Unahotels defeats Varese: convincing victory for the red and whites

Reggio Emilia, 16 March 2025 – With one eye on the championship and one on the decisive away match in the Manresa Cup scheduled for Tuesday evening, Unahotels handles the Varese case without too much trouble. Partly due to his own undoubted merits, in particular when he decided that the race should be closed to avoid risks, and at times at other times, partly because the current Varese, even in its own home, is decidedly a small thing.

So the Unahotels, led by Winston and Barford with the contribution under the basket of Faye and Faried, takes two very important points in view of the playoffs and manages to measure out the energy in view of the important European commitment.

A substantially balanced start, the two teams battle blow for blow, with adequate intensity. At half time the score is set at 10-10. At the end of the fraction an unleashed Smith propels and consolidates the break of 10-2 with which the Emilians find the first hint of the challenge, ending the first siren ahead by six lengths. Barford was instead the “hot” Reggio player at the start of the second quarter, minutes in which his long-distance conclusions They are extremely functional to the forcing of their team for the double digit margin at 5': 30-18. However, the reaction of the home team arrives, who raise the defensive intensity considerably and find their slinger in Hands. Good counterbreak for the -4 of the 8th minute. Which is the small loot with which Unahotels approaches the long interval.

Back on the parquet, the red and white start it's more than good: immediate 7-0 and new double-digit advantage. Pallacanestro Reggiana could also place further hooks, but it gets lost in frivolous initiatives that translate into lost balls, and so do the opponents can stay in toucho. A good moment by Winston, who had been conditioned by fouls until then, allows Priftis's team to contain the wave and then to show up in the last 10' still ahead: 45-53. The start of the fourth quarter seems to be the turning point in the contest: a more aggressive defense and effective baskets push the guests decisively ahead. At 4' Reggio reaches twenty points of advantage, 47-67, and the match, in fact, ends at that moment.

The little table

OPENJOBMETIS: Akobundu-Ehiogu 6, Alviti 6, Mitrou-Long 10, Gray, Bradford 7, Tyus 4, Librizzi 1, Virginio 6, N'Guessan, Fall, Hands 23. Ne:Acciari and Fall. All.: Kastritis.

UNAHOTELS: Barford 17, Gallo, Winston 17, Faye 11, Smith 15, Uglietti 2, Fainke, Vitali, Faried 4, Grant 2, Chillo, Cheatham 10. Coach: Priftis. Referees: Saverio Lanzarini, Edoardo Gonella, Alessandro Nicolini

Partial scores: 20-14, 29-33, 45-53

Notes: spectators: 2134; 3-pointers: OpenJobMetis 6/26, Unahotels 7/29; free throws: Varese 11/15, Reggio Emilia 13/16. Out with 5 fouls: Librizzi.