Several veterans ended up having pivotal roles in a come-from-behind victory against Valencia
Virtus overcame injury to Toko Shengelia, sent a message
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Regular Season
Round 27 of 34
Group Regular Season
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Having lost three of its last four games coming into Thursday’s contest against Valencia Basket, Virtus Segafredo Bologna was in need of a response that would get the team back on track. However, things didn’t look good early as Valencia got off to a great start on both ends, with the guests taking an 18-20 lead into the second quarter. Virtus’s defense struggled to cope with Valencia’s ball circulation and its offense looked shaky.
What’s more, entering the second quarter, head coach Luca Banchi had to create a game plan that did not include Virtus star Toko Shengelia. With 3:45 left in the opening period, the Georgian suffered an injury that would force him to the locker room – and he didn’t return during the rest of the contest.
“It’s hard to see my brother go down like that,” Jordan Mickey said after the game. “[But] we had good players who stepped up. We were looking to bounce back after a couple of losses before the break and tonight we showed that we can play basketball.”
Veterans stepped up for Virtus
With Shengelia out injured, Banchi saw his veterans come to the fore to provide the team with a much-needed boost. Marco Belinelli netted 9 of his 16 points in what proved to be a crucial second quarter, with Virtus outscoring Valencia 26-12 to take a double-digit lead (44-32) into the second half. Meanwhile, Mickey contributed on both ends by recording 14 points, 7 rebounds, 3 steals and 3 blocks off the bench. In fact, Virtus’s bench scored 41 of their team’s 87 points, with players such as Alessandro Pajola and Achille Polonara making a key impact.
Pajola finished the game with 9 points, 6 assists and 5 drawn fouls for a season-high PIR of 18, while Polonara filled in for Shengelia when his team needed him the most. The Virtus forward’s stat line may not have been eye-popping, but his hustle on both ends of the court allowed the hosts to dictate the pace.
“We came into this game with many uncertainties, plus Toko’s injury at the very beginning, but we responded as a team with a common effort and had a very mature performance,” Banchi commented during the post-game press conference.
After recording its second home defeat this season just before the break, Virtus bounced back by securing a home victory that was much needed given it has a couple of tough-looking games coming up. Next week, Banchi’s side will travel to Greece to face Olympiacos Piraeus before returning to Bologna, where they’ll host Turkish Airlines EuroLeague leader Real Madrid on March 15.
The extent of Shengelia’s injury is yet to be confirmed, but Banchi is aware that his Virtus is anything but a one-man team. Collective effort is what makes the difference in the EuroLeague and Virtus demonstrated once again on Thursday night that it has that in abundance.