Cantù beats Fortitudo Bologna 81-67 in basketball quarterfinals

CANTù 81 FORTITUDO BOLOGNA 67

SAN BERNARDO CANTÙ WATER: Valentini 6, McGee 23, Riismaa 7, Basile 20, Hogue 5, Baldi Rossi 4, Moraschini 5, De Nicolao 3, Piccoli 2, Okeke 6, Viganò none, Beltrami none. Coach Brienza.

FLATS SERVICE BOLOGNA: Fantinelli 6, Bolpin 11, Mian 2, Gabriel 21, Freeman 6, Panni, Aradori 17, Cusin 4, Sabatini none, Battistini none, Costoli none. Coach Caja.

Referees: Barbiero, De Biase, Giunta.

Notes: Partials 14-18, 38-32, 65-56. Two-pointers: Cantù 20/31; Fortitudo 18/37. Three-pointers: 10/29; 8/25. Free throws: 11/18; 7/7. Rebounds: 43; 28.

La Fortitude he is knocked out again and now finds himself 2-0 down in the quarter-final series with Cantu. Flats Service already with their backs to the wall. And Fortitudo that in attack goes too much in fits and starts, with Mian who never finds the basket and Freeman very negative and dominated under the basket. Luca Vencato out, Attilio Caja recovers Gherardo Sabatini at the last dive, but takes him to the bench only for the sake of the signature. Very tough challenge, with great defensive intensity and rough physical contact, where the attacks struggle to find fluidity and points.

Initial equilibrium even if it is the Fortitude, ahead 4-8 at 5' to be favored. The first jolt is tried to give by Flats Service who with the only points of Freeman and Gabriel (4 each in the first half) reaches +8 on 8-16 at 8'.

The comparison seems like a carbon copy of race one with, Cantu which slowly changes the inertia by taking advantage of Basile's baskets and a longer bench and overturning the score. At halftime Effe is -6 from Brianza with only Pietro Aradori to hit from distance and with an excellent Riccardo Bolpin already at 8. Cantu gives the match the final twist at the start of the second half. With a partial of 15-4 in the first 4' the Brianza team extends its lead, reaching +17 on 53-36. Gabriel finally wakes up and Effe has a jolt, getting back to -6 on 62-56 at 29'.

It is Gabriel together with Aradori who find the continuity that was missing for the first 25'. At 34' Effe comes back to -5 on 70-65. It is the last gasp of Effe who in the end runs out of gas. Now the series moves to Bologna, where on Thursday, at the PalaDozza, there will be game-three.