After last-week defeat against All Reds Basket (ARB), JCU Men’s Basketball team comes back more prepared for the re-match of the UISP tournament, last night. Our Gladiators sweep the opponents in a dominating performance, winning with a significant score gap of 20 points, 60-80 [8-26; 14-17; 17-16; 20-21].

JCU plays a perfect first quarter with an impenetrable defense and a coordinated and determined offense. Important protagonists are Corral who efficiently stands out within the offensive side and Kaplan who has a very powerful start. Our Gladiators take home a crushing first-quarter win, 8-26.

The remaining three quarters are more intense, and JCU has to fight harder to keep the lead. ARB shows a strong reaction and tries to stay clinged to our Gladiators. At the same time, JCU drops the energy a little a bit, especially on the defensive side, probably due to our Gladiators’ confidence on their inital advantage and a few referee questionable decisions.

However, ARB is never able to overturn the result, and JCU keeps the 20-point advantage for the entire game.

“We take home this victory aware of the fact that we can do even better in the next game, which will be against the current to team of the tournament,” coach Serraino points out.

JCU Captain Buratti also gives an excellent and solid performance as usual and Hershberger‘s contribution, who returns playing after a few days of stop due to an injury to his ankle, is also fundamental both in defense and offense.

Congratulations, Gladiators!

MVP – Preston Corral

NEXT GAME:
UISP Tournament – JCU vs LSB | Thursday, February 27 | 7:45pm | Petriana Court

COED VOLLEYBALL
Not a so positive outcome arrives from our Coed Volleyball team who loses 3-0 [25-15; 25-5; 25-22] against Green Hill in the Oroverde Tournament.

JCU plays a decent a first set but commits a few mistakes that penalize them and allow the GHV to take home the set. The second set is a complete disaster with JCU out of focus and not respoding at all to the opponents’ attacks.

Our Gladiators strongly react in the last set and take the lead in the first part, playing more attentively and exploiting well the opponents’ mistakes. However, in the second part of the set, GHV overturns the situation and ultimately win the third set, too.

“We committed too many mistakes, especially in the fielding zone,” coach Papari comments. “Unfortunately, we didn’t have our official setter, and I had to arrange another line up with our best receiver playing as the setter, and that, of course, left the fielding zone uncovered.”

Then Papari adds, “We definitely are a cohesive group. All the players get along well, and this is also something really important to consider when you play in a team. For what concerns the technical aspect, we always try our best during the games, and we will keep working really hard to improve.”

C’mon Gladiators! Don’t lose hope, and better days will come soon!

MVP – Aimi Iwao

NEXT GAME:
Universities of Rome Championship – JCU vs UER | Thursday, February 27 | 8:00pm | Kennedy Court