Serie A2 – Empoli wins the derby against Florence
It was needed like air, not so much and not just a victory but something beautiful, particular, something capable of rekindling love after a year marked by relegation and everything negative obviously brings. Grumbles, anger, controversy swept away by a victory that the Use Rosa Scotti and her audience will remember for a long time. The 62-61 with which the team of coach Cioni overturns the derby has the flavor of the company, it is one of those things that make you understand why many call basketball the most beautiful sport in the world. From minus 22 to plus 1 final in just over ten minutes it smells not only of business, it smells so much of Use, of values, of a company that has cut its hundred years of healthy history thanks to values that seem to be immune to spend time. And it matters little whether Peresson or Manetti or whoever you want to become the protagonist, at Lazzeri these things have already happened and will happen again because this is how it works here, you never give up on the pitch where Stoichkova is the first to believe it, nor in the stands. where a rediscovered public does its part in full by raising the level of adrenaline to very high peaks, because without that miracles are not made.
And to say that for more than two quarters the team suffers from the accuracy of the Florentine’s game that the new arrival Fegue uses with the dropper but still manages to dictate the law. Once the triple of Reani, another that of Capra who in the final seals a partial of 0-10 that sends the teams to the first rest at 9-19, another the iron penetrations of the outside with the red and white version beautiful figurines makes a derby more monotonous that slowly slips towards Florence. Patanè and Bambini seem to be the only ones who understand a bit, then leaving it to Stoichkova to plant a couple of triples that do not hurt that much to the girls from Corsini who, not surprisingly, go to 25-39. Scott’s hands look like those of mothers who try to make a basket at half-time to win a sweatshirt (10/30 from the field, 8/24 from the long run say the numbers) and so it is until Stoichkova, always her (not surprisingly the only confirmed last season in addition to the Empoli), continues to scream to the sky that there is still life, that we can do it. Her two triples are not only worth 41-56, but in an amen they wake up, just to say a name of her, Antonia Peresson who decides it’s time to show at Pala Sammontana why coach Cioni wanted her in Empoli. Her 46-56 not only sends the teams to the last interval on a more acceptable partial but it is a signal, the long-awaited one. Manetti underneath becomes a real captain, Stoichkova continues to hammer, Cvijanovic understands that we are starting to have fun and the others also bring their own contribution to the party. But, above all, Florence scores the first basket after 7 minutes, second plus second minus. We are at our best, the final: Peresson puts the triple 62-61 without knowing that, from that moment, no one will score anymore. From there to the siren there are in fact an offensive rebound by Manetti, a 24-second infraction of the Use Rosa at 14 from the siren, a time out by Corsini, the steps of Rossini and a few seconds to spend with the opponents that not even you. they can send to the line because they still have two fouls to spend and there is no time. The ball circulates, the adrenaline also, time passes, the audience goes crazy on the 62-61 siren. It was needed, and how it was.
62-61
USE ROSA SCOTTI
Peresson 10, Cvijanovic 8, Ruffini 3, Patanè 1, Stoichkova 14, Merisio, Manetti 10, Antonini, Melita, Casini, Fiaschi, Bambini 6. All. Cioni (ass. Ferradini / Toccafondi)
THE PALAGIACCIO FLORENCE
Rossini M. 14, Cremona 15, Amato ne, Fegue 1, Rossini S. 5, Nidiaci ne, Galfano ne, Poggio 2, Polini ne, Reani 14, Capra 5, De Cassan 5. All. Corsini (Locchi / Pilli ass. / Goretti)
Referees: Chiarugi of Pontedera and Mariotti of Cascina
Partials: 9-19 (9-19), 25-39 (16-20), 46-56 (21-17), 62-61 (16-5)
Match statistics:
https://www.legabasketfemminile.it/MatchStats.aspx?ID=294&MID=51528–