Openjobmetis Varese’s winning streak has come to an end; after three consecutive victories in the LBA and BCL, the team fell to APU Old Wild West Udine in front of its home crowd, with a final score of 81-84. It was a bitter defeat for the red-and-whites, who were once again forced to play without Amedeo Della Valle and William McDowell-White—though the latter was present on the bench to cheer on his teammates. After an excellent first quarter and a halftime lead of nine points (49–40), Coach Kastritis’s team succumbed to a comeback by the visitors, led by a red-hot Calzavara, who was particularly dominant in the second half. Udine managed to turn the tide of the game in the third quarter, even building a 10-point lead in the final quarter. Varese, however, never stopped fighting and, spurred on by the play of Duke Jr., Alviti, and Hale, found the strength to close the gap to -2, though they were unable to complete the comeback. When the final buzzer sounded, it was the Bianconeri who celebrated, while Openjobmetis was left with regret over a missed opportunity after a decidedly convincing start.

McGlynn opened the scoring, but Varese responded immediately with a three-pointer by Duke Jr. and baskets by Kamagate and Hale, allowing the red-and-whites to take control of the game. The home team continues to push with Duke Jr. and Kamagate, forcing Coach Vertemati to call a timeout at 11-4. Udine tries to fight back with Spencer, Battle, and Valentine, but Openjobmetis maintains firm control thanks to plays by Duke Jr., Roby, and Renfro. In the closing minutes, Librizzi took center stage, scoring five consecutive points—including a three-pointer—to put Varese up 23–11. Bendzius tried to cut the lead from beyond the arc, but Hale answered in kind, setting the score at 26–14 at the first buzzer.
Udine came back onto the court with a different attitude and, led by Spencer and Battle, began to chip away at the home team’s lead, as the hosts tried to maintain their advantage with Kamagate, Librizzi, and Hale. However, Valentine’s three-pointer and Battle’s basket bring the Bianconeri back to within a single possession (31–29), forcing Kastritis to call a timeout. Duke Jr. tried to rally his team, but Battle struck again from beyond the arc to make it 33-32, before Ikangi and Duke Jr. himself gave Openjobmetis some breathing room. The game heated up with a back-and-forth exchange: Bucarelli and Valentine hit shots from long range, while Roby responds with five crucial points. In the closing minutes, Duke Jr. once again steals the show with a spectacular four-point play, followed by Hale’s three-pointer that sends the teams into the locker rooms with the score at 49-40.

The second half opens with two free throws by Duke Jr., but Udine immediately shows it has no intention of giving up, and—after baskets by Battle, McGlynn, and Calzavara—begins to gradually close the gap. Renfro and Duke Jr. try to keep the visitors at bay, but the visitors find great offensive consistency thanks to three-pointers by Cavallero and Calzavara, bringing APU back to 54-52. Alviti and Librizzi try to halt the Bianconeri’s comeback, but it’s once again a red-hot Calzavara who makes the difference—first with a three-pointer and then with three free throws that, following Kastritis’s timeout, give Udine its first lead since the opening minutes (58–60). Valentine was on fire from beyond the arc, while Mobio and Bucarelli allowed the visitors to extend their lead further, despite Openjobmetis’ free throws. In the closing minutes, it was Alviti who hit a crucial three-pointer to limit the damage and send the teams into the final break at 63-67.
Udine immediately tried to take control of the game with Battle and Calzavara, pulling ahead 63-71, while Varese struggled to find offensive rhythm and managed to score only from the free-throw line with Alviti. Battle continued to cause trouble for the red-and-whites, and after Hale’s basket, Mobio hit a three-pointer to give the visitors their biggest lead at 67-77, forcing Kastritis to call a timeout. Openjobmetis, however, didn’t give up and fought back with great pride: Duke Jr. cut the deficit, then Alviti and Hale sank two consecutive three-pointers to completely reopen the game at 75–77. Calzavara answers from beyond the arc, Duke Jr. immediately responds with another three-pointer to make it 78–80, but it’s the Bianconeri player who takes control once again with a basket and two free throws that put Udine back up by 6. In the closing moments, Alviti goes two-for-two from the free-throw line, and Nikolic adds a free throw, setting the final score at 81–84.

PALLACANESTRO OPENJOBMETIS VARESE-APU OLD WILD WEST UDINE: 81-84

Pallacanestro Openjobmetis Varese: Alviti 12, Duke Jr. 24, Villa, McDowell-White (did not play), Nikolic 1, Hale 16, Librizzi 9, Renfro 4, Kamagate 6, Roby 7, Ladurner (did not play), Ikangi 2. Coach: Giannis Kastritis.

APU Old Wild West Udine: Mobio 5, Spencer 6, Sisko, Bjedov (did not play), Bucarelli 5, Bendzius 3, Battle 18, McGlynn 4, Grassi (did not play), Calzavara 27, Cavallero 3, Valentine 13. Coach: Adriano Vertemati.

Referees: Baldini – Lucotti – Vita.

Scores by quarters: 26-14; 23-26; 14-27; 18-17. Running scores: 26-14; 49-40; 63-67; 81-84.

Notes – 3P: 10/37 Varese, 11/28 Udine; 2P: 18/34 Varese, 19/33 Udine; FT: 15/24 Varese, 13/16 Udine. Rebounds: 38 Varese (Kamagate 8), 42 Udine (Spencer 11); Assists: 21 Varese (Duke 5), 19 Udine (Bucarelli 5).