Serie A2 Round 5 (Regular Season): Vicenza hands first loss to Torino

Here is the last round review presented by LBM Management.

The most surprising game was the first loss of Torino (4-1) on the court of tenth ranked Vicenza on Sunday night. Visitors were edged by Vicenza 54-53. It ended at the same time the four-game winning streak of Torino. Vicenza forced 19 Torino turnovers. Estonian point guard Marie Sepp (165-2002, college: Morehead St.) saved the victory by scoring 14 points, 7 rebounds and 9 assists. Forward Sara Zanetti (185-2004) contributed with 9 points and 9 rebounds for the winners. Center Kenko Ngamene (185-2004) answered with a double-double by scoring 12 points and 14 rebounds for Torino. Vicenza (1-3) left bottom position moving up to eighth place, which they share with Trieste. Torino at the other side keeps the second position with one game lost. Vicenza is looking forward to face Cagliari CUS (#11) on the road in the next round. Torino will play against the league's leader Milano Sanga (#1) and will have a slim chance for a victory.
Important game to mention about took place in Milano. Fifth ranked Usmate (3-1) saved a 3-point victory on the road edging 6th ranked Milano Stars (2-3) 69-66 on Saturday evening. Romanian guard Justina Kraujunaite (178-1995) stepped up and scored 20 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists (was perfect 10-for-10 from the free throw line !!!) for the winners and Lucia Missanelli chipped in 11 points and 8 rebounds. Guard Francesca Melchiori (175-1993) responded with 18 points and 8 assists. Usmate have a solid series of three victories in a row. They moved-up to third place, which they share with Napoli and Bolzano BC. Milano Stars lost third consecutive game. They keep the sixth position with three games lost. They share it with 3 other teams. Usmate will play against Bolzano BC (#3) at home in the next round, which may be the game of the day. Milano Stars will play against Cagliari Virtus and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
An interesting game for Milano Sanga (5-0) which played road game in Verona against 3rd placed Alpo (3-2). Leader Milano Sanga managed to get a 5-point victory 82-77. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of Alpo. Angela Juhasz nailed a double-double by scoring 16 points and 12 rebounds for the winning side. Francesca Parmesani came up with 27 points and 6 rebounds for Alpo in the defeat. Undefeated Milano Sanga have an impressive series of five victories in a row. They maintain first place with 5-0 record, which they share with Empoli. Loser Alpo dropped to the fourth position with two games lost. They share it with Alcamo. Milano Sanga will meet at home league's second-placed Torino in the next round and it will be for sure the game of the week. Alpo will play against Trieste and hope to secure a win.

There were no big surprises in other games of round 5: Cagliari CUS was beaten by San Salvatore on the road 51-45. Bolzano BC won against Cagliari Virtus on its own court 79-66. Empoli outscored Galli in a road game 73-54. San Raffaele lost to Ragusa at home 46-74. Salerno was crushed by Frascati on the opponent's court 49-98. Alcamo smashed Matelica in a home game 67-47. Alghero was destroyed by Umbertide on the road 83-61.
The most impressive performance of 5th round was 12 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists by Giorgia Amatori of Umbertide.

The Round Review is presented by LBM Management. A full-service agency focused on Women's basketball sphere and working worldwide. A global and ethical quality service.

San Salvatore - Cagliari CUS 51-45:
There was a small surprise when eleventh ranked San Salvatore (1-4) beat at home bottom-ranked Cagliari CUS (0-4) 51-45 on Saturday. San Salvatore forced 20 Cagliari CUS turnovers and outrebounded them 37-22 including a 29-18 advantage in defensive rebounds. Center Adriana Cutrupi (187-1996) nailed a double-double by scoring 13 points and 15 rebounds for the winning side and Argentinian Celia Fiorotto (184-1992) accounted for 11 points and 12 rebounds. Forward Meriem Nasraoui (184-2002) came up with 20 points and guard Anna Baraldi (173-2002, college: Gardner-Webb) added 12 points and 5 rebounds respectively for Cagliari CUS in the defeat. San Salvatore left bottom position moving up to tenth place. It was Cagliari CUS's fourth loss in a row. They still close the standings with four games lost. San Salvatore will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Cagliari CUS will play against Vicenza (#9) and hopes to get finally their first victory.
Top scorers:
San Salvatore: C.Adriana 13+15reb+2ast, F.Celia 11+12reb+2ast, M.Francesca 10+4reb+3ast, I.Isabella 9+4reb+2ast, P.Martina 4+1reb+1ast, A.Corongiu 4+1reb+3ast
Cagliari CUS: M.Nasraoui 20+3reb+2ast, A.Baraldi 12+5reb+1ast, C.Colli 7+7reb, P.Koleva 6+3reb+3ast, I.Anna 0, O.Chiara 0

