Fortitudo Nardò 87-77: 55 candles for Fossa and Effe celebrates

Bologna, 23 March 2025 – Party in the stands for the most iconic basketball fan base in Italy and a celebration on the field for its EF, which acronym the second consecutive victory against Nardò 87-77 in the fourteenth return match of A2 and prepares the end of March in the best possible way: on Sunday we go to queen Udine, a possible crossroads for both teams.

The news

Fifty-five and not feeling it. It is with the 360-degree, cyclopean choreography that the pre-match is tinged with white and blue to celebrate the long course of the Fossa dei Leoni, with the whole 'Madison' (5400 attendees) involved between chants and the 'Fo55a' writing covering the Schull Curve. Then the floor is given to the field. Coach Mecacci's team starts off strong, on Stewart's wings, gets going up to +5, which the two home Americans do well to respond to, aided by Bolpin's counterattack and a super Mian's triple, making it a 9-0 partial (14-10). Smith's double long-range strike, Donadio's dove and Nardò stays on Bologna's tracks until Smith's 2+1 on Panni's naivety gives the Apulians a new lead: it's Panni himself who immediately makes amends with a triple for 24-23 at the first siren. Between shooting errors and offensive fouls, 4 turns of the clock are needed to find the way to the basket again: Aradori hits from long range, Smith responds and at 15' it's +3 Effe. Panni+Aradori: Bologna tries to trigger the escape (+6) in the moment of the Amaranto defensive decline, but it's the usual Smith, followed by Mouahae's triple and Iannuzzi's jumper, to reiterate that Nardò is in the match (42-42). Captain Fantinelli's coast-to-coast on the buzzer sends everyone to rest at +2.

Freeman does it all at the start of the second half: basket, recovery and basket for the new +6 white-blue, but it is a flash in the pan that burns out in the time of the ascent to the chair of an overflowing Stewart, who in a flash takes the handlebars of the match (54-58) forcing Caja to call a time-out. Stweart continues the show without knowing obstacles, Panni hits it from long range and Aradori gives Bologna a minimal margin again: 0-4 by Zugno, free throws by Smith and buzzer-beater by the 'Fante' for 68-69 at the third siren. Gabriel lights up at the last corners, but Iannuzzi and Stewart respond (75-76) and the game remains balanced without either team managing to kill the match. Bologna gets tangled up in attack, before an intuition by the captain for Freeman turns into +1 with 4' to go that forces Mecacci to call a time-out. The local rearguard is bitten in the moment of need and from there the confidence and rhythm grow: free throws by Panni, three-pointer by Mian, free throw by Freeman and Nardò wobbles. The knockout blow is needed: Aradori seals it with the free throws for +8 with 90” to go.

The little table

Fortitude 87

Nardò 77

Flats Service Fortitudo Bologna: Ferrucci Morandi ne, Bonfiglioli ne, Aradori 16, Gabriel 14, Battistini ne, Bolpin 4, Panni 10 Cusin 2, Mian 19, Fantinelli 9, Freeman 13. Coach Caja.

Hdl Nardò: Smith 14, Ebeling, Nikolic 5, Pagani 2, Iannuzzi 5, Donadio 7, Mouaha 8, Stewart 32, Spinelli ne, Zugno 4. Coach Mecacci.

Referees: Berlangieri, Coraggio and Rezzoagli.

Notes: partials 24-23; 44-42; 68-69.

Two-pointers: Fortitudo 19/35; Nardò 15/24. Three-pointers: 10/24; 13/31. Free throws: 19/23; 8/10. Rebounds: 35; 25.