ROME (Lega A) - Climamio Bologna coach Jasmin Repesa has promised Angelico Biella a much harder game when the two face each other for a third time in the Italian play-offs on Wednesday.
Biella rolled to a surprising 85-76 triumph on Sunday over the defending champions to level the tie at 1-1, and coach Alessandro Ramagli said: "We haven't just prolonged the series, what we are have done is to play in order to win and eliminate the Italian champions."
Repesa, who is also the national team coach of Croatia, said: "The third game will be very different, I can guarantee it."
Climamio aren't just Italian giants. They are one of Europe's biggest teams with a huge tradition. Climamio did not look like the side that finished top of the Lega A table.
"Biella had the energy and the will and we had a terrible approach to the game," Repesa conceded. "The breaks at the start of every quarter are just a symptom of bad concentration from my players. We have to learn from this defeat."
Ramagli, who led his team into the play-offs on the final day of the regular season, declared: "We don't want it to be just a party.
"This game has confirmed that our eighth placed finish in the regular season wasn't just an anecdote and this win will convince us that we are not mere spectators in these play-offs."
One of the big winners for Biella this season has been 2.07m Italian national team center Luca Garri, whose confidence was at an all-time low after a difficult spell at Lottomatica Roma. A member of Italy's silver-medal winning side after a terrific season for Mabo Livorno, Garri signed for Roma but struggled to make an impact.
He moved to Biella this season, gained much more playing time and made the most of it, averaging more than 11 points per game. Against Climamio on Sunday, he was five of six from the floor on his way to 11 points and he also grabbed eight rebounds.
Garri was left out of Italy's EuroBasket squad last summer because of his disappointment at Roma but he may be in the reckoning for the Azzurri squad at the FIBA World Championship.
Two other ties are 1-1. Montepaschi Siena and Benetton Treviso lost at the weekend, falling to Roma and Armani Jeans Milano, respectively.
Carpisa Napoli, however, do hold a 2-0 lead over Snaidero Cucine Udine. The Coppa Italia winners won on the road 92-84 on Sunday night. Ansu Sesay, who had 18 points, said: "We are extremely happy and very motivated. We don't want to stop here.
"Where can we get to? I can only say that we want to give everything in each game and try and win all of them.
"There are many strong teams but at home we always count on our loyal fans that give us the added strength to achieve incredible things.
"We are now 2-0 up and we want to kill off Udine on Wednesday."
From Cindy Garcia-Bennett, PA Sport, Rome Exclusively for FIBA