At the Palasport Giuseppe Taliercio Reyer Venezia, in Group A, overcomes the last obstacle in Reggio Emilia, winning with a score of 76-73. The team of coach Walter De Raffaele obtains the fourth victory in a row thus detaching the pass for the Final Eight of the Bologna Super Cup (18-21 September) where they will find the Carpegna Prosciutto Pesaro coached by Asa Petrovic. A match dominated by the lagoons for 30 minutes with an accumulated advantage of even 18 lengths; in the last 10 Caja’s men have a vehement reaction and recover all the disadvantage until they find a draw with Cinciarini at 3’43 ”from the final siren. In the final race, Austin Daye’s talent and play decides. For Umana Echodas and Watt finish with 13 points each, while for the Unahotels the best is Hopkins with 17 to which he adds 6 rebounds.
Starting quintets. Venice: Phillip, Tonut, Michele Vitali, Brooks and Watt. Reggio Emilia: Thompson, Crawford, Olisevicius, Johnson and Hopkins.
First period
Venice starts strong with a literally irrepressible Brooks from long distance, 6-2 at 3 ‘. But Reggio quickly mended the disadvantage and with Thompson’s triple went on to lead. The home team continues looking for the perimeter game, and with Watt finds the +4 bomb. The same number 50 gold-grenade from the average places 13-7 at 7 ‘. On the opposite side Olisevicius lights up with 7 points in a row, but it is not enough because the lagoons close the first half, thanks to the triple from the corner of Vic Sanders, on 23-16.
Second period
Immediately 6 points in a row by Martynas Echodas open the fraction, 29-19 at 12 ‘. The Lithuanian center feasted under the scoreboards, Reyer ahead 34-23. Venezia extends thanks to the plays of Stone and Sanders at 40-26 at 17 ‘. The Reggiana, however, does not give up and returns until -8 with the bomb of Strautins using a small quintet with Olisevicius of four. The fourth quarter final is still signed by De Raffaele’s boys who finish ahead 47-33 with the free shots signed by the former Andrea De Nicolao.
Third period
It falls from the long interval with the Watt-free Umana for a cut under the eye (for the American long, three stitches are applied). The first basket is signed by Crawford, the guests go to -8 thanks to the baskets of Johnson and Hopkins. On the opposite side, Tonut thinks about it with a bomb to send the guests back to -11 and shortly after Sanders and Daye pack the +18 or the maximum Human advantage. Coach Caja relies on Hopkins who puts 7 points in a row, for the new -11, but De Nicolao is a long-distance sentence and the fraction ends at 63-49.
Fourth period
Somehow Reggio Emilia tries to hold on to the game, Strautins puts the points of -11 66-55 at 33 ‘. Venice loses its effectiveness in attack and the guests with Hopkins recover up to -5, 66-61 in the 34 ‘: the Reggio team’s partial goes up to 12-0, which ends with Phillip’s basket. Olisevicius draws the bomb of -2, and immediately after Cinciarini hits the equal 68. The challenge becomes a real battle with no holds barred. In the final match, Daye’s talent decides: the free shots signed by De Nicolao, Strautins’ basket close the contest. 76-73 the final.
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