ITA - Gunning for more glory

SIENA (Lega A) - There is cause for debate in Italy when it comes to naming the most dominate club in the basketball league's history.

Olimpia Milano captured 25 crowns from 1936 to 1996, including one run from 1950 to 1967 when the outfit won 14 championships.

The last time that Olimpia ruled the roost was from 1982 to 1989 when it celebrated five league title successes.

In recent times, the side to set the standard when it comes to championship glory is Montepaschi Siena.

The club has won the last six Lega A championships and on Tuesday night, gave itself a perfect launch pad for a seventh consecutive title with an 85-76 triumph at Virtus Roma in Game 1 of the play-off finals.

Montepaschi have such an aura that even in a season when the team came in fifth and played under new coach Luca Banchi, following Simone Pianigiani’s decision to leave and coach Fenerbahce in Turkey, it looks like the side to beat.

David Moss had 20 points, Italy guard Daniel Hackett 18 and Bobby Brown 17 for Mens Sana, who put the result beyond doubt with an 11-2 burst in the fourth quarter.

At the start of the frame, a basket from Roma's Nigerian big man Gani Lawal cut the visitors' advantage to 62-58, but Estonia international Kristjan Kangur and Italian sharpshooter Tomas Ress answered with back-to-back three-balls.

Lawal, a player who could be selected by Nigeria for the Afrobasket in Ivory Coast this summer, tried to keep the Romans within striking distance and scored again, but Hackett replied with a pair of free-throws and then drilled a three-pointer to stretch the advantage to 13.

Moss and Hackett can be a real headache for Roma in this best-of-seven-game series.

The latter, a key man in Italy's national team, is a combo guard who can not only drain three-pointers but drive into the teeth of the defense and score.

"Hackett is a very strong player who knows how to physically attack the iron well," Ress said.

If Roma are going to have any success against Mens Sana, coach Marco Calvani says the players must show more determination on defense.

"Defensively we were embarrassing," he said, "and in this way we cannot expect to win against a team like Siena."

Lawal finished with 17 points, Phil Goss 16 and Jordan Taylor 15.

Montepaschi didn't give Lega A MVP Luigi Datome many looks.

The Italy forward finished with seven points.

Game 2 is on Thursday in Rome.

FIBA