REGGIO EMILIA, Italy (Interstat) — Reggiana will host Tortona on Sunday at PalaBigi in Reggio Emilia, Italy, with both clubs seeking an early-season lift. Reggiana enters the matchup at 1-2, while Tortona arrives at 2-2. The visiting Tortona side has split its first four games, and Reggiana has dropped two of its first three. Reggiana’s attack will again revolve around Jaylen Barford, its top recent scorer. Tortona will aim to contain him and control the pace on the road.

Reggiana’s most recent outing produced an 82-65 home win over JIP Pardubice. Barford finished with 23 points, five rebounds and one assist in 28 minutes. Derek Ikumalo Ogbeide added 13 points, five rebounds, one assist and two blocks, while Riccardo Visconti scored 14 points with five rebounds and two assists. Before that win, Reggiana lost 99-93 at Azzurro Napoli and fell 83-78 to Trento at home.

Tortona’s latest result was an 89-83 home win over Le Mans. Earlier this season, Tortona lost 108-70 at BC Roma, dropped an 86-84 decision at Rigas Zelli, and beat Verona 101-93 at home. The road has been less kind to Tortona, and the trip to PalaBigi offers a chance to steady its form.

Barford’s scoring and playmaking make him the focal point for Reggiana. He scored 23 points in 28 minutes in his most recent game and also contributed five rebounds and one assist. Reggiana will need similar production to offset Tortona’s balanced attack. Tortona has shown it can score at a high rate, as its 101-point effort against Verona demonstrated, but it has also struggled defensively in losses.

The matchup could hinge on tempo and rebounding. Reggiana will look to feed Barford and get support from Ogbeide and Visconti. Tortona will counter with a deep scoring rotation and a chance to improve its road defense. PalaBigi has traditionally been a difficult venue for visiting teams, and Reggiana will lean on its home crowd early. The pace of the game could prove important.

Reggiana’s upcoming slate includes home games against Juventus, Cantu, Venezia, Varese and Maxima Roma, plus road contests at Verona, Treviso, Unicaja, Juventus and Trieste 2004. Tortona is set to visit Aris, then host Maxima Roma, Miraflores, Azzurro Napoli, Rostock and Treviso, with road games at Udine, Cedevita Olimpija, Hapoel Jerusalem and Cantu.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a final score of Reggiana 84, Tortona 79. Interstat’s ELO system gives Reggiana a 62.9 percent probability to win.