Defeat WiZink Center

The team falls against the best team in the competition in the last quarter

| Sunday, 16 January 2022

Girona Basketball opened 2022 with a defeat, after a month off, against Movistar Estudiantes (88-80). After the rival took the initiative in the match for most of the first twenty minutes, a great start to the third quarter red has turned the advantages upside down, with Girona dominating the pace of the match and the score (55-62). A negative partial at the beginning of the fourth quarter ended up assuming the Madrid victory. Marc Gasol (23 points and 39 rating), debutant Máximo Fjellerup (16 points and 18 rating) and the management of Josep Franch have been the most positive notes of a remarkable performance by the team on the most difficult track of the category 

The first minutes of the match were dominated by the defenses (5-6, 4′) but both teams were increasingly constant in attack with good minutes from the debutant Fjellerup and Franch from the imbalance to generate advantageous situations both at the low post and on the perimeter In the last few minutes, Estudiantes felt more comfortable in the offensive section, especially inside, with a partial 9-0 that gave Madrid the first maximum advantage (22-11). A Schaftenaar three-pointer and a trademark individual move from Sàbat reduced the difference, leaving the deficit at six points (22-16).

The second period had two chapters. The first to attack was the home team with a solid defense which they gave continuity to with coherent and effective attacks that once again increased the difference to +11 (32-21). Then, the Girona team rejoined the game from the direction of Franch, the intimidation of Marc Gasol and the imbalance and success of Máximo Fjellerup, author of 9 points in the last elections of the quarter (40-38). After five consecutive points from the opponent, a triple by Stürup made it 45-41 at halftime. 

With an initial score of 10-21, Girona started better on both sides of the court in the first few minutes, complicating Madrid’s transition and being effective and supportive in attack. A three-pointer by Gasol and two in a row by Kaspars Vecvagars gave the Girona side the first notable advantage (55-62) after creating situations in which the team destabilized the opposing defense and managed to find free shots. After the good red dynamic, Estudiantes recovered with a 20-2 run (75-64), between the end of the third period and the beginning of the fourth, which allowed them to win. The suspended points of Jackson (18 points), the good minutes of Larsen (6/7 in shots from 2 and intimidating under the hoops) and the masterful management of Beirán (17 points and 34 evaluation) have made it difficult for Girona’s last minutes , which have not been successful in the moments when the scoreboard could have been more balanced (88-80). 

POST-Match STATEMENTS:

“I think it was an irregular game of ours. We had very good moments, in the line we did before the stoppage, having defensive continuity, passing well and looking for the best options but it was difficult for us to maintain this dynamic for forty minutes. In the end, against a team like Estudiantes that penalizes you especially defensively, with 88 points, we conceded too many easy baskets, it has conditioned us to be able to generate more rhythm in some attacking situations.”