Phenomenal Old Wild West, wins the Coppa Italia: Cantù demolished in the last quarter, Lacey phenomenal and super the group

ROSE GARDEN. They wanted it, with force. The desired year, you could see it from the faces of the players in these days at the final eight in Roseto, and they took the Italian Cup.

The Apu Old Wild West beat Cantù 74-55, enters the history of Friulian basketball and now has the right booster to bring it back to the top flight in June. The band of Pedone, and of a great coach Boniciolli, with a capital “c” or “b”, you name it, is a team lady. Who defends, has young people of value, has a future.

He has a great American: Lacey. He made a square that loves basketball rejoice and can’t wait to return to Carnera without masks and without Putin’s delusions.

Strong part Udine. Walters basket, Lacey tries to kick sinusitis. “Forza Udine” shouts the twenty fans of sector D, the building is half empty after the “theft” of Roseto against Cividale, and so, without Canturini fans, the group skilfully takes the stage.

But Cantù is a squadron, it doesn’t break down, it mends the 6-0 and overtakes with Allen and Da Ros. And then coach Sodini places the new foreigner Bryant on the trail of Cappelletti, public danger number one. Boniciolli makes Da Ros mark, decisive in the semifinal, by Ebeling with Nobile painfully left in the stands.

Vito was disappointed, super against Ravenna, but always with a smile and a word in his head: group. What a struggle, but it’s hard. He suffers the verve of the little Bryant and the average baskets of Da Ros. Cantù bludgeon in defense, the Apu is as if the engine was flooded.

From the tension? The fourth ends at 11-15. Lacey can’t digest a whistle and magically lights up, like loud ones. Triple sidereal, Cappelletti ditto and now, indeed, in the game, Esposito’s exuberance likes: 23-18, overtaking.

It is very long, but when Pellegrino makes an “Olajuwon” movement – look at it like this – you think that maybe the basketball gods… Walters overcomes a blow to the side, comes back and scores, under the two Friulian pivots, they can do damage.

Not even the penalty invented by Roma in the 92nd minute, 700 km further north, distracts the APU fans, because Lacey shows other signs of being there. Strong and clear, he will have 15 points in the middle of the race.

But how much autonomy will it have? The bench of the APU is a continuous earthquake. At every defense, at every attack, like when Walters, primed by the metronome Giuri, draws Mussini for a triple. Cantù replies, she is strong, long, talented.

There is a particular: it mysteriously makes fewer fouls than Udine, after all it is a fallen noble, it is a story as old as basketball. The last two whistles of the fourth are emblematic: Pellegrino tow Da Ros, do it. Swear pulls with the man clinging to the arm, nothing.

Half game: Udine ahead 38-34. It starts again, in the pile a referee catches Walters with a third foul, but the defense is there. Antonutti with the eyes of the tiger holds Da Ros. Strongly defends the APU, Italian fights, the bench cheers, the audience sings. Cantù randella, to taste. In the pile this time the referees see Pellegrino’s fourth foul.

He shouts: “I didn’t touch him.” Ciccio, that’s it, but the Apu with Ebeling’s 2 + 1 pushes on the accelerator at +12: 45-34 at 6 ‘from the end of the quarter. However, it is damn very long, Cantù takes refuge in the 3-2 zone.

The Apu misses too many open shots, but continues damnably to defend. Ebeling, wonderful (guys he is tall, has long arms, with a little more conviction) and Esposito play like veterans. At the last interval Udine is 10 ‘from the dream with 13 points ahead, 55-42, a great little treasure.

The two pivots have four fouls, but Lacey rested long in a super third quarter. Sodini’s area does not hold up, Lacey and Antonutti give another thrust to the game for three. Plus 19 points 8 ‘from the end, in the final of the Italian Cup. Against Cantù. Too much, even if you’ve won everything and want to win again.

Sodini, the pompous one who said at the beginning of the season he would never lose, takes refuge in the press zone. A disaster. Mussini does it in slices, Lacey (25 points) too. Udine is there and we are going to get the cup. Really good.