EuroLeague Victory for Maxima Roma

In the 16th edition of the “City of Cagliari” International Basketball Tournament, Maxima Roma claimed a prestigious third-place finish. On the court at PalaPirastu, the Rome-based team, led from the bench by Coach Matteo Cotelli, won the third-place game by defeating the French team LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne 84–78, following 40 intense minutes marked by constant lead changes.

The start of the game was marked by perfect parity. The two teams sized each other up thoroughly without managing to create any significant runs: the contest was played blow-for-blow in the paint and through a battle for rebounds. ASVEL tried to pull ahead to 18-16 by capitalizing on some inaccuracies by the Romans, but toward the end of the first quarter, Maxima regrouped, tied the score, and closed out the first quarter at 20-20.

The second quarter closely mirrors the first for much of the way. The game remained deadlocked, with both teams continuing to keep each other in check. It took a late-quarter surge from Cotelli’s squad to break down the French defense and head into halftime up by 4 (43–39).

The second half provided a few more thrills. Rome starts strong and, bit by bit, builds its largest lead, reaching a +7 advantage (57–52) with 90 seconds left in the third quarter. ASVEL, however, demonstrated its European caliber: two consecutive three-pointers ignited the French team, which retook the lead and closed out the third quarter ahead 63-59.

In the final 10 minutes, however, Maxima’s determination took center stage. Coach Tony Parker tried to shake up his team with a constant rotation of substitutions in search of the ideal starting five. Despite the hot shooting of Washington, Cale, Massa, and Waters, Rome’s defensive pressure on the other end forced turnovers and threw ASVEL’s offense into disarray. At the decisive moment, the Romans relied on the experience and consistency of Ryan (the team’s leading scorer with 15 points), Alibegovic (13), Veronesi (13), Bilan (11), and Camara (11), sealing the decisive run to the final score of 84-78