L’Aquila falls in the third quarter, Venice thanks
PalaDozza is not enough this time, Venice is going home with the points. Fortitudo surrenders condemned by an unfortunate third quarter from 13-27 who decides the race and makes the final comeback attempts in vain. Held upright in the first part by Aradori, revived in the queue by Procida, Effe plays three quarters out of four with Reyer, but in the decisive one she sinks, running into another race with too many points granted to be able to win.
As always at home, the starting intensity is good, but the attacks immediately appear a little deflated, for almost 5 ‘the Effe scores only from the line at 1’ there are already two turnovers that opens at the first Venetian partial from while 0-6. Durham and Aradori rise in tone, the quality of offensive actions increases, and the team puts the arrow on 19-14. An advantage, however, recovered by Reyer in 90 seconds with another 0-7 in a first quarter in which a lot is scored, too much for Fortitudo to keep up with the pace. Venice tries to escape in the middle of the second period putting the +7. Once again it is Aradori’s return to the field to restore strength to the biancoblù attack, and at 17 ‘it is 34-34 thanks to two triples from the winger, while two more bombs, but by Mancinelli, put the men back ahead Martino.
With Durham tonight clouded in his playmaking, Fortitudo must rely on individuals to keep up with Reyer who continues to build her advantages on fast breaks, and a new 0-8 makes her escape to +9 in the 25th minute. And this time he keeps it without being immediately caught, actually widening up to +19 in a phase of complete disarray of the Fortitudo, with vanished ideas and confidence. Going from 44-42 to 50-69 in 9 ‘, Kigili compromises a match that she tries to revive anyway, attacking Venice with a relaxed reaction of pride and recovering 8 points in 1’. Fortitudo tries to believe it, again a triple from Aradori in the 35th minute brings the biancoblù back to the single figure behind (69-78), and in the final it is Procida above all to change and govern the boarding. His game from four to 4 ‘from the end is worth -6, but there the Fortitudo stops, two turnovers cost a quick rebound to -13, when the time to react again is no longer there.
Fortress: Durham 11, Gudmundsson 2, Aradori 19, Benzing 8, Groselle 8. Ashley 4, Totè 6, Procida 13, Baldasso, Mancinelli 6
Venice: Stone, Tonut 16, Vitali 15, Brooks, Watt 21. Mazzola, Sanders 8, Phillip 10, Daye 14, Echodas 3, De Nicolao 4, Cerella
Referees: Baldini, Martolini, Brindisi
Notes: free: F 14/21, V 19/25. From due: F 12/33, V 23-39. From three: F 12/28, V 8/22. Rebounds: Fa 39, V 36
Partials: 5 ’10-12, 10′ 24-24; 15 ’31-34, 20′ 40-42 – 25 ’50-57, 30′ 53-69; 35 ’72-78, 40′ 77-91
Maximum advantage F: +5 (19-14 at 8 ‘)
Maximum disadvantage F: -19 (50-69 at 30 ‘)