First match of 2020

The senior will play at the Vega island pavilion in San José de Gran Canaria

| Friday, 03 January 2020

365 days later, the senior will start the competitive year again on January 4, this time as a visitor to the Gran Canaria B track (13:00). After the cup final, the Girona team resumes the journey to the regular league in the sixteenth day of the first phase.

The rival team coached by Salva Camps has a very young squad that is always physically demanding and unpredictable in attack. The Canaries have won half of their home games (3) and lost four times. They will return to the Vega insular pavilion in San José after two consecutive victories that have come to coincide with the arrival of Jean Claude Montero in the dynamics of the team. The 16-year-old Dominican player scored 28 points in the last game, has an average rating of 23 and is already the third player on the team with the most steals (9).   

Despite having suffered the loss of Antonio Vrankovic, one of their inner references, Gran Canaria is still the team with the most offensive rebounds and the second highest rebounder in the category, with Khalifa Diop capturing 7’2 per game. He also stands out for being the second highest scorer in the category, with Edon Maxhuni as the main player in this aspect (12.8 points on average). Maxhuni himself is the most assisted player on the team together with Javier López (3 per game), a fact that allows the team to be the second most assisted player, showing the fluidity they achieve in circulation.

Statements by Álex Formento:

“I foresee a match of maximum demand. In my opinion, one of the teams that play the best basketball in the competition. Maximum intensity on both sides of the court, collective play based on the enormous individual capacity of all its players, who have also been growing throughout the days.”

“It is so obvious that the loss of Virankovic reduces their internal potential as the impact of Montero’s entry into the league has been spectacular. As I told you earlier, it seems to me a great team. If you don’t have more victories, it’s because of the normal irregularity of the youth and inexperience of your players.”

“All the games require great defensive attention to have chances. However, it is true that Gran Canaria has great scoring and rebounding potential, therefore, it will demand maximum concentration from us. But as always, out of great respect for the opponent, we will try to focus as much as possible on ourselves and play good basketball.”

Schedule of the 16th league day

Photo: Sergi Geronès