Bolzano BC - Cagliari Virtus 79-66:
Rather expected game when 6th ranked Cagliari Virtus (2-3) lost on the road to fourth ranked Bolzano BC (3-1) 79-66 on Saturday. Bolzano BC looked well-organized offensively handing out 22 assists. Center Milena Mioni (186-2001, agency: SLN) nailed a double-double by scoring 14 points and 15 rebounds for the winning side and guard Giulia Manzotti (178-1993) accounted for 17 points and 6 assists. Power forward Mounia El Habbab (186-1994) came up with 22 points and forward Lucrezia Coser (177-1998) added 16 points and 7 rebounds respectively for Cagliari Virtus in the defeat. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Bolzano BC have a solid series of three victories in a row. They moved-up to third place, which they share with Usmate and Napoli. Loser Cagliari Virtus keep the sixth position with three games lost. They share it with 3 other teams. Bolzano BC will meet Usmate (#4) on the road in the next round. Cagliari Virtus will play against Milano Stars and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Bolzano BC: M.Liliana 18+4reb, M.Giulia 17+4reb+6ast, M.Milena 14+15reb+1ast, P.Oborilova 14+6reb+1ast, I.Korzane 6+2reb+4ast, C.Giulia 6+4reb+7ast
Cagliari Virtus: M.El Habbab 22+4reb+2ast, L.Coser 16+7reb+1ast, C.Mattera 11+6reb+4ast, A.Malintoppi 10+3reb+3ast, C.Bremaud 3+3reb, S.Ceccarelli 2+3reb+3ast

Alpo - Milano Sanga 77-82:
An interesting game for Milano Sanga (5-0) which played road game in Verona against 3rd placed Alpo (3-2). Leader Milano Sanga managed to get a 5-point victory 82-77. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of Alpo. Hungarian power forward Angela Juhasz (189-2001) nailed a double-double by scoring 16 points and 12 rebounds for the winning side and Serbian guard Anja Marinkovic (173-1998, college: FGCU) accounted for 25 points and 5 rebounds. Five Milano Sanga players scored in double figures. Forward Francesca Parmesani (176-1998) came up with 27 points and 6 rebounds and ex-international guard Antonia Peresson (176-1995, college: Georgia Tech) added 13 points and 12 rebounds respectively for Alpo in the defeat. Milano Sanga have an impressive series of five victories in a row. They maintain first place with 5-0 record, which they share with Empoli. Loser Alpo dropped to the fourth position with two games lost. They share it with Alcamo. Milano Sanga will meet at home league's second-placed Torino in the next round and it will be for sure the game of the week. Alpo will play against Trieste and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Milano Sanga: M.Anja 25+5reb, J.Angela 16+12reb+2ast, T.Susanna 12+2reb, B.Maria 11+4reb, N.Alice 10+12reb+3ast, D.Erica 6+1reb+5ast
Alpo: F.Parmesani 27+6reb+3ast, A.Peresson 13+12reb+2ast, A.Gregori 11+2reb, S.Soglia 8+7reb+2ast, C.Rainis 6+3reb+3ast, M.Rosignoli 6+2reb

Milano Stars - Usmate 66-69:
Important game to mention about took place in Milano. Fifth ranked Usmate (3-1) saved a 3-point victory on the road edging 6th ranked Milano Stars (2-3) 69-66 on Saturday evening. Usmate had a 31-17 advantage in offensive rebounds. Their players were unselfish on offense dishing 25 assists. Romanian guard Justina Kraujunaite (178-1995) stepped up and scored 20 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists (was perfect 10-for-10 from the free throw line !!!) for the winners and guard Lucia Missanelli (178-1998) chipped in 11 points and 8 rebounds. Guard Francesca Melchiori (175-1993) responded with 18 points and 8 assists and Serena de Lise (190-2007) scored 7 points and 10 rebounds. Four Milano Stars players scored in double figures. Usmate have a solid series of three victories in a row. They moved-up to third place, which they share with Napoli and Bolzano BC. Milano Stars lost third consecutive game. They keep the sixth position with three games lost. They share it with 3 other teams. Usmate will play against Bolzano BC (#3) at home in the next round, which may be the game of the day. Milano Stars will play against Cagliari Virtus and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Usmate: K.Justina 20+9reb+5ast, G.Valentina 14+4reb, M.Lucia 11+8reb+3ast, B.Valentina 8+3reb+8ast, L.Eva 6+1reb+2ast, L.Sokhna 6+5reb+5ast
Milano Stars: F.Melchiori 18+3reb+8ast, E.Volpato 11+3reb+1ast, A.Kaliuzhna 10+5reb, I.Moriconi 10+3reb+4ast, d.Lise Serena 7+10reb, P.Chiara 5+1ast

