Sunday 22 December 2019. Third game in a row in growth for the Under 15 Gold, third convincing performance in terms of mentality and the character after those with S.G. Fortitudo and Salus. Third game that serves as a test of what is good in this group, beyond the continuous emergency due to the very limited rotations, to face a Championship of a higher level than your possibilities.
Still not enough to win, but having held up for twenty minutes at par against the Virtus Medicine, knowing from the outset that they can only count on eight players, of which you are 2005 and two 2006, counts as a win. Half game, half victory? We don't think so, because it is necessary to look beyond the immediate and beyond the problems. Go out on the pitch and play with your head held high, without calling out, is the first positive sign, to believe in.
For this, the "Oranges" who took the field at PalaCus deserve everyone's praise. Game start with Simone Pedrini, Gianluca Forino, Nicholas Baroni, Riccardo Zucconi ed Alessandro Maggiore, with subsequent grafts of max Frasca, Gianluca Fanti e Luca di Pace. We manage to stay there for all 10 ', to defend strong, to prevent guests from escaping, that just mark 4 points in the first three minutes.
We shorten with the basket from the corner of Maxim, we end up twice a -6, but every time we react, with the basket on attacking rebound of Kurt and four points in a row of Luca, between the line and the fast break, for the -2 (8-10). More, three points of Simo give us the -1 (11-12) e, after a defensive action that allows us to recover the ball, May slips the retina into suspension for the 13-12 which means overtaking, +1 ad 1'40" from the first siren. We score another incoming basket by being fouled with Luca (15-16), but we suffer the four points that allow guests to close on +5, 15-20.
According quintet Maxim, Luca, Gianlu, Kurt e May, and two immediate baskets arrive: assists Gianlu for shooting from outside Luca and two points from the heart of the area of May, 4-0 and we are back to -1 (19-20). Virtus runs away to again +5, ma Zucco returns to the field scoring two points on an offensive rebound, Simo signs the -3 e Gianlu retrieves a ball and scores the -1 on the 25-26. We are still there, as much as Medicine proves tough, Simo continues to score with a free throw and a stoppage and shot from the area (28-30), Luca adds a free, We suffer two baskets, but the triple at the edge of the siren of Simo it's a blast of adrenaline and worth the -2, 32-34.
Half stoic game, knowing that the physical and nervous energies are however destined to run out, against an opponent who returns to the field by placing one 0-6 immediate, running away to +8 (32-40). Gianlu slip a free, but they respond with a triple, Simo score again, but once again the opponents place a break from 0-6 flying to +14 (35-49). We keep fighting, we score three free throws with Maxim e Simo, but we are no longer able to stop the opposing race, which places an even heavier break, 0-9 (e +23) broken by the handed passage of Gianlu a Simo, which marks the inverted entrance on the third siren, 40-61.
Last ten minutes with the game now broken, but in which we will continue to give everything. Score immediately Gianlu throwing himself in, mark Maxim from six meters and Luca being fouled again, we recover two consecutive balls, we are below 16 (46-62) but we're still there. Virtus responds with two baskets, ma Simo it doesn't fit and replies in the same way, again -16 (50-66). They still push, others mark 7 points, we reply with a free of Gianlu and the basket on attacking rebound of Zucco, we are close to impacting at least the partial, the last opponent's basket on the break takes it away, ends 53-75.
Game over, we go back to the changing rooms. The Head Coach Ugo Bartolini announces to the boys, after having done it before the game with the President and Technical Manager, of not being able to continue to play their role, because of personal and work commitments that no longer allow him to hold up on all fronts. Spends positive words for everyone, he encourages them to continue their work with the same commitment and the final scream is for him.
The "Oranges" who played this match, finally: # 2 Simone Pedrini, # 7 Luca Di Pace, # 9 Gianluca Forino (Captain), # 18 Riccardo Zucconi, # 21 max Frasca, # 23 Alessandro Maggiore, # 24 Nicholas Baroni, # 44 Gianluca Fanti.
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