Redaccion
Valencia Basket fell 71-86 to UCAM Murcia, while Hiopos Lleida took a step towards salvation in the Liga Endesa with a 94-81 victory over Rio Breogán. Meanwhile, MoraBanc Andorra suffered an 86-99 defeat against Joventut Badalona. In the 26th round, Surne Bilbao Basket defeated Dreamland Gran Canaria 96-78.
In the first game on Saturday, Joventut accelerated in the Pavelló Toni Martí during the third period, led by Sam Dekker and Ante Tomic. Their accumulated partial of 19-29 gave them a lead that they managed until sealing the victory and moving to a 15-11 record in pursuit of the fifth spot. On the other hand, Andorra suffered their fourth defeat in the last five games, now sitting in the sixteenth place with a 9-17 record.
Lleida improved to a 10-16 record by defeating an opponent who posed a threat in the first period. Thomas Bropleh and James Batemon guided Lleida’s comeback, despite Dae Dae Grant’s 19 points for Breogán, who now has an 11-15 record.
In the evening games, La Fonteta hosted the team just three days after being eliminated by Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv in the Eurocup semifinals. Things started poorly for Valencia Basket, with a poor three-point shooting performance against an inspired UCAM team that led 2-14, until Matt Costello responded in the paint.
UCAM regained their advantage before halftime and extended it (35-50) in the third quarter, where Sergio de Larrea emerged offensively for the hosts. Despite the efforts of the young guard, Valencia Basket couldn’t complete the comeback and was defeated by a sharp-shooting opponent.
This defeat in front of their fans left Pedro Martínez’s players with a 19-7 record, holding the third place in the standings. On the other hand, UCAM moved closer to the playoffs with a 12-14 record, benefiting from Gran Canaria’s (7th, 14-12) loss to Bilbao Arena.
Bilbao, riding the momentum of recently reaching the FIBA Europe Cup final, continued their positive run with contributions from Malcolm Cazalon, Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman, and Zoran Dragic in their offensive game. The team maintains a safe distance from relegation in the Liga ACB with a 10-16 record.
