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ARMENIA-SAN MARINO 78-66

THE TABLE
ARMENIA: Jones 20 (3/8, 3/7), Spit 25 (2/11, 5/9), Mkrtychyan, Tativian 18 (3/5, 3/8), Tatevosyan 8 (1/1, 2/10), Ajemian 2 (1/6), Khachatryan 5 (2/3, 0/2), Madoian (0/2 of three), Karamyan ne, Podkolzin ne, Vardanyan ne, Zohrabian ne. Coach: Kalamian.

SAN MARINO: Moretti 3 (0/1, 1/3), Liberti 13 (1/4, 3/4), Raschi 9 (2/6, 1/4), Ugolini 10 (2/7, 2/8), Biordi 10 (3/9), Felici 17 (6/11, 1/1), Palmieri (0/2, 0/2), Riccardi 2 (0/1 of three), G. Ugolini 2, Borello ne, Renzi ne, Fiorani no. Coach: Maghelli.

Partial: 26-19, 42-30, 56-47, 78-66.

Rebounds: Armenia 46 (Khachatryan 12), San Marino 49 (Biordi 9).
Assistance: Armenia 14 (Jones 7), San Marino 17 (Raschi 7).

CHRONICLE AND COMMENT
A lot of applause must be made to this national team. In the challenge valid for the first place in the group, and therefore for the direct qualification to the semifinal, the men of coach Maghelli lose 66-78 to Armenia, but remain in the game until the full fourth period and fight with tenacity and determination. Armenia wins on the wings of
Sight and Jones, winger of American origin, with the latter putting an average of 13 in the Euroleague at Asvel. Yes, Euroleague. San Marino, second in group B, now finds Azerbaijan, third in group A. It will be played tomorrow (Friday) at 18.30. Up for grabs the qualification to the semifinal.

The match. It starts and Jones makes it easy for three. Twice in the space of a minute, just to dare the idea of ​​what air you throw. Armenia at the end of the quarter will score 6 triples and 26 points, but San Marino is there, and how if there is. The boys fight, they fight, they stay under the score but never sink. Biordi and Felici dominate under the boards and also arrives on 15-15 before the new Armenian extension at the end of the quarter on 26-19.

In the second period the biancazzurri score immediately with Pietro Ugolini but then no longer find the way to the basket in the remaining nine minutes. Some free arrives, the defense rises in tone and the character never fails. This is why the match is still not over at half-time (42-30).

It is again a long-range basket by Pietro Ugolini to open the second half, with the titans approaching and with the advantage that often remains under the double. Felici puts it from three, Giovanni Ugolini’s free is worth -6 (51-45 at 28 ‘) and the charge is a thousand. Too bad only for the second joke of this European at the end of the third quarter. With Gibraltar the influential triple from Garcia Tejon’s own area, with Armenia a triple from Spiight in the third time. Hardeniana.

From that 56-47, however, the San Marino citizens are inspired to try again. Felici e Liberti go the fourth set with two canisters and Armenia is there, very close, in front of only 5 at 56-51. Then, again, the talent of Spit and Jones, triple as if it were raining and an 11-0 that definitively splits the game in two at 67-51 in the 35th minute. The national team does not give up and has the great advantage of not letting the opponents go away. San Marino, proud, never sinks. An excellent Liberti scores eleven points in the fourth and keeps the Titans on the waterline, but Armenia can’t be reached. Ends 78-66.