Basketball, Brescia wins the Italian Cup: beat Bologna- Corriere.it

Brescia writes the most beautiful Cinderella story in the history of the Final Eight. The 2023 Italian Cup remains in Lombardy, but it is raised by the least expected hands: those of Germani, who after eliminating the reigning champions of Milan in the quarterfinals, surprise Virtus Bologna in the final. It ends 84-76 for Alessandro Magro’s team, the first trophy in its history: for the second time after Venice in 2020 the cup goes to the 8th seed.

Brescia’s success is even more unexpected in light of the twelfth place in Serie A and the open series of 6 defeats with which it presented itself in Turin. The Lombard defense, led by the blue native John Petrucelli, nullified the physical advantage of Bologna and extinguished the light of Teodosic (only 2 points with 1/7 shooting). On the Coppa Italia 2023 there is above all the signature of Amedeo Della Valle, MVP with 26 points and 6 assists. Alba’s winger hadn’t found a place in the Euroleague – including Virtus – last summer, now he’s taken his revenge, dragging his players up to plus 17 in the middle of the third quarter. Segafredo reopened the game with the 3-2 zone and Belinelli’s slingshots (24 points in 23′), going up to minus 1 in the 38′ minute. But again Della Valle and a precious Massinburg closed the game: a celebration for the thousand Brescians in the stands but also for a Lega Basket that won the PalAlpitour bet.

This is confirmed by the absolute record attendance at the Final Eight (36,592 spectators in 4 days, yesterday 11,936) with 16% more than the previous record in Pesaro: «We have sown well thanks to the institutions and we are enjoying the success, we have ongoing discussions with Turin for a multi-year relationship with our pride and joy» commented the president Umberto Gandini with satisfaction. The championship will return on March 5, from today it’s the turn of Italbasket who will meet in Bologna in view of the matches against Ukraine (Thursday in Livorno) and Spain (Sunday in Caceres).