Serie A Results: Virtus defeats a never-tamed Venezia 90-85

Bologna, 18 May 2025 - La Virtus Segafredo Bologna takes the first act of the playoff quarter-finals bending Umana Reyer Venezia 90-85 at the Segafredo Arena. A success achieved thanks to a great team effort by the black and whites on both halves of the pitch, who remained in the lead for 40' and were able to send five men into double figures (12 points each for Morgan and Will Clyburn) to repel all the attacks of the orange and black team, which in the final was left without coach Spahija (expelled for a double technical foul), but never gave up on the match, coming back first from -14 and then from -21 without however managing to place the spark to catch up. The lagoon team was not enoughDavide Moretti's 19 points and Mfiondu Kabengele's double double (15 points and 11 rebounds)

Race report

The game started off lively and prolific for both attacks: at 5-0 Reyer, Virtus replied with an 8-2 that allowed them to take a full possession advantage (10-7). The black and whites gained confidence and began to hammer the opposing basket also with the long shots of Polonara and a very lively Clyburn, who, together with the free throws converted by Shengelia and the underhand on the counterattack by Belinelli, widened the gap beyond the double digit wall (24-13). Venice, also forced to deal with the two fouls against Ennis, begins to visibly slip in the face of a Segafredo that is also very effective in the defensive phase thanks to a 100% recovered Pajola, but at the end of the quarter it seems to find the thread of the attack and, pushed by the 4-0 signed by Simms and Wheatle, goes back from -14 to -10 at the sound of the siren that marks the first mini-interval (28-18). The orogranata then try to stay in the match by looking for the heart of the area with Wiltjer and Kabengele who with a powerful dunk scores the -8 outside just over 2' from the long interval (40-32). Morgan tries to repel the attacks of the lagoon team, but the offensive fluidity of the black and whites is no longer the same, while the guests still find in Wiltjer and Parks, author of a very heavy triple at the buzzer, the right weapons to post a 9-0 break and return to the locker rooms with only four points of deficit (45-41). The half-time break benefits the black and whites who return to the parquet with renewed determination, manage to raise the pace of the counterattack and, on the wings of Pajola and Morgan, start to grind out baskets again by placing a 14-2 partial sealed by the triple of captain Marco Belinelli that is worth the +18 internal with 10' to goThings seem to be going downhill for Bologna who in the fourth quarter flies also on +21 while Venice loses coach Spahija, sent off for double technical. Despite the difficulty, however, the orogranata have an important roar of pride and in the final they risk reopening the games again but they are unable to push beyond the final -5.