Varese wins derby with Brescia in a sprint

Varese wins the derby with Brescia in a sprint: 98-96 the final score. Not even time to sit in the stands that the hosts, pushed by the warmth of the public, split the match through a partial of 4-0 tagged by Iroegbu and Nkamhoua, good in punishing the defensive inattentions of Germani, and a greater physical presence in rebounding. However, Brescia didn’t flinch and, through the initiatives of Della Valle and Rivers, triggered by Massinburg’s direction, kept itself in the waterline, thanks also to a greater defensive intensity, which led the “biancorossi” to build uncomfortable conclusions, which became prey for the travelers. Coach Matteo Cotelli, net of reduced rotations, finds great answers from the bench, when Burnell, invaluable on defense, and Cournooh, throw in energy and spirit of sacrifice, pushing Germani to the nine-point lead for the home timeout. On the return to the parquet, the music does not change: Brescia leads by twelve lengths at the first buzzer.

The second quarter is sparked by a triple by Moore, at the end of an excellent choral action. Germani continues to express its flow of offensive play, although Openjobmetis tries to throw sand in the guests’ gears with a few steals. Varese, however, is not always cynical to the right point and, thus, Germani keeps its distance. Credit to the white-blue collective’s unity of purpose and accuracy in heavy shooting. Coach Ioannis Kastritis decides to call his men back to the bench in hopes of turning things around and regaining the square of the circle. Massinburg and captain Della Valle, however, continue to pound the opponent’s basket, allowing their teammates to touch the seventeen-point lead. Varese attempts to up the pace of ball circulation with Moore and Nkamhoua to close with a fourteen-point delay at the long break.

The resumption of hostilities is scattered by a lightning 8-0 partial of Varese plate, with the hosts coming back to make their foes’ necks feel the heat. It was Bilan’s turn to break Germani’s fast through a tap in, before Alviti materialized a flawless drive from the lunette. All to go again. Della Valle tries to shake his teammates by means of a triple from the corner, to which Rivers, on the development of a throw-in, answers in the same coin. Brescia tries, then, to find the squaring of the circle. Not an easy task, as coach Matteo Cotelli has to deal with a limited number of rotations. Here, in the moment of greatest difficulty, the Lioness of Italy roars and, thanks to baskets by Della Valle and Cournooh, signs a break of 0-6 that brings the discrepancy back to eleven lengths of advantage. Germani, thus, breathes again and tries again to lay the foundations for a decisive breakaway. However, Iroegbu, a genuine spring in the red and white ranks, loads the Brescian defense with fouls, earning fruitful trips from the lunette, which allow Varese to nurture a glimmer of hope with six points to recover.

Aldo Seghedoni

The last fraction of the game is played on a knife edge. Every single possession has a crucial specific weight in the economy of the final result, and every detail can make the difference. Iroegbu does not let himself be begged and materializes a run from the lunette. The contest becomes choppy and full of contacts, especially on the rebound, with the two lineups, at gunpoint, soon spending the bonus. Varese believes in it and reduces the gap to just two points, before Moore impacts for coach Matteo Cotelli’s timeout. It’s real competition at Masnago. Stewart and Nkamhoua make the overtake projecting Varese on the four-point lead, immediately halved by captain Della Valle. Openjobmetis, strong from the comeback, now seems to have the inertia on its side, within a phase played point-to-point. Rivers sends a triple on target, but the usual Nkamhoua seizes five very heavy personal consecutive points. Ndour and Della Valle are the last to lower the white flag, restoring parity. Iroegbu, however, at the end of the period gives the victory to Varese.