By Cesare Milanti / info@eurohoops.net
MILAN, Italy – It’s December and Virtus Bologna and EA7 Emporio Armani Milano have already faced each other three times. After the wins in the Italian Supercup semifinal and the derby in the EuroLeague, the black-and-white team traveled to Mediolanum Forum to try to complete the perfect week after beating Barcelona and Maccabi.
At the end of forty minutes of intense and balanced action, with both teams switching leads, Milano was the one capable of bringing it home 82-80, finally catching a break after five consecutive losses between the LBA and the Euroleague and getting the first victory of the season against Virtus Bologna.
Without Nikola Mirotic, Shavon Shields was Milano’s absolute hero with 14 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists, banking in crucial shots. Helping to make his team survive, Milano’s captain Nicolò Melli had fire in his eyes and ended with 15 points and 7 rebounds. The World Cup champions’ duo composed of Maodo Lo and Johannes Voigtmann followed by combining 24 points.
Less than 48 hours following his amazing night against the Israeli powerhouse, Marco Belinelli had Virtus Bologna on his back during the third quarter’s comeback, ending with 16 points and five fouls at 1:52 to go in the last quarter. Isaia Cordinier added 11 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists, while Bryant Dunston had 10 points and 5 rebounds for Virtus Bologna.
High fast-paced action in the very first minutes of the game, with Virtus Bologna taking advantage of offensive rebounds and shots from the arc, rapidly finding the first seven-point lead (21-14) in the first quarter. In the second, Milano’s full-court press made the opponents struggle: they managed to tie things up at 31-31 with 6:34 minutes before halftime and go to the locker room leading 48-44. Luca Banchi was awarded a technical foul late in the second for over-delaying information to his players.
Milano began the second half in the right way, trying to run away with an early 8-2 run. Maodo Lo took care of business at 4:11 to go in the third, extending his team’s lead to 12 points (67-55), but Marco Belinelli replied with back-to-back threes, forcing Ettore Messina’s timeout to try to stop Virtus Bologna’s 6-0 run. Luca Banchi’s team reduced the deficit all the way to two points (67-65).
Getting the nose ahead once again with 7:39 on the clock in the fourth, Virtus Bologna kept their nerves tensed until Shavon Shields beat the clock with a step-back three-pointer at 5:32. The former Baskonia forward stepped up later on with a jumper in traffic, and converting a free throw after Marco Belinelli got called a technical foul. Tornike Shengelia tied at 79-79 with 43″ left, but Shavon Shields converted the decisive free throws to give his team the final victory as Iffe Lundberg missed the decisive shot to win it.
Germani Brescia destroyed Dinamo Sassari
Another team that’s rolling in the Italian league is Germani Brescia, who combined 88-point deficit victories in the last two games won at home. This time, the victim was Dinamo Sassari, who lost by 45 points (110-65) against Alessandro Magro’s team one week after getting the upper hand over Milano.
Nothing but a collective effort for the winners, who ended with six players in double-digits. The team’s captain Amedeo Della Valle led it in scoring with 19 points, while the former Dinamo players Miro Bilan (14 points and 8 rebounds) and Jason Burnell (16 points and 6 rebounds) also made a big contribution.
Stephane Gombauld was the only one able to make at least a good individual effort on the losing end, going home close to a double-double with 17 points and 7 rebounds, but he obviously wasn’t enough for the away team to come out with a win. Brescia keeps on leading the LBA at 9-2, alone.
LBA Round 11 Results:
Umana Reyer Venezia – Givova Scafati Basket 83-59
Bertram Yachts Derthona Tortona – Estra Pistoia 97-100
GeVi Napoli – UNAHOTELS Reggio Emilia 87-89
Germani Brescia – Banco di Sardegna Dinamo Sassari 110-65
Vanoli Cremona – NutriBullet Treviso 70-76
EA7 Emporio Armani Milano – Virtus Segafredo Bologna 82-80
Carpegna Prosciutto Pesaro – Dolomiti Energia Trentino (playing now)
Happy Casa Brindisi – Openjobmetis Varese (10/12 at 19:30 CET)
STANDINGS: Brescia 9-2, Virtus 8-3, Venice 8-3, Trento 7-3, Reggio Emilia 7-4, Napoli 7-4…
PHOTO CREDIT: EA7 Emporio Armani Milano