Saturday, April 15, 2023, 9:39 p.m.
Cebé Cartagena managed to win the first match of the initial tie against Bizkaia Zornotza (65-63) in a duel in which the albinegros were winning by 18 points and let slip an extraordinary advantage in the second half.
It was the perfect atmosphere for a great night. The Palacio de los Deportes presented an entrance worthy of great occasions. For an hour and a half before, the fans packed the outskirts of the municipal facility, spurred on by a ‘fan zone’ that worked wonderfully. Beer, baskets, a DJ and a great desire to enjoy themselves supported the Cartagena team, aware of the importance of yesterday’s confrontation.
To top it off, the game started at a huge level. Aranzana’s men executed an almost perfect performance in the first quarter, where they established a distance of 15 points and managed to leave Zornotza in just 10.
The intensity in the zones was tremendous and Mendiola imposed his law, while Powell completed an exceptional first half, with 14 points. However, shortly before the break everything changed. And it is that the injury of the center from Elche, one of the most important players of Cebé, marked the development of the match. Many of the fans present at the Palacio remembered at that moment Berry’s ailments in the match against Navarra last season, which was also decisive.
Those of Aranzana came out less intense in the second half and they were going to pay for it. Zornotza began to hammer and win more duels, with success from the offensive rebound and that caused them to cut the difference by 10 points. The figure of Cabrera, a point guard who plays in the Champions League with Tenerife, appeared and his team began to improve.
Already in the last quarter, two consecutive three-pointers by the Albinegros unleashed euphoria in the stands and increased the difference to eleven points. However, two consecutive losses and several defensive concessions caused the visitors to close. Attacking to increase the advantage, Kody lost a ball and the referees called him unsportsmanlike. And Cabrera still played a triple for the comeback. Fortunately, he did not enter and Cebé will travel to the Basque Country with a slight income of two points for a life or death duel.
#Incomplete #party #Cebé