In Ostuni, Brindisi and Ruvo each won two quarters
Valtur Brindisi’s opening preseason scrimmage for the 2026–27 season was against Ruvo di Puglia and took place at the “Vito Gentile” Sports Arena in Ostuni. The score was reset to zero at the end of each quarter: 18–22; 21–12; 17–23; 24–16. Absent from the blue-and-white lineup were JaCorey Williams—who is expected to arrive in Brindisi in the coming days after his team won the Puerto Rican league and he completes the visa paperwork—as well as Gabriele Miani and Ethan Esposito, who were held out as a precaution.
Coach Brienza’s starting five consisted of Cinciarini, Ellis, Fantoma, Errico, and Del Cadia. After Ruvo opened the scoring to make it 5-13, the team responded with an 8-0 run coming out of a timeout, thanks to Fantoma’s excellent offensive impact. The first substitutions from the bench saw Caroti, Bolpin, and Mastellari enter the game first, followed by the newly added Morena and Beyrne a few minutes later. Caroti’s buzzer-beater three-pointer set the score at 18-22 at the end of the first quarter.
Caroti, Mastellari, Bolpin, Beyrne, and Morena formed the starting lineup for a second quarter that began at a slower pace, with the score at 6-2 early on. Cinciarini, Ellis, Fantoma, and Del Cadia on one side and Johnson, Bogliardi, Guaiana, and Chinellato on the other changed the complexion of the final stretch, in which Ellis’s open-court sprint took the upper hand (17–6). Ruvo closed the gap from the free-throw line, but Cincia’s brilliant pass to Del Cadia set the quarter’s score at 21-12.
Caroti, Ellis, Bolpin, Errico, and Del Cadia took the court in the third quarter, during which Johnson pushed Ruvo to a 4-11 lead after five minutes of play. Caroti hits two consecutive three-pointers to break the Valtur scoreless streak, while Chinellato and Guaiana showcase their scoring touch, helping their team extend the lead to 17-23.
The final starting five of the night: Cinciarini-Mastellari-Fantoma-Beyrne-Morena. Eight straight points—including two three-pointers on the break—by an outstanding Fantoma kicked off a fast-paced final quarter in which neither team held back. Valtur extended its lead to 16-8 in the first five minutes. Ruvo responded with a 5-1 counter-run with two minutes remaining, but five points from Ellis and a three-pointer by Caroti allowed Valtur to win the final quarter 24-16 and secure the overall victory (80-73).
