Unlucky defeat for Guerri Napoli that losing away to Openjobmetis Varese tonight for 84-80. The Azzurri played an intense match, coming within a whisker of victory, only faltering in the closing stages.
Flagg scored the first three, Alviti responded, and Nkamhoua gave the home team their first lead, followed by Mitrou-Long. Varese attempted a run with Stewart and Alviti, 17-10. Napoli scored again with Croswell, but Librizzi hit another three-pointer. In the final minutes, Guerri drove a mini-break with Bolton and Flagg, making it 20-18 after first quarter.
Varese started the second quarter well, running 4-0. Faggian found a 3-pointer, El Amin closed the gap, but Iroegbu scored from long range, 27-23. Simms made his mark on the offensive rebound, racking up six consecutive points to give Guerri a new lead. At 5 minutes from halftime, the score was 29-30, with Bolton and Flagg scoring to make it 30-35. Varese called a timeout. Great play by Faggian, Nkamhoua scored for Varese, a 3-pointer for Bolton, and Moore responded with six straight points. Mitrou-Long scored late in the game, making it 38-42 at halftime.
The third quarter also started well fort Varese tying with Moore. Mitrou-Long scored on a drive, and Croswell brought the Azzurri back up by 6, 44-50, but Nkamhoua scored again for Openjobmetis. Moore scored on a foul, tying Varese. Scoring was poor at this point, with Librizzi hitting a three-pointer, Bolton scoring for Guerri, Moore scoring on a drive, and El Amin and Bolton put Guerri back in front. The quarter ended on Assui's three-pointer, 62-60 after three periods.
Guerri started the quarter well, posting a 0-9 run led by El Amin and Bolton. Librizzi scored again for Varese, Stewart hit a three-pointer, and Simms and Flagg responded, making it 67-73 midway through the quarter. Varese called a timeout. Openjobmetis hit a strong 0-7 counterbreak to get back in front. Coach Magro called a timeout. Stewart hit a three-point play, Mitrou-Long scored, Simms made two for two from the line, Moore made it 80-78, Simms missed the tap-in, and Stewart made no mistake from the free throw line. Guerri held firm through Bolton, but Stewart continued to be accurate. The score ended 84-80 for Openjobmetis. Guerri Napoli will return to the field next Monday, January 12, 2026, at 6:45 pm at the Alcott Arena against EA7 Emporio Armani Milano.
Box Score:
Bolton 16, Mitrou-Long 13, Flagg 12, El-Amin 12, Simms 10, Croswell 8, Faggian 6, Treier 3, Caruso, Gentile, Saccoccia, Gloria n.e.
Coach Magro:
"We're disappointed with the result; this game was crucial to achieving our first goal of the season. We have another home game to play to achieve our goal, against a very strong team. We knew it would be a tough game; we chose unusual starting fives, which yielded positive results, but we paid a heavy price in rebounding. Going away, turning over 20 balls and conceding so many offensive rebounds, and yet still losing only in the final minutes leaves us deeply disappointed. We knew it would be a game of partials, from both teams. Congratulations to Varese for the game they played, especially in the crucial moments. We all bear responsibility, obviously myself included, for the mistakes we made. Unfortunately, our poor 3-point percentage condemns us. We had the chance to achieve an important goal right away, but we missed an opportunity, but we'll keep working. I believe in the group, in what we're doing, and we'll leave with our heads held high. We're obviously not happy, but we're looking to the future to grow further."