Vicenza - Torino 54-53:
The most surprising game was the first loss of undefeated Torino (4-1) on the court of tenth ranked Vicenza on Sunday night. Visitors were edged by Vicenza 54-53. It ended at the same time the four-game winning streak of Torino. Vicenza forced 19 Torino turnovers. Estonian point guard Marie Sepp (165-2002, college: Morehead St.) saved the victory by scoring 14 points, 7 rebounds and 9 assists. Forward Sara Zanetti (185-2004) contributed with 9 points and 9 rebounds for the winners. Center Kenko Ngamene (185-2004) answered with a double-double by scoring 12 points and 14 rebounds and German Jennifer Crowder (167-1996) added 12 points and 9 rebounds in the effort for Torino. Vicenza (1-3) left bottom position moving up to eighth place, which they share with Trieste. Torino at the other side keeps the second position with one game lost. Vicenza is looking forward to face Cagliari CUS (#11) on the road in the next round. Torino will play against the league's leader Milano Sanga (#1) and will have a slim chance for a victory.
Top scorers:
Vicenza: S.Marie 14+7reb+9ast, L.Natalia 12+1reb, Z.Sara 9+9reb+2ast, E.Daidone 6+2reb, A.Peserico 6+3reb+2ast, F.Chiara 5+6reb+1ast
Torino: K.Ngamene 12+14reb+1ast, J.Crowder 12+9reb+2ast, D.Obaseki 8+13reb, B.Grosso 7+1reb+1ast, M.Pellegrini 5+2ast, M.Stejskalova 3+5reb

Galli - Empoli 54-73:
Rather predictable result when leader Empoli (5-0) rolled over 4th placed Galli (2-2) in Valdarno 73-54 on Saturday. Empoli made 17-of-21 free shots (81.0 percent) during the game, while Galli only scored one point from the stripe. Forward Silvia Colognesi (182-2002) nailed 15 points for the winning side and Latvian center Liga Vente (190-1991, college: Eckerd) accounted for 12 points and 6 rebounds. Empoli's coach Alessio Cioni used a ten-player rotation which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. French center Elodie Lalotte (185-2002, college: Boise St.) came up with a double-double by scoring 21 points and 10 rebounds and guard Alice Milani (175-1999) added 17 points respectively for Galli in the defeat. The victory was the fifth consecutive win for Empoli. They maintain first place with 5-0 record, which they share with Milano Sanga. Loser Galli dropped to the fifth position with two games lost. They share it with Umbertide and Frascati. Empoli will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Galli will play against Salerno (#9) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Empoli: C.Silvia 15+3reb+2ast, V.Liga 12+6reb, R.Irene 11+3reb, I.Giulia 9+5reb+4ast, R.Anna 8+4reb+2ast, S.Casini 8
Galli: E.Lalotte 21+10reb, A.Milani 17+2reb+3ast, J.Prytz 9+3reb+1ast, A.Castellani 7+5reb+2ast, S.Cecotti 0, G.Pirozzi 0+2reb

San Raffaele - Ragusa 46-74:
Not a big story in a game when bottom-ranked San Raffaele (0-5) was outscored by leader Ragusa (4-0) in Roma 74-46 on Saturday. Ragusa outrebounded San Raffaele 45-18 including a 31-13 advantage in defensive rebounds. Sara Ronchi (185-2003) nailed 15 points and 7 rebounds for the winning side and Swedish center Precious Johnson (192-2000, college: Duquesne) accounted for 14 points and 8 rebounds. Forward Valentina Barbieri (180-1998) came up with 2 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists and point guard Chiara Cupellaro (168-2003) added 10 points respectively for San Raffaele in the defeat. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. The victory was the fourth consecutive win for Ragusa. They maintain second place with 4-0 record behind leader Milano Sanga. San Raffaele lost their fifth game in a row. They still close the standings with five games lost. They share the position with Alghero. Ragusa will meet at home Frascati (#7) in the next round which should be theoretically another easy game. San Raffaele will play against Alghero and hopes to get finally their first victory.
Top scorers:
Ragusa: R.Sara 15+7reb+2ast, J.Precious 14+8reb+1ast, S.Beatrice 12+1reb, C.Alessandra 9+4reb+1ast, H.Marion 7+4reb+7ast, F.Di 4+6reb
San Raffaele: C.Cupellaro 10+2reb, D.Marchi Ludovica 7+2reb+1ast, Z.Ginevra 6, S.Jasmine 5, G.Ciaccioni 5+5reb+1ast, K.Mascetti 4+1ast

