Betis Basketball unravels in Torrelavega (81-76)

At the beginning of the evening, there was nothing to predict the final result. Because at full speed the Betis Basketballwith a hunger for points and an authoritarian, bossy air. That Radoncic hit a triple and Kasibabu a six-meter shot right after the start invited us to rub our hands. And even more so when, as if they were Zipi and Zape, they colluded Renfroe and Benite as handlers, suppliers and assistants. After four more points from Radoncic, very inspired, Betis was already flying at high speed and shot up to 7-15, quickly canceled out by a 9-0 by Cantabria (16-15) that did not stop them. They responded to each local triple with the same medicine in a very generous first quarter in the scoring chapter (21-25).

I had seen the Betis Basketball ring like a swimming pool transmitting very good feelings in attack in an open matchwith a lot of rhythm, a full-throttle round trip that suited him like no other. A scenario that is the opposite of what he lived in, for example, in Alicante. In Torrelavega the game was played at a different speed and the court seemed bigger. Cvetkovic made his debut at the start of the second quarter and, becoming a dealer, served another two points on a silver platter to Kasibabu (21-29). They were the Congolese’s best minutes as a green and white player, who generated play from the high post for his teammates and assisted for Domènech’s triple (23-32), his first rotation in the four with the loss of Rubén López.

Betis produced from the central block and continuation, moving the ball quickly to take it to the corners. Hughes He did not miss from 4.60 (26-34) and immediately went to the bench. Once again Renfroe and Benite are in charge of operations, an alliance without the impact of the first act. Jelinek scored a foreshortened triple and Kasibabu, like DeBisschop, took the second foul. ANDThe arbitration was the most rigorousbut nothing distorted Betis, which punished the lax Cantabrian defense again and again. Jelinek did it, slipping into the kitchen, leaving the surveillance behind; and also Renfroe, scoring after offensive rebound (30-41).

The hosts had water, but they did not throw in the towel and drilled a 6-0 (36-41) that, after the forced timeout, continued to rise with Bulic already completely unleashed (38-41). The Green and Whites did not tie the talented Slovenian four short, which had 15 points at halftime. The set stretched to 9-0 after a technical foul against the Green and White coach, who was desperate on the wing. Benite, denied the outside shot, ended that disturbing series with a layup that sealed the second quarter (39-43). At this point in the feature film, neither of the two teams was exactly a titan in defense and that was reflected in the shooting percentages: 56% and 51% respectively, although Betis accumulated ten more shots than its rival.

Benite’s leadership and loneliness

Álex Suárez, with his score at zero at half-time, scored a two plus one to which Romaric Belemene responded from the triple and received an immediate counter-reply from Benite (42-49). Romaric prevailed in defense and attack over Radoncic, becoming an ally to Bulic. For the first time in the game, there was a feeling that Betis were missing points… of their centers, who did not impose themselves on the rebound either. Radoncic was already at four and DeBisschop at five. A lack mitigated by the leadership and commitment of Benite, who in the most difficult moments appears to play the role of leader. Without having his day in the shot, he was already in double figures (46-52), but the Brazilian was left very alone. You need more soloists at your side who did not burst onto the scene on a fateful night, in general, from the entire team.

Rakocevicthe former green and white, adjusted the result to the maximum in a triple sequence beneficial for his team: he took the third from DeBisschop, nailed a triple and assisted the implacable Bulic to make it 53-53. It was official: Betis was suffering. And a lot besides. Because he was neither understanding the game nor blocking the rebound, of which the Alega Cantabra Group made the flag. The Betic defensive fragility was evident and in attack it had gone out. He was a tightrope walker who even missed free throws. Fortunately for their interests, the blinds were lowered for the local triple jumpers. Not so for Jelinek (53-56).

Betis had to resist. Kasibabu took another debatable foul in a block and the Betic bench, a new technique. The percentages had dropped and the 54-56 at the close of the third segment anticipated a heart-stopping last quarter. Littleson struck from the perimeter (57-56) after a new capture of the local attack and Vega repeated (60-56), although Álex Suárez immediately muted it (60-59) to the northern riot. Betis kept conceding one bounce after another. They bled on that flank while Benite and Vega exchanged triples (65-64). Point by point, with the bonus of free throws in their favor with six minutes, the green and white team stayed afloat. At 4.30, Rakocevic raised the score to 70-69 and Littleson put Betis in trouble by scoring at the buzzer (72-69). Gonzalo stopped him to play keys.

Rakocevic, the ‘executioner’

At 75-71, Hughes made a thunderous one-handed dunk with Benite and Rakocevictwo veterans, assuming responsibility, dribbling, looking for an advantage…. and making mistakes. Littleson, masterful on the reverse, made it almost impossible for the green and white with 46 seconds left (79-74). Hughes pressed it (79-76), Betis played hard to defend and there came the last blur of a black night. Rakocevic went all the way inside, surpassing in speed Alex Suarez and it seemed that the former green and white celebrated it with rage and glances at the Betis bench area, where hardly anyone remains from his short-lived time in Seville. It was a confusing celebration bordered on the anecdote, at the foot of the page of the first defeat of the green and white team, which lost its undefeated status where perhaps it was least expected. They are the traps that the First FEB keeps.