The roller coaster that is the UCAM season makes a stop tonight in Bilbao, where, starting at 8:30 p.m., the Murcians play their last game of the ‘top 16’ of the Champions League with nothing at stake after their victory in the last week against Tenerife. Because they don’t exist, there are no options, not even to be first, so UCAM will access the quarterfinals as second in group L and, that is, with the home court factor against them in the qualifying round prior to the ‘Final Four’, to play the best of three games.
But, first, you have to finish with the formalities. And that’s what today’s match against Bilbao Basket has become, which facilitated last week’s Murcian qualification by first losing their match in Istanbul against Darüssafaka. An opportunity, therefore, favorable for testing with a view to future stakes, not only in the Champions League and the Endesa League, to make more rotations than usual and for the rest of some to become the opportunity for others.
For now, a new name appears in the university call, that of the Swedish Will Falk, called to replace the loss of Sadiel Rojas, who has returned to Murcia in pain due to trauma to the sacroiliac area and to the right elbow from the spectacular fall that he suffered last Saturday in Gran Canaria. An opportunity for him, but, mainly, for Klavzar and Andronikashvili, the players with the smallest participation this season and who had already been appearing a bit more in recent weeks. Without going any further, Klavzar played 14 minutes on Saturday in the last game and, Andronikashvili, 10 in the penultimate Champions League.
The danger of dynamics
However, there is something that UCAM is very urgent right now, and it is to obtain positive sensations away from home this season, where in the Endesa League they have only won three games away from Murcia and all their defeats have occurred due to differences. double digits. In the case of the Champions League, two.
Sadiel Rojas returns to Murcia to undergo tests to determine the extent of a possible injury due to his heavy fall in Saturday’s match
This is a matter of special sensitivity at the time of tonight’s game. And it is that, after the brilliant victories against Unicaja and Tenerife, Sito himself pointed out before the game in Gran Canaria the “challenge of being solvent 40 minutes away from home.” Challenge not overcome. UCAM conceded their highest adverse score of the season (107-89) and at half-time they were down by twenty points (57-37).
So, just relax in Miribilla. In the balance of making wider rotations than usual and giving the necessary tension to a basketball game without qualifying effects will be the success of Sito Alonso’s men, not characterized by their mental strength.
Bad precedent in Bilbao
Today will be the third time that UCAM has faced Bilbao, and they still have one more to go in the Endesa League. Of the two preceding, very different flavors. The first was in Bilbao on January 8, when UCAM almost completely dismissed its Copa del Rey options by falling clearly 99-81 in a week in which it was playing its third game.
UCAM would hit back in the Champions League on the second day of the ‘top 16’ (90-72), leaving a Hakanson who had just scored 25 in the previous duel with just 6 points. Today, those from Ponsarnau will present the novelty of the 2.16 meter Greek Georgios Tsalmpouris, a left-handed center with a good outside shot who started the season at Betis.
#match #rotate #test #sensations