American Overseas School of Rome’s Luce Misciattelli tries to prevent Black Forest Academy’s Esther Lee from scoring on a layup Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, in Vicenza, Italy. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
VICENZA, Italy – It might have been a basketball addict’s dream Friday night as eight teams from four schools matched up for six games at the Villagio military base.
But those looking for potential championship matchups – or just close games in general – had to look to the girls side. Two boys contests ended up in mercy-rule victories and the other one fell just a bit short of that.
That’s very likely to change Saturday when the two dominant boys teams from Friday – the host Cougars and the visiting Black Forest Academy Falcons – square off.
Vicenza’s Trishauna Lewis launches a shot from long distance before American Overseas School of Rome’s Silvia Goldman can close the distance Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, in Vicenza, Italy. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Vicenza’s Gracie Perry scores off an offensive rebound Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, against American Overseas School of Rome in Vicenza, Italy. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
American Overseas School of Rome’s Natalia DiMatteo puts on a shot against the Vicenza defense Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, in Vicenza, Italy. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Vicenza 41, American Overseas School of Rome 27: The day began with a rematch of last year’s DODEA-Europe Division II title game that the Falcons won on a buzzer beater.
AOSR had already defeated Vicenza twice this season and the Cougars apparently had enough.
Gracie Perry scored a season-high 16 points and pulled down 12 rebounds to help negate the Falcons’ twin towers of Natalia DiMatteo and Nina Neroni.
She didn’t leave the floor as the Cougars played only six players.
“I knew that it was a really important game, so I pushed,” Perry said. “We all pushed. I’m tired, we’re tired. But …”
The game was tied at 18 at the half, but the Cougars tightened their zone defense in the third and completely shut down the Falcons’ offense, outscoring them 11-0 in the period. The Falcons didn’t get closer than eight points the rest of the way.
AOSR didn’t connect on a three-point attempt against the zone but kept on firing away. While Matteo and Neroni, the Falcons’ two 6-footers, normally would clean up many of those misses, they only managed to get their hands on a few Friday.
“It usually works,” AOSR coach Lillian Aldred said with a grimace and shake of her head of the gun-and-grab strategy.
DiMatteo had 10 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Falcons.
American Overseas School of Rome’s Gloria Olivieri puts up a shot as Black Forest Academy’s Lydia Moore closes in Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, in a game in Vicenza, Italy. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Black Forest Academy’s Kenna Clason expresses frustration as the ball slips away Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, in a game against the American Overseas School of Rome in Vicenza, Italy. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
AOSR 33, BFA 30: It looked early on like the Falcons from Rome were going to take out their frustrations from the earlier loss against the Falcons from Germany.
AOSR took a 13-2 lead after a quarter and led 21-12 at the half. But another disastrous third period – this time won by BFA 10-2 – made it a nailbiter by the time the buzzer sounded.
Esther Lee’s basket with 5 minutes, 40 seconds to play gave BFA its first lead of the game. But AOSR responded with six straight points – four from Gloria Olivieri – to take back the lead and never trailed after that.
Olivieri admitted AOSR, which entered the day unbeaten, had its hands full Friday.
“There was a lot of talent out there and with that, comes a lot of pride,” she said. “And I don’t think we played as a team as much as we wanted to.”
AOSR, missing one starter and a key reserve due to injury, got 13 points from Neroni.
Black Forest Academy’s Ester Lee moves to the basket while Aviano’s Gigi Fortuna chases Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, in Vicenza, Italy. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Aviano’s Aubrey Cannon shoots from outside Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, in a game against Black Forest Academy in Vicenza, Italy. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Black Forest Academy’s Char Van Mekr goes up for a shot over Aviano’s Ily Zamora on Friday, Jan. 16, 2026 in Vicenza, Italy. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
BFA 49, Aviano 43: It was the second quarter that was the difference in this game as the Falcons blitzed the Saints 21-7.
Aviano actually outscored BFA in every other quarter, but couldn’t fully close the gap in the second half despite 24 points from Aubrey Cannon.
Turnovers and several defense lapses contributed to the Falcons’ success just before halftime.
Kenna Clason, who had led her team with eight points against AOSR, this time had a team-high in rebounds with 11. But she had plenty of help as four other teammates had at least five boards. Lee led in scoring with 20.
Vicenza’s Zavier Washington puts back an offensive rebound to score Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, in a game against the American Overseas School of Rome in Vicenza, Italy. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
American Overseas School of Rome’s Sami Greer takes a free throw Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, in a game against Vicenza in Vicenza, Italy. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Vicenza’s Alex Trescott lines up a three-point attempt Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, in a game against American Overseas School of Rome in Vicenza, Italy. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Vicenza 58, AOSR 19: The two-time defending champion Cougars improved to 3-0 this season against the Falcons and it was never really close after the opening minutes.
Vicenza led 17-6 after a quarter and 42-16 at halftime.
Trying to prevent the Cougars’ 6-8 center Simon Gilbert from scoring, the Falcons left open Vicenza shooters outside the arc. And – unlike some games earlier the season – Vicenza knocked them down, connecting eight times from long distance.
“If you try to do anything special to stop them inside, they get open shots,” AOSR coach Dave Roberts said. “They shot it well tonight and it’s tough to beat them when that happens.”
Dylan Horrigan had 15 and Gilbert 10 to pace the Cougars, who will enter Saturday’s matchup against the Falcons with only one loss this season.
Black Forest Academy’s Mateo Chamberlain drives to the basket while American Overseas School of Rome’s Damien Irvine plays defense Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, in Vicenza, Italy. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Black Forest Academy’s Leo Hemphill dribbles as American Overseas School of Rome defends Friday, Jan. 16, 2026 in Vicenza, Italy. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
American Overseas School of Rome’s Leone Massi goes up to score Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, in a game against Black Forest Academy in Vicenza, Italy. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
BFA 69, AOSR 38: The visitors from Germany led only 30-22 at halftime, but steadily pulled away in the second half.
Leo Hemphill had 20 points, Mateo Chamberlain 17 and Nehemiah Perryman 16 – including five three-point shots – to pace the BFA offense.
Coach Taylor Hemphill – coaching in Kenya at this time last year – was as happy with his role players’ efforts as his top scorers.
“It’s the intangibles – great defense, boxing out, making the right play – that are often the difference,” he said.
BFA 51, Aviano 12: The Falcons didn’t wait until after halftime to pour it on against the Saints.
BFA led 16-5 after a quarter and Aviano never got within double digits after that. The game turned into a rout in the third when the Falcons outscored the Saints 24-4. The game officially ended early in the fourth quarter when the 39-point mercy rule came into effect.
Leo Hemphill had 17 points to lead BFA.
Vicenza and BFA square off in girls and boys contests to begin Saturday’s play, followed by Aviano playing AOSR in two more games and the Saints and Cougars finishing the day with another pair.
