair formed by Cecilia Zandalasini And Ivana Dojkic, the eight players from Bologna scored a paltry 22 points. A team aiming for the title, because not only can they win this series but they could also defeat the Famila Wuber Schio and theUmana Reyer Venice (beaten away in the regular season), should bring at least four or five players in double figures.
The even more negative data, if possible, for the Virtus Segafredo Bologna is the one relating to the evaluation: apart from “Fantastic 2” and Olbis Futo Andréthe rest of the team produced an embarrassing 3 total in that statistical item (which is the one that includes them all).
Next Sunday we repeat the PalaMinardi. There Passalacqua Ragusa will have to let the thrill of victory cool off and will have to play ball after ball, while the Virtus Segafredo Bolognafrom which a reaction is expected (like the one following the elimination in the Italian Cup which found fulfillment in the victory in that Ragusa the following week), will have to demonstrate that they have an insurmountable defense, and not just for three minutes, that they have a very different internal game compared to yesterday’s and that they can have many different protagonists on the pitch.
THE SCORESHEET: Virtus Segafredo Bologna – Passalacqua Ragusa 75-77
REPORT CARDS
PASA Francesca 5.5: half a vote more because he was on the pitch in that 17-0 break produced by his team.
DOJKIC Ivana 9: she was “half team” (the other half Cecilia Zandalasini). The 26 points scored were the result of considerable technical and ballistic skills. He hit the penultimate triple, the one for -1. If he had also made the last one without the time to build it, as well as blow up the Segafredo Arena and to give the 1-0 to the Emilians, it would probably have been a 10.
ZANDALASINI Cecilia 9: He scored 27 points, even on his own, missing just 3 shots from the field. We are not mentioning rebounds and assists, which obviously occurred, but the 35 rating did.
COX Lauren 4: his impalpable proof. She has practically never been seen.
RUPERT Iliana 4: He hit a 3-pointer early in the game and disappeared. We’re talking about a player who made pots and pans in the league leaders’ home win Umana Reyer Venice. It can’t be anonymous.
ANDRÉ Olbis Futo 7.5: the best Bolognese under the planks. Yes, she did lend a hand, being very present even on the passing lines. If her teammates had done better, perhaps her grade would have been slightly lower, but, in such a dark match, she shone with her own light.
PETERS Haley 5.5: the same thing applies to Francesca Pasa. The 17-0 break was produced with her on the court.
CONSOLINI Chiara 5: she didn’t play a lot, but we were talking about anonymous players and she replied present. The -9 in the plus/minus item is not worth mentioning.
ORSILI Alessandra 5.5: half a point more because at least, with one of his penetrations, he found the way to the basket.
BARBERIS Beatrice sv
THOMAS Jasmine 5.5: it went to alternating current in this case too. The absence of Laura Spreafico forced her to stay on the field for almost the entire time match and, at times, he lost his clarity.
PASTRELLO Silvia 5.5: she wasn’t the usual lioness, even if she fought. You made a fundamental triple (every play is crucial in a point-to-point game) in the third period, the one to score -1.
JUSKAITE Laura 9: she is often criticized for a bit of discontinuity over the course of the match. In this case she had no gaps, on the contrary… The third period was to be framed and told to the grandchildren. His repertoire showed it all: from the perimeter, inbounds, backs to the basket, from the midfield, to rebounding.
JAKUBCOVA Ivana 8: started well, as usual, with 6 points in the first period, but then remained alert waiting for her moment. In the final period she produced 2/3 from the line and above all she scored the triple that broke the balance at 69-69. She was also more decisive in reaching the basket.
CHIDOM Oderah 9: she could have suffered under the basket, but, also helped by her opponents, this wasn’t the case. The gracefulness with which she moved in the area was beautiful to see and, above all, profitable. An assist for Laura Juskaite it was at the kiss.
MILAZZO Ilaria 7: it went a bit in spurts, but, beyond the good defensive aggressiveness which contributed to the +6 on the plus/minus item, he showed some good ballistic ability (which he has in his strengths).
MICCOLI Maria 6.5: he made wood under the basket and that’s exactly what was needed. Glacial, 4/4, from the lunette.
NIKOLIC Matea sv
Salvatore Lo Magno
edited by Fabiola Jenco
