Murcia, Mar 15 (EFE).- The UCAM Murcia Club Baloncesto achieved its goal of qualifying for the quarterfinals of the FIBA Champions League this Wednesday by beating Lenovo Tenerife 82-67, which had already achieved that goal and which certified, despite their clear defeat, the first position in group L of this continental competition.
The greater intensity and success of the Murcian team made the difference in a match in which they went on to win by up to 26 points against an opponent who suffered their first loss in this top 16.
The clash began with an interesting duel between Artem Pustovyi and Giorgi Shermadini -seven points for the Ukrainian and five for the Georgian in five minutes-. The exteriors of UCAM CB accompanied their pivot more and better in that first quarter and this allowed Sito Alonso’s men to have an advantage of 11 points (23-12) counting already five three-pointers from five different players -Pustovyi himself, James Anderson, Ilimane Diop, Travis Trice and David Jelínek-.
Txus Vidorreta, unhappy with what he saw, called a time-out and the period ended with a difference of nine points in favor of the home team (27-18).
In the second quarter, the Canaries tried to react (32-27), but those from the capital of Segura overcame and, with a 9-0 run finished off with a 2+1 score by an inspired Pustovyi, already with 12 goals, established the maximum difference on the scoreboard up to that moment (41-27).
Nemanja Radovic joined the party and two of his baskets and one assist stretched the university income to 19 points (49-30), which were 17 at halftime (49-32).
At the restart the offensive jam from the chicharreros continued and, with only two free throws scored by Leandro Bolmaro in four minutes, the mission to come back seemed complicated for them.
UCAM CB was not in tune either in that section of the clash in which the defenses were well above the attacks. In this context, the red box found itself more comfortable and thus increased its advantage to 24 points after an unsportsmanlike foul called on Shermadini and technical paths to Sadiel Rojas and Bolmaro.
The subsequent 65-39 that reflected the electronic of the Palacio de los Deportes already in the 29th minute presaged that the victory would stay at home, but fresh in the memory was the defeat harvested eight days earlier on the court of the Turkish Darüssafaka Lassa after two extensions and after leading by 19 points.
That +26 was reached after a triple by Travis Trice, à la Juan Palomo, and in the last quarter they entered with a dream 67-42 for the team led by Sito Alonso against an absolutely erratic adversary, especially from long distance with a converted triple, the work of Sasu Salin, of the 18 that he had attempted.
A 2-9 run from the start in the fourth period caused the local dead time with 69-51, but the granas did not react and Lenovo, with Bruno Fitipaldo assuming responsibility, reduced the difference to put it at 12 points to four minutes and a half to go after a triple by Jaime Fernández (72-60).
Now the triples did enter the island team but three baskets by Radovic, acting as a fire extinguisher, brought peace of mind to the Murcian team (80-65 already within the last minute).
That advantage was maintained and the sixth and final day, in which UCAM CB, second with a baggage of three wins and two losses, will visit Surne Bilbao Basket and Lenovo, which remains 4-1, will receive Darüssafaka , it will be a mere procedure. The Turks are third with a 2-3, but they have lost the particular duel with the Murcians, and the Basques close the group with a 1-4.
– Datasheet:
82. UCAM Murcia Club Basketball (27+22+18+15): Bellas (-), McFadden (4), Anderson (9), Radovic (16) and Pustovyi (15) -starting five-, Trice (17), Luther (2), Diop (7), Jelínek (10) and Rojas (2).
67. Lenovo Tenerife (18+14+10+25): Huertas (4), Fitipaldo (9), Elgin Cook (7), Doornkekamp (2) and Shermadini (9) -starting five-, Jaime Fernández (10), Salin (3), Diagne (2), Abromaitis (5), Bolmaro (7) and Fran Guerra (9).
Referees: Manuel Mazzoni, from Italy; Dariusz Zapolski, from Poland; and Beniamino Attard, from Italy. No deleted.
Incidents: Match corresponding to the fifth day of the top 16 of the FIBA Basketball Champions League in group L that was played at the Palacio de los Deportes in Murcia before some 4,000 spectators.