Murcia, Apr 19 (EFE).- UCAM Murcia achieved a convincing 90-82 victory this Wednesday against a Valencia Basket that runs the risk of losing eighth place in the Endesa League, the last one that allows them to play the playoffs for the title and to which the group from the capital of Segura is approaching, now with a baggage of 12 wins and 16 losses to be momentarily eleventh, by the 14-14 that the taronjas have.
This match, the closest thing to a derby that UCAM has in the league competition and against a rival that they already beat at La Fonteta 74-75 in the first round, was taken by Sito Alonso’s men because they believed more in their chances and they relied on defense and the outside game in attack to achieve their goal.
Without Travis Trice, who left the squad this Wednesday, those from La Católica dominated the game and the scoreboard for most of its development against an opponent who appeared with the sensitive casualties of Xabi López-Arostegui, Klemen Prepelic, Sam van Rossom and James Webb.
The orange box, however, started commanding (7-11 with eight points from Chris Jones, including a triple and a 2+1), but the inspiration of Chris Chiozza, David Jelínek and James Anderson from long distance allowed the local team come back with a 5/6 from beyond the arc (23-20).
The power of Álex Mumbrú’s men loading the attack rebound, with seven sacks in the opposite zone in the first quarter, allowed him to shoot up to 21 baskets in that period, seven more than his rival, but the highest effectiveness of UCAM CB kept Murcia ahead at the end of that initial period (25-24).
At the beginning of the second quarter, Sito’s men stretched their favorable partial to 8-0 to have six points of rent (30-24) and, with Thad McFadden and Rati Andronikashvili joining the scoring party, the university advantage continued to grow until the 39-32.
A reaction from those from the capital of Turia made them narrow the figures to 47-46 with which they reached the break with McFadden as the top scorer of the match up to that moment with his 12 points, all in the second quarter with four triples from six attempts. Jones, having scored 11 points, which he did in the first quarter, led the visiting offense.
The staging back on the court was better on the part of the university students, who managed the game through defense and imposing the rhythm that best suited them, with quick attacks and often ending with outside shots. There the success that they lacked on other days they were having and, under those parameters, they had their maximum advantage with the 59-51 that led Mumbrú to stop the match with a timeout.
Valencia Basket stopped their rival’s progression and, although they still closed the fourth behind, they remained more than alive to face the final ten minutes, also thanks in part to the 13/13 lead from the personnel line. Jared Harper’s buzzer-beating three-pointer brought the players to their benches at 67-65.
In the last period it was very difficult to score each basket and in this context the good work of Andronikashvili, a usually secondary player, made UCAM CB recover the cushion of eight points (65-57).
McFadden’s fifth three-pointer and the continuous turnovers by those from the capital of Turia meant that he was going to enter the last two minutes with an almost conclusive 82-72 and the Murcian victory was not in danger.
– Datasheet:
90 – UCAM Murcia Club Basketball (25+22+20+23): Chiozza (8), Jelínek (13), Anderson (11), Radovic (10) and Pustovyi (7) – starting five-, Bellas (-), McFadden (21), Sakho (-), Diop (6), Rojas (3), Nikolic (-) and Andronikashvili (11).
82 – Valencia Basket Club (24+22+19+17): Jones (13), Radebaugh (6), Puerto (2), Rivero (4) and Dubljevic (13) -starting five-, Harper (21), Claver (8), Pradilla (2), Evans (8), Alexander (-) and Hermannsson (5).
Referees: Daniel Hierrezuelo Navas, Sergio Manuel Rodríguez and Raúl Zamorano Sánchez. No deleted.
Incidents: match corresponding to the twenty-eighth day of the Endesa Basketball League that was played at the Palacio de los Deportes in Murcia in front of 3,491 spectators.