San Raffaele Rout Basket Roma in the Playoff to Reach Serie A2

San Raffaele Basket have won promotion to Serie A2. Bouncing back from the disappointment of a final lost to Cavezzo, the Lazio side produced their biggest response when it mattered most, beating Basket Roma 63-46 in the promotion playoff of the women's Serie B Final Event.
It was a win worth an entire season, and San Raffaele built it early. They came out flying in the first quarter, combining offensive rhythm with defensive intensity to lead 20-9, leaving Basket Roma chasing from the outset. The advantage only grew in the second period: moving the ball well and attacking the rim, San Raffaele reeled off a 23-14 run to take a commanding 43-23 lead into the break. Basket Roma tried to respond after halftime, but San Raffaele managed the game with maturity, the third quarter ending level at 12-12 and Roma's 11-8 edge in the fourth never threatening the result.
Ludovica De Marchi (178-F) led the winners with 14 points, Giulia Prosperi (180-PG-1997) added 10 and Mariyah Fletcher (175-F) nine, with Giulia Ciaccioni and Chiara Cupellaro (168-G-2003) chipping in eight apiece in a balanced, efficient attack. Basket Roma got 14 from Aisha Viola Diagne and nine each from Giulia Patane (186-F/C-2000) and Katarina Zec (180-G/F-1997, college: UTEP), but were undone by woeful shooting 2-of-15 from three and 10-of-20 at the line and by their inability to absorb San Raffaele's fast start.
For Basket Roma, it was a second painful near-miss in quick succession, coming on the heels of their promotion-final defeat to Frascati. While San Raffaele celebrate a step up to Serie A2 after an intense, emotional week, the capital club are left to reflect on two decisive opportunities that slipped away.