A great win for Unitiva Napoli Women Basketball, who defeated Halley Thunder Matelica 79–64 away in the second round of Group B of the Serie A2.
Despite a difficult week, during which several players were affected by a virus, and the absence of Kosla, who was on the bench but unavailable to play, the Azzurre delivered an outstanding performance, taking control of the game from the very first minute. Ovner was the team’s top scorer with 20 points. Berrad, Grattini, Chiovato and Camporeale also finished in double figures.
The first quarter was closely contested. Chiovato and Camporeale scored for Napoli, while Gramaccioni and Tulonen responded for Matelica. Grattini’s three-pointer gave Unitiva an 18–15 lead at the end of the first ten minutes. Coach Braidotti’s team put together an excellent second quarter. Ovner found her rhythm and scored six consecutive points following Camporeale’s three-pointer, while Grattini’s basket extended Napoli’s lead to 32–24. Gianangeli brought Matelica closer in the closing stages, but Berrad struck again from beyond the arc to give the Azzurre a 39–32 advantage at halftime.
Napoli made a strong start to the third quarter, building a double-digit lead thanks to Ovner’s three-pointer. Matelica, however, fought back, with Tulonen and Offor cutting the deficit to just one point at 47–46. The second half of the quarter belonged to Napoli, who produced a fantastic run. Chiovato, Grattini and Ovner all connected from three-point range, while baskets from Leghissa and Berrad helped Napoli close the quarter with a 60–52 lead. In the final quarter, despite Matelica’s attempts to mount a comeback, Unitiva Napoli maintained firm control of the game. Botteghi and Berrad added to the score, while Camporeale converted a basket to extend the lead to 13 points. The game ended with a convincing 79–64 victory for the Azzurre.
Coach Braidotti:
"I’ve no word about my team’s performance. We faced a really strong side away from home, in only the second game in our history, and without two key players.
Every girl who played gave it her all. We showed that we are a team that fights hard but also knows how to play good basketball.
I’m happy for the players, for the staff who work so hard to prepare us for every game, and for the club, which has shown great faith in this project.
Now we face what is probably the favorite for promotion, on our home court. I hope to see a great crowd there to support Unitiva Napoli!”
Unitiva Napoli Women Basketball will return to action next Sunday, October 18, at 8:00 p.m., when they host Passalacqua Ragusa at the Alcott Arena.