Molfetta Basketball: Crushing Defeat to Nardò Academy (-57)

MOLFETTA – Fourth defeat of the season for Molfetta Basketball, which collapses 100-43 in Nardò against the undefeated leader Academy Basket. This is the verdict of the tenth day of the interregional Serie C championship, with the red and whites overwhelmed by the festival of triples from Stonkus, Brenno Barel, Kebe and his teammates. The 43 points scored by the Molfetta team, with only Kotnik in double figures (13), represent the worst offensive performance of the season, while coach Gesmundo did not seem worried after the match: «I’m not – he said -, I was only sorry to lose another player due to injury». The reference is to Pugliese, who came out in the second quarter of the match. The red and whites, therefore, stop after five consecutive victories, but remain fourth, with 12 points, three days from the halfway point.
The news. In Nardò, where no one has so far managed to get the entire stake, Gesmundo, still without Didonna, starts with Sasso, Altamura, Mongelli, Chiriatti and Kotnik. Ready, go, and after an initial study phase (Altamura responds to Stonkus, 6-5) A9 immediately dominates, with the top of the class posting a 9-0 run and taking a double lead: 15-5. The guests do what they can, but the home Bianconeri immediately take command of the match. At 10′ it’s already 27-10. Sciangalepore and Chiriatti make 4/4 from the line (31-14), while Nardò runs away, producing the bulk of his work from beyond the three-point area: the five consecutive triples from Zustovich, Kebe, Zustovich again, Stonkus and Brenno Barel bring it to +32, 46-14. A difficult gap to fill, with Pugliese out due to injury. In Nardò he manages everything (Facciolà even scores the three points for 53-15), in Molfetta nothing, absolutely nothing. And beyond the 6.75 mark things are no better. We return to the locker room with the league leaders ahead 58-19. Things don’t change after the long interval, on the contrary. The A9 continues to be unstoppable in attack, boasting three points with Tinto, Brenno Barel and Gramazio, to which only Kotnik responds (7 points in the third quarter). Everyone hits the target from long range and the Nereto advantage takes on excessive proportions: Zustovich’s basket brings Molfetta to -46, 75-29. The last 10′ are used only for statistics, with Nardò continuing to circulate the ball and score threes, with five players in double figures. Sciangalepore and Kotnik fire their last shots, Francone closes it from the line for the final 100-43.
The post-race. «Nardò played a very intense and careful match: they were clear – said head coach Giovanni Gesmundo – and had high shooting percentages, managing to impose their greater physicality compared to ours. We, however, lost Pugliese in the second quarter, and with Didonna also out, the blanket became short at one point in the match. But this takes nothing away from the merits of Nardò.” The league leaders forced the red and whites to stop after having won five wins in a row: «If Nardò was so “fastened” – said the coach -, evidently we have achieved a certain status. Now, however, we must be good at maintaining it. These competitions are fundamental for our growth: defeats are also welcome because they bring us back down to earth. I’m not worried, but I was only sorry to lose another player due to injury”, concluded Gesmundo.
Scoreboard
ASD ACADEMY BASKET NARDÒ – SSD CLEAN UP MOLFETTA 100-43
ASD Academy Basketball NardòFrancone 2, Kebe 15, Poletti ne, Zustovich 12, Gramazio 5, Baldasso 5, Stonkus 16, Tinto 4, Facciolà 15, Montinaro 5, Barel 16, Gigli 5. Coach: Battistini.
S.S.D. Clean Up MolfettaChiriatti 4, Sasso 1, Didonna ne, Ruggiero 4, Solimini 3, Pugliese, Mongelli 5, Costa 3, Altamura 3, Kotnik 13, Sciangalepore 7, Scaringella. Coach: Gesmundo.
Referees: Agresta (Brindisi) and Fioretti (Brindisi).
Partial: 27-10; 58-19; 75-29; 100-43.