A match of the highest level is staged at PalaCalafiore. Farmacia Pellicanò Reggio BiC, despite a great performance, suffered their first home defeat against the Italian champions Briantea Cantù.
The final score of 57-63 does not do justice to the grit and determination of coach Cugliandro's boys, who put the Cantù battleship in serious difficulty.
The start of the match saw the home team start off strongly with Pimkorn scoring straight away. Cantù, however, reacts promptly with his class and experience. The first quarter is a succession of emotions, with Reggio Bic showing his muscles thanks to the plays of Blomquist and Juninho Clemente, while Cantù relies on the precision of his shooters.
The partial ends at 14-15 for the guests. In the second quarter Cantù tries to extend the lead, taking advantage of some errors by Reggi. Coach Cugliandro's team, however, does not get upset and remains in its wake, thanks to tenacity and the desire not to give up. We go to halftime at 32-34 for Cantù, after a final half with a great recovery from the home team.
Upon returning from the locker room, Cantù seems to have taken control of the match, reaching +9. But Reggio BiC still has an ace up its sleeve: with a team performance of great intensity, led by Clemente and Pimkorn, the white amaranth men close the deficit and end the third quarter leading 49-47.
The last period is a real thriller, with continuous reversals of character. Reggio BiC fights with all its strength, but a few too many mistakes and a bit of bad luck condemn the Reggio team to defeat.
Despite the result, coach Cugliandro said he was satisfied with his team's performance: “We played on equal terms against the strongest team in Italy. I am proud of my boys, who have shown that they can compete with anyone. This match gives us confidence for the future”.
After the Christmas break, Farmacia Pellicanò Reggio BiC will return to the field on January 11th for the difficult away match in Sassari against Dinamo Lab.
Scoreboards
Pellicanò Pharmacy Reggio BiC: Pimkorn 16, Likic, Carvalho 4, Ivanov, Blomquist
8, Clemente 29, D'Anna 2, De Horta, Sripirom, Messina.
Coach: Cugliandro
Briantea Cantù 84: Patzwald, Berdun 14, Carossino 28 De maggi 6, Barbibay 15,
Alessandro, Tomaselli, Veloce, Geninazzi, Fikov.
Coach: Camphor
Partials: 14-15, 18-19, 17-13, 8-16.
