«Even less», some Effe fans must have thought, with exasperation. But Eugenio Rota did not want to stop. And he scored: more, again and again. Thus presenting itself to the world, to use the words of its president. Which, at the end of the race, led him to triumph in the presence of the “yellow tide”, the index indicating the mvp of that historic Sunday.
On the PalaDozza parquet, the point guard achieved his record for points in A2, with 24 chips on the scoresheet. Magical, its performance; “atomic” some Effe fans must have thought, with exasperation.
How was the day after of the PalaDozza mvp?
«I thought about how it went a bit: with a clear head it was even more beautiful to realize that we managed to do that thing there».
How did you experience that evening then?
«For me it was a bit of a debut in such an important arena. I spent the evening trying to fully enjoy it. But I was still quite focused on the game, as were my teammates. Also because we knew that without Clarke we would have had to give something more».
At the start, therefore, you struggled to fuel.
“It is true. Nonetheless, we managed to stick to the game: this gave us confidence to continue playing our game. In fact then, in spite of the difficulties we had in the first few minutes, we unlocked ourselves. The game plan was clear, we followed it, the coach was very good at showing us the way. We managed to go through it.”
The most exhilarating moment?
«Well, in my opinion it was all a combination of very beautiful things. From the morning, when we went to the arena to shoot, to the afternoon, when our fans came to sing, so numerous. The match was a succession of strong emotions».
In the finale, his only free throws of the evening closed the match: how did he manage to score them both?
«I tried to think as little as possible about everything around me, because otherwise it would have been a big problem. While I was shooting, however, in all that chaos I was able to hear our fans, on the opposite side of the arena. This made me feel even more serene.”
Here, your supporters: how important was their support?
«Having them there, seeing their enthusiasm, their desire, dragged us along. As happens at home: we did not feel alone ».
Celebrations? Have there been any?
“Yes, but nothing particularly excessive. We all met at the Da Laura bar in Cividale, we of the team together with some fans, also returning from the away match».
What does this success leave you?
«In addition to the two points, which are always fundamental for us, especially if obtained away from home, a lot of awareness. It gives us incredible enthusiasm to keep trying to keep a little treasure in the most difficult area of the standings.”
And now?
«We are already projected towards the next race, which will be very demanding. This method is giving us satisfaction and I think it’s the only way to be able to lay important foundations».
Who do you dedicate the victory to?
«Many people deserve to be mentioned, I carry them all inside me when I play. From friends, to my girlfriend, to my parents. This victory is for them and it is for the city of Cividale, as well as for the team: they deserve it, we all deserve it».