Tortona redeems himself after two defeats and keeps the series of the quarter-finals in the balance Tavernelli-show, Sanders does not disappoint. The decisive challenge at PalaOltrepo on Tuesday
RAVENNA
The much requested reaction arrives with a proof of character and quality. After two games in which the Lions had emotionally suffered the return of Ravenna, this time they manage to manage the tensions and beat the Orasì. The test of the guards, Tavernelli (the best with 20 points), but also Sanders (16), Fabi and Mascolo, combined with the usual contribution of Cannon, are the pillars on which Tortona’s victory stands. After an aggressive test in the first half, this time the management of the final is careful. Now the series moves to PalaOltrepo with the decisive game 5 on Tuesday (8.45 pm) which will decide who will go to the semifinals to face the Eurobasket which closed the accounts with Forlì (3-1) winning 72-65.
The stakes are high and the balance of the series is also maintained in Game 4, at least initially. Ravenna has a clear head given the unexpected advantage position, the Lions start contracts and the feeling with the basket is complicated. The game is clean, without fouls. After two unsuccessful attempts by Fabi, Simoni hits the second consecutive triple which registers the first mini advantage for the Orasì (12-8). The start of Ravenna’s great energy, which fills the center of the area as in the previous matches, forces Ramondino to call time-out when the opponents double Tortona (16-8). But the Piedmontese do not let the Orasì escape: Cannon is served more consistently and out of the blocks Sanders is released with two bombs after having thrown badly in the last two races (17-16). At the beginning of the second period Tortona slips, but holds, then it is Tavernelli-show with 15 points in a quarter. It is once again the captain with important baskets who tries to give the necessary emotional boost. With three plays on the field and Cannon under the basket comes a partial that brings the Lions 27-22 forward. There are small signals from the field that encourage Tortona such as the shot that bounces off Mascolo’s iron with a foul or the technician assigned for the expulsion from the Ravenna bench of the gm Found for protests. The master of the period is Tavernelli who scores and suffers the foul from the long of +15 (37-22). Like a film already seen in Game 2 and 3, Tortona pulls the plug and takes an 8-0 break that brings the Romagna players closer before the long interval although the distance remains safe (41-30).
No voltage drop
The head of the Tortonesi is focused on the match and on the return to the field there are no drops in tension and the black and white machine proceeds quickly increasing the advantage. Fabi’s bomb seals +18 (52-34), Ravenna finds some penetration, but remains far away. Tortona runs, but at the same time manages to manage the situation, at the first sign of failure Ramondino immediately stops the game to prevent the match from being reopened. Tavernelli continues to be the mvp of the match on which Ravenna has no answers and the last period opens with a +18 to manage. Apart from a small blackout on the Ravenna pressing, the partial in the period is 26-19. From the offensive rebounds the team draws the lymph for the transition, but when the team cannot run the management of the match is wise and at the beginning of the last period the match is firmly in the hands of the Lions. Ramondino’s boys are in control of the match until Ravenna tries the last shot of the tail reaching -10 with 3 ‘from the end. Tortona slows down the pace, Simioni’s last lost ball closes game 4 and everything is postponed to game 5 where the Lions will play in the passage of the turn at PalaOltrepo. –