In A2 women's misstep for Corsolini's team. PalaMariotti taboo, Cestistica defeated again

BASKETBALL SPEZZINA 55 MASNAGA coast 71 (17-17, 22-35, 36-55)

BASKETBALL LA SPEZIA: Mbaye ne, Templars 12, Moretti 7, Trehub 15, Missanelli 2, Diakhoumpa 6, Guzzoni, Warriors 2, Varone, Giangrasso 11. Coach Corsolini.

MASNAGA COAST: Penz 14, Cibinetto 5, Osazuwa 10, Gorini ne, N'Guessan 7, Kaczmarczyk 10, Bonomi 9, Motta 7, Serra 4, Crowder 5. All: Andreoli.

Referees: Cock of Padua and Pitchforks of Ravenna

LA SPEZIA - To the Mariotti Palace the negative streak continues for the black and whites, beaten 55-71 by the third in the standings: Corsolini's girls only hold out for a quarter of the game, then their opponents leave no escape. Upon returning from the break for the Italian Cup, the La Spezia basketball still can't break the PalaMariotti 'taboo', where it hasn't won in seven games and where this time it was Costa Masnaga to leave with all the points at stake: 55-71 the final score, the black and whites hold out for a quarter, before the guests raise the engine revs without the home team managing to match their intensity. Three players in double figures are not enough for coach Corsolini's team: Trehub with 15 points and best scorer of the game, then the captain Elisa Templari with 12 and Sara Giangrasso with 11. Despite the defeat, however, Cestistica manages to remain in ninth place ahead of Moncalieri. In the next match the team from La Spezia will go to Cagliari for the challenge against Virtus Cagliari, a sort of play-off to get to the playoffs. The game starts off balanced: Trehub opens the dance, then Costa Masnaga gives the first push, with the partial of 0-8 with two triples and Lombardy ahead. Cestistica initially manages to stay in contact and, indeed, even finds the overtaking with a counter-break of 8-0 signed by the duo Trehub-Moretti (17-15). Two free throws by Crowder seal the absolute parity after 10 minutes.

In the second quarter Templari opens with a triple for the new and final advantage of the black and whites, then Costa Masnaga changes pace: 2-18 is the partial built by coach Andreoli's team, which effectively blocks the Spezia attack by significantly increasing intensity and physicality in defense, to then capitalize on the offensive front with rhythm and continuity. At the long interval the score is 22-35 for the guests. In the second half it is Costa Masnaga who scores again, bringing the score to +17 (22-39), then Templari manages to close the partial that is disastrous for Cestistica. Missanelli tries to get involved in the game with a basket, but the black and white mini-break does not intimidate the Lombard team, which further adjusts the maximum advantage (27-45). Every attempt by Spezia to come back is promptly extinguished by the quality of Costa Masnaga, who maintains a substantial advantage even after 30 minutes (36-55). In the last quarter Cestistica puts a lot of good will into trying to get closer, but without being able to do so successfully.

Marco Zanotti