Mortara surrenders in the final feat touched upon with Bust

Coach Zanellati’s team leads the game until the middle of the last period Good start for the lomellini who, however, lack the energy to end the discussion

BUSTO ARSIZIO (Va)

A good Expo Inox Mortara leads for three-quarters and a half on the field of the battleship Busto Arsizio, but yields in the final not without regrets for a failed enterprise by a whisker.

The team of coach Alfonso Zanellati produces a good start to the collective game (2-7) and two initiatives by Muzio allow the extension to 6-13. Here Mortara wastes some opportunities with forcing from three and errors on easy shots from under to escape further and, if that were not enough, Garcia’s second foul soon arrives. Busto Arsizio has been shooting with percentages definitely below his habits, but remains afloat thanks to too many double throws granted by Mortara and, on one of these, Benzoni reduces to 13-15. He answers from three Bazani for 15-19, then Benzoni signs again at the end of the first break on 17-19. The Expo Inox restarts well with Monacelli to insert the tracer of 19-24, then Bazani signs the front of three for the 21-29 on which the local bench is forced to time out to try to get to grips with the hermetic defense of Mortara. We return and again the Inox Expo is preferred with another triple from Bazani and then with a stolen ball from Lonati for the counterattack closed in a dunk (25-34). Busto tries to get closer in the final, but Lonati scores from the outside in the last Gialloblù possession and, this time, Benzoni fails the shot at the end so that at the long break it is 29-36. It is +10 with Invernizzi at the start of the third quarter which becomes 33-45 with Garcia on the counterattack, then the yellow-blue blackout arrives and it is time out for Zanellati at 38-45, then two free throws by Romanò reduce again (40-45) . Invernizzi lost the ball (44-47), Romanò drew 47-47 from three, then Busto overtook 49-47 before Bazani’s triple and the yellow-blue error three to one at the end (49-50).

Bust overtakes 52-50 at the start of the last period, two triples by Andrea Facchi keep Mortara alive (59-63). Romanò responds by three, then it’s Benzoni show (76-69) with Mortara who no longer scores that with his head held high he must surrender 77-71. –

Fabio Babetto