Fortitudo: Only Aradori Tries. Bitter Start of Playoffs in Cantù

Bologna, 10 May 2025 – Uphill start for Fortitudo by coach Attilio Caja, who in his debut in the A2 playoffs on the Cantù slats holds out for 20' before lifting white flag 72-64: Monday at 20,30 pm we will remain in Brianza for game 2. The only driving force among the Bologna ranks is Aradori, who finished with 23 points and a 22 rating, while it was an evening to forget for the American pair.

The match

Fortitudo's start was immediately affected by fouls, with Mian forced to forfeit after just 2' for his third foul and in an attempt to contain the physical exuberance of the home team (0-5 the team foul count and 7-3 partial score). Captain's blitz Fantinelli in a central position, free throws by Aradori and Effe equalises and draws after as many turns of the clock: Bologna weaves its plot with the zone, but Basile and Piccoli punish respectively from the long and in support and at 5' it is 12-7 (Caja time-out). From the minute of suspension a Aradori nothing short of thunderous, which with 4 triples in quick succession gives the first advantage to the guests who, aided by the hook of Cusin, they make it 18-24 at the first siren and take away the inertia of the match from Cantù (18-33 the balance of the team evaluations). The score remains the same for another couple of minutes, with Aradori who finds the +8 and with Basile e Moraschini who forcefully change the direction of the wind and make it 26-26 at 14' (0 points for the American Fortitude duo), forcing Caja to take a time-out.

Basile+Moraschini+Baldi Rossi: Effe breaks free in defense and Cantù takes the handlebars 35-29. Then it goes up Freeman after much shipwreck and finally Bologna begins to occupy the area with physicality (38-38). Then suddenly the atmosphere heats up due to some sparks between Gabriel and Hogue (double technical), followed closely by Freeman, who does his part by scoring the equalizer and making the sign of silence to the Lombardy public. Inevitable technical foul: free throws by Moraschini on contact by a damaging and disconnected Gabriel from the game and in a very hot PalaBancodesio the first half ends 41-38.

Cantù starts to push at the beginning of the second half, with Valentini, the first points of Hogue and free to Basile that open the gap on 51-42: it is a push that Fortitudo suffers without managing to build with fluidity. At this point Fantinelli thinks about changing the game and feeding Cusin to put Effe back on track (-4). Effe, who thanks to the buzzer beater of Clothes on the third siren he finds the basket of 56-52 that reawakens his team. But it is a flash in the pan that burns quickly, because the triples of Baldi Rossi e DeNicolao, spiced up by Basile's free throws, and in 6' Acqua San Bernardo takes off in a definitive way (71-55). The frantic final run-up to mend, but the clock is ticking faster and our minds are already on Monday evening at 20,30:2 pm for game XNUMX.

The little table

Cantu 72 Fortitude 64

Acqua San Bernardo Cantù: Valentini 8, Baldi Rossi 13, Moraschini 14, De Nicolao 4, Piccoli 4, Beltrami n/o, Basile 20, McGee 3, Hogue 2, Riismaa 2, Viganò n/o, Okeke 2.. Coach Brienza.

Flats Service Fortitudo Bologna: Costoli ne, Vencato, Aradori 23, Gabriel 11, Battistini ne, Bolpin 2, Panni 3, Cusin 4, Mian 5, Fantinelli 3, Freeman 13. Coach Caja.

Referees: Radaelli, Moretti and Nuara.

Notes: partials 18-24; 41-38; 56-52.

Two-Point Shooting: Cantù 13/31; Fortitudo 14/34. Three-Point Shooting: 11/30; 9/30. Free Throws: 13/19; 9/11. Rebounds: 41; 39.