A Hard-Fought Victory, Yet Not Enough for Casademont Zaragoza
There was no miracle on the French Bourges tango track, where Casademont Zaragoza had to overcome a twenty-point difference. Despite their valiant effort, the Aragonese team remained unable to dispute the final six of the Euroleague, which will take place in the Aragonese capital from April 9 to 13. Casademont Zaragoza, having lost 55-75 in the first leg of the qualifying qualifier played in the Aragonese capital, did not give the game in advance. They gave a lesson of sports pride, fought until the end, and although they managed to win by nine points, they could not overcome the deficit from the first leg.
Their great second half, especially in the defensive aspect, limiting their rival to 24 points when in the first half they had achieved 40, was not enough. This was largely due to the team’s exhaustion in the final minutes. With the absence of the recently operated Markeisha Gatling, their reference player, and other players showing signs of fatigue due to the double competition with a short staff, the Aragonese team bid farewell to the highest continental competition. Though they had a bitter aftertaste of not being able to dispute the final six in their city, they earned recognition for having reached this stage, much like the last campaign.
The Aragonese team began the match very focused and with good success percentages, led by a great Marie Mané. She ended the first quarter with 10 points out of the 23 scored by her team and with 80% success in releases. Those led by Carlos Cantero were always ahead on the scoreboard, aside from the success of the Frenchman Mané, due to the good percentages of the entire team. This allowed them to finish the first ten minutes with a 4-point advantage (19-23).
A 7-0 run at the beginning of the second quarter, with two consecutive triples, caused the French to be in front of the scoreboard (28-25). However, the ‘reddish’ team kept their cool and was able to recover the lead in the 14th minute (28-29). Although in the final section, a couple of errors allowed Bourges to reach the break with a three-point lead (40-37). The return from the changing rooms showed the same equality as the previous two quarters, with the marker’s command alternating between both teams.
First, it was for the Aragonese team, which also had the option of opening a greater advantage, but errors prevented it. Then, it was for the French to finish the third act with a 52-52 tie, reflecting the equality that was lived on the track. Two consecutive baskets by the Japanese Stephanie Mawuli put the team ahead again, and several good defenses and fast counter-attacks placed the ‘reddish’ eight points above (58-66). This left twelve points of the comeback in the absence of four minutes for the conclusion.
The dream was still very complicated but didn’t seem so impossible. However, the Zaragozano team seemed to get too fair from strength and was not able to increase the difference to dream of the miracle. Despite the loss, Casademont Zaragoza showed resilience and determination, leaving a lasting impression on the competition.
Technical File
The final scores were 64 – Tango Bourges and 73 – Casademont Zaragoza. For Tango Bourges, the scoring was led by Onkonkwo with 17 points, followed by Diaby with 14. For Casademont Zaragoza, Mané scored 15 points, and Mawuli added 14. The referees for the match were Jelena Tomic (Croatia), Mihkel Männiste (Estonia), and Ritvars Helmsteins (Latvia). The match was played at the Palacio de los Deportes del Prado de Bourges in France, marking the end of Casademont Zaragoza’s journey in the Euroleague for this season.