There is no easy rival in the Endesa League, the second best league in the world and the most competitive among domestic leagues in Europe. But, as far as possible, the calendar wanted to be benevolent with the reformed UCAM for this start of the season and put, in a row, two home games of those that one can never miss. Two teams that, if you get a regular season, become direct rivals. But that, if it comes out normal, you must be ahead. First, a Breogán with ten new players on his squad and facing his new life without Musa, last season’s MVP; and, later, a recently promoted Granada that has among its players eight men who last year earned their living playing in the LEB Oro.
But the two games have become two worrying punctures. Of the four official duels to date, three have been in Murcia (counting the Champions League duel against Tofas), and a UCAM very far from having solid foundations on which to build has shown to carry, in addition to the slab of his bad game, with that of anxiety.
82
UCAM Murcia
Trice (11), Davis (13), Jelínek (9), Radovic (20) and Pustovyi (1) -starting quintet- Klavzar, Luther (0), Bellas (3), McFadden (16), Sakho (2), Diop (7) and Rojas (0).
89
Coviran Granada
Renfroe (10), Bropleh (5), Ali (2), Maye (11) and Felicio (22) -starting quintet- Niang (9), Vilà, Díaz (9), Costa (15), Tomàs (6), Iriarte (0) and Diaz (0).
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Partials.
19-25, 21-22 (40-47), 20-16 (60-63), and 22-26 (82-89). -
Referees.
Jordi Aliaga, Raúl Zamorano and Cristóbal Sánchez. -
Incidents.
Murcia Sports Palace, 5,464 spectators. 3rd day of the Endesa League.
And it is that, on the morning of this Sunday, there was a team that knew what it wanted to play for and another in which nobody seemed to have it clear. When they gather a quintet that allows them to do so and the moment of the game is prolific, UCAM defends strongly, runs and generates good scoring opportunities. When not, attack in position without generating advantages, with constant looks between teammates who do not understand each other, snorts of despair from Sito and the result that nobody wants: the hard hit of the ball against the hoop. Once again, the team shot below 40%, unlike Granada who scored half of what they shot, took great advantage of the final seconds of possession and had Felicio’s imperialism under the hoops (22 points and 8 rebounds) and a direction that embroidered him in the names of Lluís Costa and Christian Díaz.
Costa and Diaz, 29 and 30 years old, are second and third basemen for this recently promoted player. Ahead they have the veteran Renfroe, who signed a sober game. But these two players took over the Palace. Safe direction, decisions without complexes and effective actions. On the bounce, on the pass, on the shot. 29 and 30 years old respectively, they are two players who have alternated their entire careers between the LEB and the Endesa League, with many more seasons in the second step than in the first. Eight Costa and ten Diaz. But they won, and by a lot, the duel against Trice and Bellas, who this Sunday could not compensate for another gray game of his partner. 24 points and a PIR of 29 between the first two, 14 and 14 between the second two.
The duel started with a lot of success
A party that escapes, but that did not have a bad start for UCAM. For neither of the two teams, actually, that in the first few minutes they combined to come up with an attractive basketball of fast attacks, with alternating hits, and that in minute 6 it already left a score of 17-16, with Jelínek already in three triples the day he debuted as a starter.
UCAM had a 14% lower accuracy rate than Granada and committed seven of their eight turnovers in the third quarter
But there the UCAM stopped. The rhythm was impossible to maintain for a long time, but it took Granada much longer to wet the gunpowder. Sito’s team made it easy with their defensive holes, which in this final stretch of the first quarter allowed Niang, a player who got tired of waiting in Tenerife, to pass over a Diop who did not improve Pustovyi in the rotation, seeming much more than it is. Partial 2-9 to close the first quarter and first nerves (19-25, end of the first quarter).
McFadden and more McFadden
This Sunday he came off the bench, but the hierarchy with Thad McFadden on the track is very clear. You have to look for him. And, if he is half an inch alone, even if it is nine meters from the basket, the ball has to go to his hands. The problem is not having a plan B, as it seemed for many minutes the case of a lost UCAM if such a great player did not invent one of his unlikely baskets. Lost in attack and lost in defense, since there were several baskets that those from Granada scored in counterattack or transition in situations that should not have led to it. Also those who arrived without making the defensive change that he touched, the necessary help or who knows what. What is known is that Pablo Pin’s team, at halftime, had twice as many baskets as UCAM from within the area, eleven of them from under the rim, where former NBA Felicio sowed terror, already with 15 points.
The one who best battled him, even if it was to change the face of his own team, was Jordan Sakho again. His energy said enough to the easy baskets under the rim, which allowed more attacking situations with the defense to place, the involvement of the public in the game and, in general, a UCAM that was coming up. But Granada was not allowed to catch up, and a genius of Costa, who made a pipe to Sakho himself to put a triple on the buzzer, did a lot of damage (40-47, rest).
The UCAM ahead
It wasn’t much that Granada was doing to dominate the game, but it was how easy UCAM was making it. Sito, who is still looking for his trusted quintet, opted this time to leave the locker room with the five players who had passed on the most to him. And the 8-0 run to open the second half put UCAM ahead after many minutes, stretched to 15-4 (55-51, minute 25) that left Trice 3+1.
Radovic’s 20 points were the highlight of a UCAM that is still unable to capitalize on its ideas and game systems
But it was very difficult to give continuity to the good minutes, and the fragility of the Murcian team was demonstrated in the sudden turn of the tables. He seemed to be at his best, but when they prevented him from running and he chained failures, the doubts multiplied. From a 15-4 run to open the third quarter, to a 5-16 run in the next seven minutes (60-67, minute 32). And seven losses in just the third period.
Costa and Díaz, fundamental
The university team had to row again. When he thought he was better off. With less time and less margin of error. And with Granada growing. Hard test for morale, and it is not right now when Sito can boast of having all his players fully connected to the game. He gave Pustovyi another chance, but he was still outmatched. Luther continues to give up shots, and the ones he throws, he does so without any faith. Bellas did not have the day and, to make matters worse, Díaz had fun with his mark, playing to hold him with his ass, low boat and resolution at the limit of 24 seconds.
Radovic’s return to court, the best of the match, and the chain of a triple and two counterattacks allowed them to dream (73-74, minute 36), but any mistake seemed bigger for a team that knew they couldn’t let the match slip away and that, however, he was leaving. What would it be like for Pin to call a timeout at 73-74 and, just 50 seconds later, Sito was now forced to be the one to stop it (73-79, minute 36).
With the score at 77-82, Radovic captured an offensive rebound that he quickly converted into a basket, but it was annulled due to a prior foul on the rebound, which gave the rival two free throws, and with only 1:01 on the clock. If he could have seen three points, he will do it to seven. That play definitively buried the game, but throughout it it was Granada who showed much more.
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