Martín Urbano is being a stronghold for Unicaja Mijas this season, as demonstrated by their undefeated status on the court they know best. The team from Malaga came out with the usual push at the beginning of the match, setting the pace of the match and cementing the first advantages with Alba Orois in command. Real Canoe tried, in vain, to stop Javi Pérez’s team, who had put a double-digit difference on the scoreboard in the first quarter (24-14).
The visiting team stood up in the second round, which seemed to find the way to the Malaga hoop, reaching 24 points in the period. It was mitigated, however, by the entry of Carmen Guillén into the match with a two plus one that made up the partial and restored the spirit of those in green and purple. Several positive actions in defense allowed Unicaja Mijas to keep Real Canoe at bay (44-38).
After passing through the locker room, the defenses tightened and the scores were shortened. The Madrid team pressed hard and, although it left the home team with only 16 points, its barely 10 points in the quarter did not heat up a comeback that seemed unlikely. With patience and frequently going to the personnel line, Unicaja Mijas controlled the tempo of the match. Brianna Herlihy shone in both hoops, locking in defense and finding points in actions that seemed exhausted (60-48).
Unicaja Mijas did not speculate at the start of the fourth quarter. Three triples to open the final round, two from the Herlihy sisters and the other from Sofía Galerón, forced José Luis Vicente to stop the match. Real Canoe continued trying, which was close to reducing the double-digit disadvantage, but finally the Malaga team imposed their law at home to achieve their fourth home win, sixth of the season, and maintain their undefeated status at the Martín Urban (78-63).
Brianna Herlihy completed a fantastic game with 23 points, 7 rebounds and 10 fouls received for a PIR of 28. Sofía Galerón almost reached the triple double with 8 points, 8 rebounds and 18 efficiency, while Alba Orois contributed 10 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists and 13 efficiency. The Malaga team now faces a week of work with their sights set on Azul Marino Viajes Mallorca, one of the most powerful projects in the competition.
Technical sheet:
Referees: Carlos Betanzos, Aldo Rodríguez
Unicaja Mijas: Capellán (10), Moreno (5), Dike (0), Guillén (4), Ruiz (0), Brianna Herlihy (23), Bridget Herlihy (10), Galerón (9), Ramírez (0), Orois (10), García (7).
Real Canoe: López (3), Escorial (0), Mato (3), Picos (6), Lizarazu (18), Lobon (6), Fernández-Montes (8), De Mier (4), Figueroa (2) , Zaragoza (4), Roldán (9).
Complete statistics
