A bitter defeat for Openjobmetis Varese, which fell to Dolomiti Energia Trentino on the road by a score of 87-85 at the end of a hard-fought game that wasn’t decided until the final moments. Still without the injured McDowell-White and Della Valle, the red-and-white team struggled to find consistency throughout the game, repeatedly falling behind as the home team pulled away. Despite the difficulties, Coach Kastritis’s players deserve credit for never giving up, staging a great comeback in the fourth quarter, driven primarily by the plays of Duke Jr. and Hale. Hale, in particular, after hitting the three-pointer to tie the game just seconds before the buzzer, also had the chance to take the potential game-winning shot, but it bounced off the rim. It was a loss that leaves a lot of regret, but also shows positive signs in terms of the team’s resilience and character. Openjobmetis will return to the court on Saturday, October 24, at 8:00 p.m., when they’ll take the court at the Itelyum Arena in front of their home crowd.
The game got off to an even start, with both teams trading baskets in the opening minutes. Varese found good offensive opportunities with Duke Jr., Hale, and Nikolic, while Alviti’s three-pointer gave the red-and-whites their first lead at 6-9. Trento, however, fought back, relying on Charles Brown and Olivari, before shifting gears thanks to Bigelow and Niang, who led the run that put the home team up 23-15 and forced Coach Kastritis to call a timeout. In the closing moments, Alviti’s free throws allowed Openjobmetis to narrow the gap slightly, ending the first quarter down 23-17.
Openjobmetis got off to a strong start thanks to baskets by Kamagate and Villa, which immediately brought the red-and-whites within one possession. Trento tries to fend off the comeback attempt with Niang and Bigelow, but Varese stays close, driven by an inspired Roby. Three-pointers by Hale and Roby himself even flip the score to 38-40, forcing Coach Rossi to call a timeout. The Black-and-Whites’ response, however, was immediate: Cattapan and Bigelow restored the home team’s lead, while Olivari and another three-pointer by Bigelow completed the run that sent the teams into the locker rooms with the score at 49-41.
Upon returning from the long break, Varese immediately tried to close the gap with Hale and Kamagate, but Trento continued to respond effectively, maintaining control of the score. Hale’s three-pointers and baskets by Duke Jr. and Nikolic allowed the red-and-whites to stay in the game, though they were unable to complete the comeback. Dolomiti Energia capitalized on plays by Niang and Charles Brown, and Bayehe hit a three-pointer to make it 66-57, before Renfro answered with a crucial three-point play. In the closing minutes, however, the home team extended their lead once again thanks to Darius Brown and Bigelow, taking the score to 72-61 before Duke Jr.’s free throw set the score at 72-62 at the end of the third quarter.
Openjobmetis refused to give up and opened the final quarter with a display of great character: after Nikolic’s basket, Duke Jr. took the team on his shoulders, scoring seven consecutive points, before Hale’s three-pointer completed the comeback to tie the game at 74-74. Trento tries to respond with Bayehe, but Hale strikes again from beyond the arc and, after free throws by Niang and Renfro, scores the go-ahead basket to make it 79-80. Olivari and Bigelow restore the lead for the Bianconeri, but Varese stayed in the game, and after a timeout called by Kastritis with the score at 85-82, Hale hit another three-pointer to tie the game at 85—forcing Coach Rossi to call a timeout with 7.3 seconds left on the clock. In the frantic finale, Olivari and Bigelow put Trento back in front from the free-throw line, while Hale’s last three-point attempt—which would have given the Biancorossi the victory—clanged off the rim.
Photo by Ciamillo&Castoria – All rights reserved