Playoff final, Gesteco loses game two and complicates life

Vigevano passes to Cividale after a thrilling final and fa1-1. Skipped the home factor, the series will be played in Lombardy from Friday

CIVIDAL. PalaGesteco’s unbeaten run is broken 15 ”from the end. After Montegranaro (it was April 17, 2021), Vigevano is the second team to conquer the ducal stadium and it does so in a crucial act: game two of the play-off final.

The men of coach Piazza in a heart-pounding final are more brilliant and with a score of 67-69 they go to 1-1 in the series by jumping the home factor. Now for captain Chiera and his teammates the countdown starts for the first of the two away games: they will be back on the field on Friday at 21.

Quintets unchanged compared to Sunday for the start of the game that looks like a replay of race one: the ducals led by 8 consecutive points from Battistini and a triple from Moauha reach 11-2 in no time at all. Coach Piazza’s timeout arrives and Vigevano responds with a 7-0 run (11-9).

The ducals manage to find some length of advantage, but with the passing of the minutes they return to play point by point, and with 2/2 of Ferri from the line the Ueb ends even below 1 (17-18). The first 6 ‘of the second fraction are to be forgotten: captain Chiera immediately signs a triple which is worth 20-18 but then darkness falls at PalaGesteco.

With a partial of 15 -0 Vigevano moves to 20- 33. Only in the last minutes thanks to trips to the line and two triples by Mouaha and the magician Rota he goes to the locker room on 34-37. Nothing is lost yet but it will take a change of register to bring it home.

And so it happens because at the beginning of the fourth captain Chiera shows off with two consecutive triples, and Moauha crushes for 44 -43. Vigevano manages to escape on 46 -51 but Mouaha and an incredible Rota from 5 consecutive points make the Ueb close at 55-51.

The last stage is more than a battle: Rota enthusiastically leads his team with 6 points (61-56) but the opponents remain there. Peroni tries to close it, but Mouaha replies. Then we play point to point and it’s the opponents who get away with Rota who fails the triple of the victory from the middle of the field. But nothing is still lost.

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GESTECO 67

ELACHEM 69

UEB GESTECO CIVIDALE Miani 2, Chiera 14, Cassese, Rota 16, Mouaha 20, Battistini 10, Paesano, Almansi, Ohenhen 5, Frassineti. Not entered: Micalich, Cautiero. Coach Pillastrini.

ELACHEM VIGEVANO Ferri 7, Procacci 7, Mercante 10, Ciani, Giorgi 9, Gatti 17, Rossi 9, Peroni 8, Radchenko. Not entered: Tagliavini, Spaccasassi, Kahnt. Coach Piazza.

Referees Cassinadri Andrea from Bibbiano (RE) and Picchi Mirko from Ferentino (FR).

Note Cividale 14/33 from two points, 9/30 from three points and 12/21 from free throws Vigevano 13/23 from two points, 7/24 from three points, and 22/31 from free throws.