Umana Reyer wins game 2 of the quarterfinals at the PalaTiziano 61-91 against Oxygen Roma Basket and is the second team (after Famila Wuber Schio) to reach the Scudetto semi-final.
The lionesses play a great team match, leading from the first possession. Excellent evening shooting threes for the lagoon players (13/28 46%) who also dominate in rebounding (47 vs 32).
Five players in double figures: Awak Kuier (21 points with 80% shooting and 7 rebounds), Jessica Shepard (double double of 14+14), Martina Fassina and Lisa Berkani 13 points, Alexa Held 12.
The next opponent will be the winner of the series between La Molisana Magnolia Campobasso – Allianz Geas Sesto San Giovanni (1-1). Game 1 will be played at Taliercio, Saturday 4 May, time to be defined.
THE MATCH
For the orogranata, Mariella Santucci is back among the twelve, after the cruciate injury that kept her sidelined since the beginning of the season. Makurat (foreign rotation) and Cubaj (left hand injury) remain in the pits.
Excellent start for the orogranata who scored a 9-0 break by Kuier-Shepard-Villa. Oxygen breaks the deadlock with Dongue’s baskets, but Shepard towers under the boards and is 4-13 after four minutes of play. Fassina enters the match with a triple, Roma suffers the physicality of the lagoon players who grind out points in attack, 13-27 at the end of the first quarter.
Czukor’s triple and Sventoraite’s support are worth the minus nine (18-27) at the start of the second half, but Kuier is a factor and drags the orogranata who fly ahead by fifteen points (22-37). The hosts struggle to find an offensive rhythm thanks to the defensive pressure put on the pitch by Umana who continues to increase the gap with long-range shots (7/15 so far in the match) and shots created from second opportunities, 28- 55 at the end of the first half.
Upon returning from the changing rooms, the match was more balanced (14-16 in the half). Roma finds continuity in attack with Czukor and Dongue making their voices heard. On the other hand, the orogranata responded blow for blow, controlling the pace of the match, 42-71 in the 30th minute.
In the last quarter the match is now put in the safe by Umana who wins at the PalaTiziano 91-61.
THE SCORESHEET
Oxygen Roma Basket-Umana Reyer Venezia 61-91 Partials: 13-27; 28-55; 42-71
Oxygen Roma Basket: Ndiaye ne, Mbaye, Romeo 7, Dongue 25, Cupido 2, Natali 8, Bongiorno ne, Scarsi 1, Czukor 13, Sventoraite 4, Gilli, Kalu 1 All.Di Meglio
Umana Reyer: Logoh 2, Berkani 13, Gorini, Villa 4, Nicolodi 4, Pan 8, Meldere, Held 12, Fassina 13, Santucci ne, Shepard 14, Kuier 21 All.Mazzon
