Perfumerías Avenida returns to the Cup final. He missed the one from last year (he fell in the semifinals against Uni Girona), but it is the tenth in eleven years. A regular in the fight for titles. The King of Cups, however, He has not had an easy path in the Valencian event. It was difficult for him to get rid of IDK Euskotren in the quarterfinals and despite the result (72-56), the semifinals against Lointek Gernika were not easy either.
Avenida started faithful to his game, taking advantage of direct blocks and with a lot of penetration as soon as he found a corridor. A counterattack by Karlie Samuelson put the +6 for Roberto Íñiguez’s (10-4, min. 5). Time out for Mario López and a reaction from Gernika who managed to get within one (10-9). Avenida went up two points in that first quarter (thanks to two free throws by Silvia Domínguez), but what is surprising is that Gernika had resisted a giant who was very successful in shooting: 9/11 in two-point shots by 6/12 of the Basque team.
Without Tinara Moore, who went into the break without making her first shot from the field (four points, all from the free throw line), the scoring weight in Gernika was carried by Lashann Higgs. In a second quarter without so many points, Mario López’s men went into the break only three down (33-30) after an unnecessary foul by Coppermuch more earthy (3/7 shots and three turnovers) than in other games, but he took advantage of his physical dominance to help with the rebound (6 at the break). Avenida, who failed to escape despite commanding in the first half, paid for their bad day in triple. In the first two quarters, only one goal, by Leo Rodríguez from the corner, of the eight attempts of the Salamanca team.
Moore perked up in the third quarter (six points at stake), but Avenida put land in the middle at the end of this assault. The triples were still not entered (1/13), but Alaire was fine in the free throw to put the +8 (49-41) with which he entered the last quarter. The big problem for Iñiguez’s women is that Karlie Samuelson had hurt her groin, but the American returned and in what way. With two triples in a row, he sentenced the match (67-52, min. 37) after Copper reconciled with the 6.75 releases a bit earlier. Avenida will fight to lift the Décima after beating a Gernika team that leaves with their heads held high in this Cup.