Basketball | LEB Silver
Aranzana’s team has been full of victories after defeating the ‘bogeyman’ of their group, Menorca, in a balanced choral performance
Cartagena basketball has returned through the big door to the professional category of LEB Plata. The ‘Cebé’ Cartagena has been full of victories in the three games played to date thanks to the victory this Sunday against Menorca (71-69), the strongest rival in their group. In a fast-paced final match marked by details, Gustavo Aranzana’s team won due to the unity, cohesion and balance of all its players, led by Valladolid’s Daniel Astilleros. Sweet agony for the Albinegros, who stomp on their return to the category 30 years later.
Double merit the suffered victory against Menorca. The Albinegros faced the match with Senegalese pivot Mbaye being dismissed due to injury and the recent abandonment of José Antonio Marco Gaona, one of the heroes of the promotion, who this week decided to leave the club due to job incompatibility. He works in the department of a food company and it was impossible for him to combine the two tasks. In addition, still without much filming, Juanjo Coello made his home debut, followed in the stands by his father: former coach and former Murcia Health and Sports Councilor Felipe Coello.
The ‘Cebé’ needed to stay together as a group to overcome these conditions. And he did it, because the 9 participating players scored: Coello (3); Andre Berry and Signes (4); Kody (7); Samu Rodríguez (9); Kimbrough and Camara (10); and Víctor Aguilar and Dani Astilleros (12). Important role of the latter from the leadership, the success in triples (3 of 3 Aguilar and 2 of 3 Shipyards) and the valuation, with 17 each. Also in the defensive facet, where the team hunted 40 rebounds, almost half of them between Samu Rodríguez and the bigardo Berry.
Marrow, the nightmare of Menorca
Between all of them, points were scratched at the scoreboard, always balanced. For example the partials of 19-13, 12-16, 22-17 and 18-23. He suffered the ‘Cebé’ in this last quarter, much more corseted and decided by details. In Menorca everything depended on Smallwood (18 points) and the MVP of the morning, the irrepressible Marrow (27). Between the two they forced an agonizing final, full of fouls, interruptions and time-outs.
Aranzana’s team found air from the free kick, with a 70% accuracy, despite not being too fine in the throws of three. The average was fantastic with 7 of 12, but in the last quarter only 1 of 9 attempts was made. The ‘Cebé’ missed the wrist of his specialist, Kimbrough, this time not very fine with 1 success of 7 attempts. The ‘Cebé’ overcame everything with collective work.
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