Olimpia took the game over in the second quarter and responded after a tough stretch in the third to win comfortably 78-72 in Pistoia. It is the fifth straight win in the Italian league. Olimpia struggled in the first period when Pistoia, a hot shooting team, started making six threes out of eight three-point attempts. But it never trailed by more than six and Pippo Ricci’s corner three reduced the deficit to three points at the end of the inaugural quarter.

The defense took control in the second keeping Pistoia scoreless for minutes and the run was 10-0. From that point on Olimpia looked in control with the exception of a brief moment in the third when Pistoia, led by its big three, Charlie Moore, Payton Willis and Jordon Varnado, got ahead by as many as three points. “But this time we have been able to control the damage,” Coach Ettore Messina said. A Voigtmann basket (11 points and 11 rebounds) with a short jumper and Devon Hall with two free throws gave Olimpia the lead for good. In the fourth one more 7-0 run essentially closed the game off. Olimpia’s led by 13 points at one point and finished comfortably.

Shavon Shields led the scorers with 17 points. Pippo Ricci hot shooting was instrumental in getting the win. Hall was solid too. “We played a good game. It was good that in the fourth quarter we were able to get the ball inside establishing some kind of balance against a good and physical defensive team,” Messina added.