Germani Brescia outlasted EA7 Emporio Armani Milan 72-75 in the first game played in this season’s Italian Cup Final Eight in Turin, Italy. There were four lead changes and three ties in the fourth quarter alone. John Petrucelli scored the game-tying and go-ahead free throws in the penultimate minute and C.J. Massinburg made 4 free throws in the final 10 seconds to seal the outcome.
Massinburg led the winning attack with 16 points, Kenny Gabriel added 13, Petrucelli 11 and Christian Burns and Amedeo Della Valle scored 10 each. Della Valle also dished 7 assists. Billy Baron was Milan’s top scorer with 18 points, Shabazz Napier and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot had 13 apiece and Luigi Datome 10.
Brescia dominated the second quarter, which it finished on a 2-11 tear, to lead 29-45 at halftime. Milan stormed back with a 19-2 third-quarter run led by Datome and Napier. Baron completed the comeback with free throws in the final minute of the quarter, but Burns left Brescia 55-56 edge heading into the fourth quarter. Baron opened the fourth with a triple and the teams went back and forth until the closing minutes when Brescia finished stronger.