Virtus Segafredo Bologna vs. Iberostar Tenerife CB Canarias: 73-61
Score evolution: 20-8, 38-24, 58-44 and 73-61
This final definitely had the taste and the look of top level European basketball... Just like last Friday evening, the Virtus team started strongly: 7-0. Tim Abromaitis (203-PF-89, college: Notre Dame) had the chance to score the first points of Iberostar Tenerife CB Canarias from the free-throw line 7-2. Kevin Punter (191-G-93, college: Tennessee) already hit his third three-pointer of the match...13-2! Amath M'Baye (206-F-89, college: Oklahoma), also pretty efficient, hit a shot to make 15-4. Nothin' but net! After 4'55" in the game, a first time-out was asked by Jesus Vidorreta. Only US big man Colton Iverson (212-C-89, college: Colorado St., agency: Pensack Sports) managed to put the V defense into trouble. The Ibersotar guys coming off the bench still made a good job, a little bit like what they did last Friday. The Spaniards came back at 15-8, with Javier Beiran (200-F-87) and Ferran Bassas (183-PG-92) well present in defense. After having scored a three-pointer, Amath M'Baye, following a steal by his mate Pietro Aradori (194-SG-88), dunked the ball to make 20-8 for Virtus Segafredo Bologna. The Italian team looked very strong physically, much quicker in transition and quite precise through the whole quarter which ended with the same score.
Early in the second quarter, Mario Chalmers (188-PG-86, college: Kansas) showed why he was hired by Virtus Segafredo Bologna last March, not necessarily by scoring but by simply putting some defensive pressure on his opponents... or by efficiently passing the orange to his tall man Dejan Kravic (211-F/C-90, college: Texas Tech) who finished the job in the paint. The score evolved, but not as quickly as it did in the first quarter: 22-10. Former NBA champion Mario Chalmers got in action also in offense and allowed his team to keep an advantage of 12-point: 24-12. Amath M'Baye continued his show from long range and the VuNere could again celebrate in the stands or behind Coach Aleksandar Djordjevic on the bench: 29-12! Colton Iverson grabbed some important rebounds to keep his team alive but, on the whole, the Virtus players kept playing with great intensity. The scoreboard showed 32-16 with 3'45" remaining in the first half, Colton Iverson trying all he coud to help the Canary Islands' team stay in the race. Nicolas Brussino (202-F-93) was not as efficient as he was last Friday night, during the semi-final game against the Giants, but he showed some will at least. His coach even gave him a high five to keep encouraging him in his attempts from long or middle range. The Virtus players committed some fouls which allowed the CB Canarias players to have free-throws which they transformed: 35-21. Belgian international Pierre-Antoine Gillet (201-F-91) hit an important three-point shot to reduce the gap at 37-24 and Virtus Segafredo Bologna's Head Coach Sacha Djordjevic was then obliged to take a time-out to stop the CB Canarias run. Amath M'Baye hit 1/2 from the free throw line to finish the second quarter: 38-24.
And guess what? Kevin Punter gave the impulse again on the first offense of his team in the third quarter: three points and the bonus behind! The Aurinegros' fans present at the Antwerps Sportpaleis looked amazed. 42-24 on the scoreboard! Despite efforts in the paint by Iverson and Abromaitis for CB Canarias, Virtus kept things under control. Punter again, from the left corner made 45-29 with a bomb. CB Canarias could not resist against Virtus Segafredo Bologna's impressive transition plays. Javier Beiran also tried to challenge the Virtus defense: he scored and came up with a nice assist to Abromaitis who smashed the ball into the rim to make 47-34 and even 47-35 with the following "and-one". Devin White (203-F-88, college: SUNO) hit a three-pointer from downtown and imitated his team mate Abromaitis by transforming the bonus to make 48-39. Mario Chalmers, team captain Pietro Aradori and Kevin Punter then showed that the Virtus house was kept in good hands and the 15-point margin was reached again: 54-39 for the Italian team. With Ferran Bassas at playmaking and Lucca Staiger (196-SG-88, college: Iowa St.) at shooting, the Spanish team nevertheless got closer and closer: 54-44. But after a last rush, Virtus rebuilt a nice advantage at the end of the third quarter: 58-44.
Former Notre Dame player Tim Abromaitis hit a fantastic three-pointer to give hope to the CB Canarias fans present in one corner of the Sportpaleis. Bassas hit one as well a few seconds later, making it a 10-point game: 60-50. This game was far from being over! Mario Chalmers of Virtus Segafredo Bologna displayed all his skills with a beautiful fadeaway shot (62-50) but missed several scoring oppotunities afterwards, especially from the line. It was 62-52 when entering the money time. Abromaitis kept CB Canarias alive and connected to make 62-54 a few moments later when Djordjevic took a time-out to stop the drain. The coaching battle really started then and Coach Vidorreta also took a time-out right after Virtus captain Pietro Aradori was offered a free way to score an easy lay-up: 64-54. Virtus player Tony Taylor (185-PG-90, college: GWU) was fouled out. Bassas nailed only 1/2 from the line behind it: 64-55. CB Canarias players Nico Brussano and Rodrigo San Miguel had also been sent back to the bench after their respective fifth foul called by the referees. Abromaitis still reduced the gap at 64-57 but after an offensive foul called against Bassas, the referees were booed by most of the atttendance. CB Canarias tried to set a last rush... but Mario Chalmers proved that he had been hired to win the title. With a new great drive in the paint, he finished with a fadeaway to make 67-59. Last efforts by the Spanish team were vain, despite having won the battle of the rebound (32 boards for Bologna and 44 for Tenerife in this game). Virtus finished fastbreak situations in nice manners, with Punter putting an end to the job that he had started a long time before in this game! 73-61 for Virtus Segafredo Bologna, a well deserved win for that team with an impressive roster and a fantastic Coach Aleksandar Djordjevic who managed to push his team to the Basketball Champion League Final Four victory in just a few weeks. The Basketball Champions League Final Four 2019, very well organized, is now history! Congratulations to the local committee, the assistants, the volunteers and the communication officers for the excellent logistics and flawless organization in Antwerp.
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Djordjevic
