A painful but important victory for Segafredo, who made their debut in the Eurocup quarterfinals by beating a tenacious Badalona 80-75. After a balance that lasted over 37 minutes, the Vnere direct the game thanks to the plays of Belinelli (Mvp of the game with 24 points on the scoresheet) and Hunter, who was also decisive in defense. Despite the low shooting percentages, Bologna takes advantage of 31 of the 39 free throws granted by Badalona, very aggressive from the very first possession. Djordjevic’s team wins Race 1 and will try to close the practice already in the second match on Friday in Spain.
FIRST FOURTH
In the first minutes the defenses of Bologna and Badalona work well, keeping the scoring practically untouched for 2 and a half minutes, with the exception of Lopez-Arostegui’s basket for the guests’ 2-0. Tomic beats a combative Tessitori in the defensive phase extending to 4-0. Badalona finds two more points with Lopez-Arostegui, while Segafredo only manages to break free from the line after more than 4 and a half minutes of play with a free from Markovic. Badalona fails to score from 3 by failing 6 consecutive attempts and allowing the hosts to equalize thanks to 4 consecutive points from Gamble. The pace of the attacks rises but the balance is the real protagonist of the first quarter. Ribas scores the +3 bomb from the arc (18-15) but in the reversal in front he commits a technical foul, allowing Belinelli to enter the game with his first points from the line. Badalona takes another coach after a foul by Birgander on Gamble, the tenth of the guests in the first period, giving the Vnere the opportunity to grab the equalizer again. Dimitrijevic scores from the painted the last basket of the fourth, led by Badalona for 22-20.
SECOND FOURTH
Adams opens the second quarter with a flattened pyrotechnic on Teodosic’s assist but Birgander brings his team back with an elegant movement under the basket. Bologna loses two consecutive possessions and Morgan’s 26-22 basket convinces Djordjevic to stop the game for the first time out of his match. Ricci misses the third uncontested triple of his match and Dimitrijevic scores the +5 basket out of balance (28-23). Bologna reacts, taking advantage of Markovic’s precious recoveries in defense and making a partial 8-0 for the first possession of the advantage (31-28). Badalona does not give up: two triples in 20 seconds punish a revisable defense in Bologna and force the Vnere bench to call the second time out of the fourth down by 3 points (37-34). Segafredo, however, does not return well on the field, giving Badalona the possibility to extend up to 42-34 thanks to an extraordinary Lopez-Arostegui, already at 15 points scored in 17 minutes. Belinelli and Pajola bring Bologna back into contact thanks to free throws: in particular the former San Antonio Spurs reaches double figures without ever scoring from the field (11/12 from the line). The second quarter ends 44-41 for Badalona, due to the low shooting percentages for Virtus, who remained in the game thanks to the enormous amount of free throws in the first half (22 scored out of 29 attempted).
THIRD FOURTH
Belinelli commits a naive foul on Brodziansky’s 3-pointer, but in subsequent attacks he is forgiven by scoring his first triple from the field for the new Juventus advantage (49-47). Badalona, however, seems to be more in the game and, taking advantage of the continuous inaccuracy of the Vnere shooting, gains +7 (56-49). Gamble scores again from the line and Belinelli’s third triple from the fourth brings his teammates back to -4 (58-54). Bassas realizes from the perimeter, but Hunter responds with the same weapon by capitalizing on Teodosic’s assist. The same 32 of Virtus, used by 4 alongside Gamble, penetrates with explosiveness and signs the support of -2 (59-61). Teodosic equalizes from the line, then Gamble scores 63-63 after Birgander’s basket, a result on which the third quarter ends.
ROOM ROOM
Teodosic tries to play the charge with 5 consecutive points at the beginning of the fourth but Lopez-Arostegui returns to move his personal scoreboard. Ricci scored the first triple of his match from the corner in an important moment of the match, taking advantage of yet another assist from Teodosic after a penetration. Bologna lowers his legs in defense and the support of the ubiquitous Hunter of 73-68 leads the Joventut Duran coach to stop the game. Hunter stretches from the line up to 75-68, while Teodosic is forced to leave the field momentarily due to a problem with a finger. Tomic returns to score but Badalona struggles to find easy baskets thanks to the excellent defensive intensity of the hosts. Teodosic wastes several opportunities to stretch and Bassas further shortens the distance from the line (75-72). Belinelli sets up on his own making a low post but Tomic responds quickly with a support from below. At 1’13 “from the end Badalona misses a triple on -4 with Dimitrijevic and Bologna is heading towards victory in Race 1. In the last seconds of the match the Vnere stretch further from the line, but Gamble gets an unsportsmanlike whistle at 13” from the end. Ribas is 1/2 from the line, but the guests do not take advantage of the last possession and Bologna wins 80-75.
TABLES
Bologna power Segafredo
Weavers 0, Abass 7, Straw 6, Alibegovic 2, Markovic 1, Ricci 7, Adams 3, Belinelli 24, Hunter 9, Weems 0, Teodosic 11, Gamble 10
Badalona Youth
Dimitrijevic 6, Dawson 2, Ribas 4, Lopez-Arostegui 20, Morgan 4, Brodziansky 5, Parrado 0, Ventura 0, Bassas 14, Birgander 6, Parra 4, Tomic 10
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