AS Monaco Basket endured a tough night in Italy, falling 77–73 to Virtus Bologna in their second EuroLeague defeat of the season. Despite flashes of brilliance, the Roca Team struggled to find rhythm and accuracy, finishing with a dire 33 percent success rate on two-point shots — a shortfall that proved decisive.
The match began with both sides trading long-range shots, as Nikola Mirotić kept Monaco afloat early on. But as the minutes ticked by, the Italian side — led by an exceptional Carsen Edwards (24 points) — capitalised on Monaco’s misfires and loose defensive rotations. By halftime, Virtus held a slim edge (37–34), yet the Roca Team never quite found the spark to turn the tide.
Coach Vassilis Spanoulis’s men battled hard in the second half, with Jaron Blossomgame and Alpha Diallo grinding under the basket and Mike James creating chances from the perimeter. But every push from Monaco met a firm response from the hosts — notably Daniel Hackett and Luca Vildoza, who delivered clutch shots just when the visitors looked poised to strike back.
A late surge saw Monaco claw back to within three points, with Matthew Strazel coolly converting free throws to give them a final shot at forcing overtime. However, Nemanja Nedović’s last attempt failed to drop, sealing Virtus Bologna’s victory before Alessandro Pajola iced the game from the line.
After the game, Spanoulis didn’t sugar-coat his team’s shortcomings:
“Virtus Bologna deserved to win — they were better. We made too many mistakes, especially in defence. You can’t win in the EuroLeague shooting 12 of 39 on two-pointers.”
The Roca Team now turns its focus to Friday’s home clash with Valencia, where they’ll be looking to rediscover their scoring touch — and shake off the frustrations of Bologna.