Frascati - Salerno 98-49:
We could consider it a predictable result in the game between close teams when eighth ranked Frascati (2-2) outplayed at home 7th ranked Salerno (2-3) 98-49 on Sunday. Frascati dominated down low during the game scoring 56 of its points in the paint compared to Salerno's 24. They outrebounded Salerno 47-26 including a 34-19 advantage in defensive rebounds. Frascati looked well-organized offensively handing out 23 assists comparing to just 9 passes made by Salerno's players. Cameroonian center Eveline Toyounon (196-2009) nailed a double-double by scoring 25 points, 19 rebounds and 6 blocks (on 11-of-13 shooting from the field) for the winning side and forward Anna Rescifina (183-2003, college: American) accounted for 29 points and 7 rebounds (on 11-of-13 shooting from the field). Four Frascati players scored in double figures. point guard Francesca Pelizzari (167-2006) came up with 15 points and Senegalese forward Tabara Mbaye (186-2007) added 7 points and 7 rebounds respectively for Salerno in the defeat. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Frascati moved-up to fifth place, which they share with Galli and Umbertide. Salerno lost their third game in a row. They dropped to the sixth position with three games lost. They share it with 3 other teams. Frascati will meet league's second-placed Ragusa on the road in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Salerno will play against Galli (#5) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Frascati: R.Anna 29+7reb+3ast, T.Eveline 25+19reb+2ast, C.Florencia 15+6reb+10ast, P.Maria 12+6reb, S.Elena 8+6reb+4ast, E.Nicolodi 5+1reb
Salerno: F.Pelizzari 15+3reb+3ast, G.Pierdicca 10+4reb, O.Kounkou 8+3reb+1ast, M.Tabara 7+7reb+2ast, S.Tania 3+1reb+1ast, V.Michel 2+4reb+1ast

Alcamo - Matelica 67-47:
Everything could happen at the game between two tied teams. Both fourth ranked Alcamo and 5th ranked Matelica had identical 2-2 record. This time Alcamo used a home court advantage and outleveled the opponent from Matelica 67-47 on Sunday night. Alcamo held Matelica to an opponent 25.0 percent shooting from the field compared to 44.9 percent accuracy of the winners and made 19-of-23 free shots (82.6 percent) during the game. Alcamo had a 32-20 advantage in offensive rebounds. Spanish center Nogaye Lo Sylla (192-1996) nailed a double-double by scoring 13 points and 12 rebounds for the winning side and guard Francesca Russo (178-1996) accounted for 14 points and 6 rebounds. point guard Ilaria Bonvecchio (172-1994) came up with 16 points and 5 rebounds and Caterina Ciuffoli (170-2007) added 10 points and 5 rebounds respectively for Matelica in the defeat. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Alcamo maintains fourth place with 3-2 record, which they share with Alpo. Loser Matelica dropped to the sixth position with three games lost. They share it with 3 other teams. Alcamo will meet higher ranked Napoli (#3) on the road in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Matelica will play against Umbertide and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Alcamo: R.Francesca 14+6reb+1ast, L.Nogaye 13+12reb+1ast, C.Rosa 10+3reb+6ast, S.Irene 8, N.Matea 7+2reb, V.Elena 6+6reb+3ast
Matelica: I.Bonvecchio 16+5reb, C.Ciuffoli 10+5reb, C.Bacchini 5+2reb, J.Nardoni 4+1reb, B.Gramaccioni 4+5reb, H.Tulonen 2+4reb

Umbertide - Alghero 83-61:
The game between closely ranked teams ended with ninth ranked Umbertide's (2-2) home victory over bottom-ranked Alghero (0-5) 83-61 on Sunday. Umbertide made 17-of-22 free shots (77.3 percent) during the game. They also forced 20 Alghero turnovers and had a 16-5 advantage in offensive rebounds. Point guard Giorgia Amatori (179-2003) nailed 12 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists for the winning side and guard Federica Giudice (175-2000) accounted for 17 points. Serbian-Hungarian Milica Popovic (188-2002) came up with 17 points and 7 rebounds and guard Aurora Murgia (175-2009) added 11 points respectively for Alghero in the defeat. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Umbertide moved-up to fifth place, which they share with Galli and Frascati. Alghero lost their fifth game in a row. They still close the standings with five games lost. They share the position with San Raffaele. Umbertide will meet Matelica (#8) on the road in the next round. Alghero will play against San Raffaele and hopes to get finally their first victory.
Top scorers:
Umbertide: G.Federica 17+4reb, T.Ramona 15+1reb, A.Giorgia 12+5reb+5ast, T.Emanuela 8+3reb+6ast, B.Giuliobello 7+1reb+1ast, S.Giulia 7+1reb+4ast
Alghero: M.Popovic 17+7reb, M.Aurora 11+4reb+1ast, L.Gkompetzisvili 10+4reb+2ast, S.Elisea 9+2reb+1ast, B.Dell'Orto 7+4reb+2ast, T.Mitreva 7+3reb+2ast