Guerri Napoli lost to Italian champions Virtus Bologna for 83-73 in the quarterfinals of the Coppa Italia Final Eight, currently being played at the Inalpi Arena in Turin. The Azzurri finished the first half of the match ahead, playing with good intensity, only to then suffer a comeback from Virtus in the second half.
Scoring was poor in the early stages of the match. The Azzurri started 0-5, but Virtus responded with the same break. Totè and Edwards exchanged scores, Bolton made again, two 3-pointers, Alston for Virtus, and Caruso scored from deep. The first quarter ended with the Azzurri up 20-15 with Alston's basket following Gentile's free throws. Virtus started the second set better with Niang and Diouf. Totè scored for the Azzurri, but another 0-4 minibreak gave Bologna their first lead of the game. The Azzurri didn't give up and scored again with Totè, a dunk, and El Amin. Another Virtus set was interrupted by Mitrou Long's 3-of-3 free throws, with El Amin hitting two 3-pointers in 30 seconds to bring Guerri's lead to 28-35.
In the third quarter, Virtus fully regained control with a 19-3 run led by Niang and Diouf. Only Flagg scored for Guerri, who then tried to close the gap with El Amin, 47-43. Treier fought back and scored with a foul, Flagg and Vildoza exchanged threes, and Diouf made it 7 for Virtus, 56-49. El Amin added five points to bring the score to 58-54 at the final break. In the fourth quarter, Virtus takes a six-point lead with Niang. Bolton scores on a drive, but Niang again, 66-58. Napoli calls a timeout. A three-pointer for Bolton, Mitrou Long makes it four points behind. The score is 68-64. Edwards makes no mistake from the line, Simms drives to the line. 70-66 with three minutes left, but a 5-0 run by Alston and Edwards effectively seals the game. The match ends 83-73 for Virtus Bologna, who advance to the semifinals.
Guerri Napoli will return on the pitch on Saturday, March 7th at 8:30 PM at the Alcott Arena, again against Virtus Bologna, for the twenty-first round of the Serie A Championship.
Coach Magro:
"We knew it would be a tough game, but history teaches us that anything can happen in these events. We tried to bet on their 3-point shot, trying to take the ball away from their best scorers. We managed to run, putting them in trouble, and take the lead. In the end, over the 40 minutes, Virtus's prowess also came out physically, tightening up on defense and allowing us to take contested shots. A few of our turnovers allowed them to find easy baskets. It's disappointing to lose; we came close at the end, then conceded a shot from Alston on a dirty ball. I saw a different attitude from my team; the players played the best game possible. We have great respect for our followers and for the club; they played a good game, but it wasn't enough to beat Virtus. Let's start from here, starting next week with the right mindset for the final push with the goal of returning to the playoffs after a 20-year absence."