Udine, the last race of the first phase confirmed the progress. Now six intense games to better prepare for the playoffs
UDINE. Mission accomplished. The Apu Old Wild West concluded the first phase of the regular season in third place, sealing a month of April that saw it grow and reach the level of the top six of the A2 series.
With the victory over Trapani, the third goal of the season was achieved: after accessing the Final Eight of the Supercoppa and that of the Italian Cup, here is the entry into the White group of the second phase.
Rightly, at the end of the race, it was emphasized that third place is the best placing of the APU since it has been in Serie A2.
After years of floating one step away from the elite, now Udine can say that it has become part of it, with the results on the field.
This leap forward, in our opinion, is a fundamental step to start talking concretely about a more important goal, namely promotion.
The game with Trapani, but more generally the cycle of games played from the Italian Cup onwards, showed that APU has also grown as a group.
All the players are involved in the project and take turns bringing their contribution to the cause. The minutes are well distributed, the deep bench is the extra weapon for coach Boniciolli. If Schina was the man of the Cup and Deangeli was the best against Tortona, against Trapani there were excellent responses from Mobio and Pellegrino.
Now that Amato is back in the rotations too, the solutions are increasing. All excellent news, in view of the grand finale of the season: between the second phase and the play-offs will be played at a continuous pace and the long bench will be important.
The championships and the cups are won with the defense, and the Old Wild West in recent weeks has significantly raised the intensity and solidity in the defensive phase.
Trapani, which was averaging 76 points per game until Saturday evening, was limited to 55 points: 36% by two and 28% by three. The Corbett-Miller-Renzi trio was reduced to impotence or almost, with just 24 points scored in three and a long sequence of errors.
On the horizon there is the White group, with Udine that will face the three big ones of the Red group, already faced in the Italian Cup.
The goal will not only be to try to improve the starting grid of the play-offs: for the APU the second phase will be a moment of preparation for the play-offs, in terms of pace, intensity and level of play.
Long story short: now the bar is raised further and never lowered. We must be up to it, this APU seems to have what it takes. –