Carsen Edwards and Derrick Alston Torch Trento as Virtus Bologna Cruise Into LBA Semis

Some games tell their story early, and this was one of them. Trento never let Trento breathe, pulling away for a dominant 31-point victory in the LBA quarterfinals on May 17th. The final score — 102-71 — was as clean as it looks.

Some games tell their story early, and this was one of them. Virtus Bologna never let Trento breathe, pulling away for a dominant 31-point victory in the LBA quarterfinals on May 17th. The final score — 102-71 — was as clean as it looks.

The story of the night belonged to two players operating on completely different timelines. Carsen Edwards started and logged 25 minutes, finishing with 21 points on 5-of-11 shooting from 3-point range. Derrick Alston came off the bench, played just 19 minutes, and matched him point-for-point. Same total, far fewer possessions — and a PIR of 24.0, the highest on the floor for either team.

Alston’s Efficiency Was the Real Story

Alston’s line deserves a closer look: 2-of-3 on 2-point attempts, 4-of-6 from deep, and a perfect 5-of-5 from the free throw line. That kind of shooting distribution — efficient inside, dangerous from range, automatic at the line — is exactly what a bench scorer needs to be in a playoff environment. Bologna didn’t need him to carry anything. He just needed to be a problem every time he touched the ball, and he was.

Edwards, meanwhile, was the more volume-heavy option. His 1-of-6 mark on 2-point attempts wasn’t pretty, but he more than made up for it by getting to the line four times and converting all four, while connecting on nearly half his 3-point attempts. His efficiency rating of 13.0 was solid if unspectacular — the kind of performance that wins games without necessarily winning highlight reels.

Bologna’s Depth Made It a Rout

What made this feel like a statement wasn’t just Edwards and Alston. It was the supporting cast refusing to let Trento find any rhythm. Yago Dos Santos contributed 14 points and 5 assists in 22 minutes, shooting 4-of-9 from 3-point range and keeping the offense moving. Daniel Hackett added 12 points and 5 rebounds in 19 minutes. Francesco Ferrari chipped in 8 points and 2 assists off the wing. Bologna had answers at every position, and Trento simply had no counter.

Trento’s best efforts came from Jordan Bayehe, who scored 15 points in 17 minutes, and Selom Mawugbe, who put up a quiet 10-point, 10-rebound double-double. But D.J. Steward managed just 11 points on limited efficiency, and Khalif Battle — one of Trento’s most dangerous offensive weapons — was held to 7 points in 20 minutes. When your top perimeter threats can’t get going, a 31-point deficit becomes very explainable.

Bologna looked every bit like a team built for this moment — deep, versatile, and capable of winning with different contributors on any given night. That kind of flexibility is what separates genuine playoff contenders from pretenders. Trento found that out the hard way.