BC Roma Open Preseason With Win at Sebastiani Rieti, 85-64

BC Roma began their preseason with a statement road win, easing past RSR Sebastiani Rieti 85-64 at the PalaSojourner in the team's first test under new coach Alessandro Magro. It was step one on the giallorossi's path toward their official openers September 27 away to Nutribullet Treviso Basket in Serie A SisalClub, and September 30 at Bahcesehir College Istanbul in the BKT EuroCup.
The game started on even terms, with the hosts actually edging the first quarter 26-24, but Roma found their rhythm from there, ripping off a 31-15 second period to take a 55-41 lead into halftime. Magro's side kept firm control through the third quarter, extending the margin to 73-56, and pulled away for good in the fourth to seal the 21-point win.
Erik Stevenson (193-G-1999, college: WVU) led Roma with 18 points and 8 rebounds, Paul Watson (198-G-1994, college: Fresno St.) added 14, and Marko Simonovic (213-F/C-1999) recorded a double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds. Rieti's best individual performance actually outscored anyone on Roma's roster, with Romello White (203-PF-1998, college: Ole Miss, agency: Octagon Europe) finishing as the game's top scorer at 22 points, though he had little support as his team fell behind.
Coach Magro struck a measured tone afterward, calling it "the first game of the new era, for a group of players who haven't been working together for very long," and noting that minutes were spread around with plenty still to refine on both ends of the floor. "The thing I liked most was the availability I saw in the players and the desire to help one another," he said. "The team's attitude was positive, and we take home the desire to grow, knowing we need to improve on a great many aspects. There are positive signs, which give us hope, while we wait for the players returning from the national teams to add numbers to the roster. We want to become a team that is solid defensively and moves the ball well on offense."
Roma's next test comes September 9 in Ulm, Germany, against ratiopharm Ulm one of their group opponents in the EuroCup with four players returning from national team duty in the coming days: Nicolo Mannion (190-PG-2001, college: Arizona), Giovanni Emejuru, Arturs Strautins and Gerald Ayayi.