Valencia Basket has finally broken its streak of bad luck, snapping a run of three losses in the last four games in the League, as well as its last two consecutive defeats. This much-needed win came after dominating a lackluster Casademont Zaragoza, which only managed to keep up for the first ten minutes. The ‘Taronja’ team delivered an impressive performance to take an uncontested victory on Aragonese soil, thanks in large part to a massive success in the first half that left the game all but decided by halftime, with a 23-point advantage that the home team never managed to overcome.
The additions of American pivot Nate Watson and Lithuanian guard Tomas Dimsa, both of whom had unremarkable games, couldn’t prevent the sinking of the Aragonese team. The win allows Valencia to continue competing for the top spots in the standings, while for Zaragoza, it’s a significant setback in their aspirations to break into the top eight.
From the beginning, Valencia took the lead, thanks to its success in shooting and the low percentage from the hosts, who also struggled with turnovers without being pressured. This opened up a 9-point gap (4-13) by the 4th minute, which the visitors maintained through the first ten minutes. The trend only intensified in the second act, with the ‘Taronja’ team achieving a 69% success rate in three-pointers (9 out of 13) and 70% in field shots, largely due to the poor defense from Zaragoza, which only managed a 33.6% success rate in this aspect.
The vast difference in shooting success led to Valencia overwhelming Casademont Zaragoza, going into the half with a 23-point lead (40-63) and essentially sealing the win. Pedro Martínez’s team, which had been averaging 37.2% in three-pointers in the league, more than doubled that percentage by the break against the ‘Red’ team.
In the second half, Valencia maintained its intensity, giving its rival no chance to recover. The defeat marks the fifth game this season where Zaragoza has conceded over 100 points, with the previous highest being against Valencia itself in the Fonteta, where they allowed 111 points.
Technical File
71 – Casademont Zaragoza (20+20+19+12): Spissu (12), Slaughter (11), Miguel González (5), Sulejmanovic (13), Watson (8) – starting five – Bell-Haynes (6), Yusta (8), Mencía (2), Jaime Fernández (-), Dubljevic (1), Moreno (-), and Dimsa (5).
115 – Valencia Basket (29+34+26+26): Jones (13), Badio (10), Sestina (15), Ojeleye (17), Costello (6) – starting five – Puerto (5), Reuvers (14), Pradilla (10), López-Aróstegui (10), and Montero (15).
Referees: Jordi Aliaga, Jorge Martínez, and Cristóbal Sánchez Cutillas. No exclusions.
Incidents: Match corresponding to the 21st day of the League played at the Prince Felipe de Zaragoza pavilion in front of 7,447 spectators.
