Last night, JCU Men’s Basketball took the action in a challenging test-match against an Italian D League team, San Charles (SC).
JCU gave proof of high-level basketball skills that didn’t really justify the final result. SC won the game 65-55, a tiny gap that explains our Gladiators’ good performance against a strong team that plays in a semi-professional league and is tactically more prepared.
JCU started off the game really strong, and our Gladiators immediately showed competitiveness and determination. In the first three minutes of the game, JCU took the lead with a score gap of 9 points over SC, especially thanks to Giordano‘s playmaker moves, to Sussman‘s flawless shots, and Roux‘ movements on the court. SC, however, was able to make up for the gap in the remaining seven minutes, but JCU still took home the first quarter, winning 10-14.
The second quarter began with a significant change in SC defense. The opposing team decided to opt for a different tactic, putting on a full-court press. This change made it harder for our Gladiators to move the ball correctly and with the right timing, allowing SC to win the second quarter 21-10.
“We couldn’t find the right strategy to push the ball towards the opponents’ side of the court,” coach Serraino pointed out. “The few occasions we had, we still failed to efficiently move the ball around, and the chaotic situation didn’t help us in regaing an approriate offensive structure.”
The third and fourth quarters had a similar trend with slight changes. Especially in the third quarter, JCU tried to react and was able to maintain a more balanced score gap but was never able to overturn the result. The third quarter ended 19-18 for SC, and the fourth quarter 16-11.
“It was a good game, overall,” coach Searrino continued. “This time, I wanted everyone to play in order for me to actually see the players and understand better their individual skills. I feel that this match helped me a lot to figure out the players who can be the cornerstones of the team.”
JCU players Fattore, Giudici, Axtell, Samaha, Ravipati, Sulpizi and Schaefer gave a significant contribution, making the game more dynamic both in defense and offense. Similarly, Sussman‘s shooting skills and Giordano‘s one-vs-one winning abilities played a fundamental role in the game.
Good job, Gladiators! You faced a strong team last night but still managed to walk out of the game with your head held high. Off to the next challenge now!
MVP – Adrian Roux
COMING UP NEXT: Friendly game – Corbasket vs JCU | Monday, October 7 | 9:00pm | Via Donatello, 20
