Passalacqua Ragusa Beat Matelica 72-60 in Serie A2 Opening Big Match

Passalacqua Ragusa won the first big match of the Serie A2 femminile Credem Banca season, beating Halley Thunder Matelica 72-60 at the Pala Minardi on the opening matchday. The quarter scores — 21-18, 41-37, 60-49, 72-60 — trace a contest in which Matelica repeatedly came back before Ragusa's work under the boards settled it. Ragusa finished with 47 rebounds to Matelica's 29, including 18 at the offensive end against eight, and Johnson alone collected 12.

Matelica began the better, Tulonen opening from beyond the arc, Heriaud replying and Pericic restoring the visitors' lead from outside and then from the free-throw line. Ronchi and Cosaro edged Ragusa ahead and the first quarter closed 21-18. Ragusa's decisive second-quarter spell came from Heriaud, Ronchi, Johnson and Consolini finding two-man games inside Matelica's defence; the margin reached 11 before Gramaccioni led a 7-0 reply that kept the visitors in touch to 41-37. Matelica shot the three better, 11 of 28 against Ragusa's six of 22, but converted only 12 of 28 attempts inside the paint. Bonvecchio finished as Matelica's best with 14 points and eight assists.

After the interval Ragusa surrendered possession too often and Matelica moved a point ahead. Seletti raised his defensive pressure and sent on two smaller guards; with Heriaud and Cosaro playing at speed, Cosaro and then Ronchi twice struck from outside, and baskets from Consolini and Johnson pushed the visitors to minus 12 a minute from the end of the third, which closed at 60-49.

The final period brought little scoring and foul trouble complicated the rhythm. Gramaccioni and Bonvecchio hit late threes, the latter making it 66-57, before Consolini scored for 70-57 and supplied Johnson for 72-57; Nardoni's three completed the scoring at 72-60. Chiara Bacchini was absent for Matelica, the reports noting a precautionary rest.

Consolini led all scorers with 17 points, seven rebounds and four assists. "We seemed a single thing on the court and that made the difference," she said, adding that the team had put in the work of a September of training. Seletti described a difficult pre-season, short of friendlies, and said the latest eruption of Etna had prevented the side travelling to the quadrangular at Costa Masnaga: "We weren't ready to face Matelica on the first day, but we went beyond that with our attitude." Matassini, his opposite number, said Ragusa had won deservedly and that his side had lacked defensive precision and solutions inside.