A well-earned victory

The team beats Cáceres, adds the sixth consecutive victory and enters the play-off zone (86-80)

| Sunday, 06 March 2022

Basketball Girona has won the Cáceres Patrimonio de la Humanidad in Fontajau (86-80) for the first time in the LEB Or. The team from Girona has been able to rectify defensively and has gone from receiving 26 points in a qaurt, to receiving‘ls in two quarters (64-52 at the end of the third period). Defensive solidity il‘success in the final stretch of the match in the paint were key for the victory to stay in Fontajau. Marc Gasol was the best rated player in the match (17 points and 29 rating). Maxi Fjellerup (16 points and 9 rebounds) and new signing Txemi Urtasun (16 points and 13 ratings) were the players with the highest score.

Cáceres has started the first few minutes  right with a partial 0-5 favorable. A good recovery from French  and a faint to a hand of  Fjellerup has awakened Fontajau. The visitors continued with the good dynamic and Schmidt scored a triple to place to place his team nine points above. Èric Vila recovered a ball and in the counterattack Marc Gasol assisted Albert Sàbat to score three points. The first quarter has ended with the Cáceres  dominating the score (14-26).

The team started the second period with better defensive feelings and allowed to get back within ten points. Fontajau stood up when Marc Gasol scored a two-plus-one from behind the basket. Jordi’s set lizard made a 6-0 start. Two consecutive triples of Matthew  Diaz i  Manu  Rodríguez have equalized the partial.  Txemi Urtasun he put the team on his back by scoring five points to respond to the good success of the visitor. Básquet Girona has asserted its good offensive dynamics and they have put themselves within three points with a triple on Saturday. The visiting coach called for a time-out with 2 minutes remaining in the second quarter. Basketball Girona ended the first half with a triple Kaspar Vecvagars  which has put it above the electronic one (40-38).

In the restart, Básquet Girona started successfully in the counter-attacks I  has  was able to score free throws in the paint;  Jawara ,  Fjellerup And Gasol have been the protagonists. Diesel and Urtasun , in the next two attacks, scored two three-pointers from seven meters to make it 54-45, the team’s maximum advantage  to the moment Sorolla entered the court and grabbed a rebound to make it 56-50. The match has entered a back and forth dynamic with some inaccuracy in the shot. The third period ended with a free kick scored by Urtasun  and putting the team clearly ahead (64-52). 

The last quarter started with a score of 2-7 in favor of the team from Extremadura. James school wolf  he scored a triple that forced the coach from Girona, Jordi  lizard, to call time out. The scoring appearance of Fjellerup and Eric Vila at the low post has been crucial in stopping the good moment that the rival team was experiencing. Schmidt has attended Carlos Toledo to cut distances and put his team within the scoreboard (72-71). A good defense allowed the Girona team to get back in front of the scoreboard with two free throws scored by Albert Sàbat (74-73). The Caceres  he tied the score with a free kick, on the rebound  Fjellerup  he plotted the counterattack that ended with scored free throws (76-74) with 5 seconds to go.  Mbala  he tied the score with a slap shot that took the game to overtime (76-76).

In extra time, the match has started with many sets and come-and-drops. Mbala has brought the 80-80 scorer to the score and the response has been a good basket of Chimius Urtasun and a recovery of Jawara that Marc Gasol has transformed with two free shots to put the 84-80 with 17 seconds to conclude the match. The match ended with the heavily worked victory of the Girona Basketball (86–80).

POST MATCH STATEMENTS

Jordi Sargatal: “I’m happy with the final result, but not so much with the ups and downs that the team has experienced. In the end, it was up and down, we managed the extra time well and took the two points.”