Valencia Basket closes a fantastic week with three wins in three games that allow those from Mumbrú to stay alive until the last day in the fight to be in the Cup. For his part, Baxi Manresa, arrived at La Fonteta ldevised by Pedro Martínez and with the need to achieve a victory that would take them away from the relegation places. The Catalans played a great game but they found themselves outclassed by a great Alexander in the last quarter.
RESUME
92.- Baxi Manresa (16+36+23+18): Pérez (11), Harding (10), Jou (2), Geben (17), Robinson (17) -five starters- Badio (8), Waczynski (8), Tass (-), Steinbergs (5), Sagnia ( -), Ferrari (8) and Vaulet (6).
Referees: Cortés, Oyón and Merino. They eliminated the visitors Dani Pérez (m.36) and Frankie Ferrari (m.37).
Incidents: match corresponding to the sixteenth day of the Endesa League played in the Fonteta pavilion before some five thousand spectators.
With Harper and Jones on the team but with five casualties (Claver, Rivero, Millán Jiménez, Hermannsson and Van Rossom), he appeared in the Valencia Basket match against Baxi Manresa in need of victory to get out of the relegation zone. The Valencians played to stay alive in the fight to be in the Copa del Rey.
The local team started the game well, aware of what was at stake, staying alive in the fight to be in the Copa del Rey, with Dubljevic and Puerto leading the team. The captain sat down in the 7th minute with nine points. Baxi Manresa wanted to get into the game and, with a partial of (0-5), thanks to Waczynski’s points (6 in the first quarter). The score (23-15) reflected the superiority of the Valencian team in the first period.
The second quarter began with the most plugged-in visitors thanks to six points in a row that came close on the scoreboard (23-21). Mumbrú had to stop it because his equipment was not plugged in and, only fleeting glimpses of Webb III kept Valencia in the game. A triple by Steinbergs put Manresa one point behind the Valencians with 6:30 left for the break (26-27).
Valencia Basket was not comfortable and Manresa took advantage of the situation to move away on the scoreboard. With two minutes to go, Robinsson scored to put the maximum difference in the score in favor of the Catalan team (36-43). That advantage grew and grew until it reached (42-51). Great second quarter for Manresa who, with a 19-38 run, had turned the score around.
Valencia came out more plugged in in the third quarter and with Jones on the ball the team was something else. A triple by Green for the Catalan team put land in the middle again but Dubljevic soon responded to get closer. (53-60) with 5.30 to go.
The controversial play came with four minutes remaining to reach the end of the third period when Valencia He demanded an unsportsmanlike act from Steinbergs to Dubljevic. The referees did not see it that way. Five consecutive points from López-Arostegi put Valencia back into the game. (65-66). A last quarter was expected with excitement because everything was at stake. (73-73).
Alexander with a dunk as soon as the last act of the matchup began put his team ahead on the scoreboard (76-74). Valencia was a gale. Pradilla and Ferrando joined the party and the team responded. Nine points in four minutes of Alexander laid the first stone for a hard-fought victory and suffered against a Baxi Manresa who was ahead on the scoreboard for much of the game.
In the end, (103-92) with a great Dubljevic (20 pts and 6 rebounds) who ended up receiving a standing ovation from La Fonteta who knew how to recognize his effort.
