Only once in its history has UCAM played in the Endesa League ‘playoff’ in the competition understood as it is currently, with playoffs for the title among the top eight, and only twice did it reach the last day with options to sneak in in this party. The first was achieved, when he traveled to Fuenlabrada on matchday 34 of the 2015-16 season and with his homework advanced, because even a defeat would have been enough for the team led by Fotis Katsikaris, who won (61-73) to close the first and the only season with more wins than losses (18-16).
The second time that the Murcians saw themselves with the possibility of finishing in the top eight is very recent. It was last year, when a victory against a Zaragoza that flirted with relegation, together with a defeat by Gran Canaria, put the same team that months before had been in the Copa del Rey, now in the ‘playoff’. The condition of third parties was given, but a historical group that had come to a lesser place played at the Palace.
Now, those of Sito Alonso are faced with a new opportunity. Like last year, they do not depend on themselves, but they arrive in ascending dynamics and visit a Barça that does not play anything. Of course, at the same time (20.30) it will be necessary to keep an eye on La Fonteta, where Valencia will defend its eighth place against Breogán, a Galician victory being necessary for the Murcians. Together with its bell at the Palau, of course. One that, if given, will equal the best streak of games won by UCAM in the highest category, which is five.
a depressed leader
Barça will finish the regular league first, whatever happens against the university students, and no one will take away the home field advantage in all the qualifiers they play. But this is not enough to face today the most motivated team in the world. These are difficult days at Can Barça, since the third year of Sarunas Jasikevicius in charge of the team in which he was a legend as a player has once again ended with European disappointment. This time in a very painful way. For the second consecutive year, Barça was beaten by their eternal rival, Real Madrid, in the semifinal. And, in third and fourth place, it was a bunch in the hands of the new Monaco. To add insult to injury, seeing the white team lift their eleventh Euroleague accentuates the feeling of failure for a team made to win everything.
Thus, the UCAM can today pay the piper or add salt to the wound. Getting out of the feeling of completion that the Euroleague ‘Final Four’ gives is never easy. But it is more difficult to awaken competitiveness with nothing at stake. And even more knowing that not even winning the Endesa League will sufficiently compensate for the European blow. And if the adversary is a team with nothing to lose and everything to gain, we may be facing the perfect storm.
Although it is a maxim that is difficult to prove, and for which there are plenty of examples that suggest the opposite, the classic approach against a team with far superior talent is to look for a discreet marker.
And UCAM, precisely, has come out successful from its last matches played in the mud. In Lugo against Breogán and in the last game at the Palacio against Bilbao, Sito Alonso’s team recorded their two best adverse scoring marks this season, first of 60 and then 55 points, and without reaching 70 scored . They won both games, when, until now, they had needed a minimum of 75 points. Variety of records to end, or continue, the season.
#night #miracle