Sunday, October 20, 2024, 8:30 p.m.
| Updated 9:18 p.m.
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It was not a simple mission. Cáceres is one of the most serious contenders for promotion, with their status as recently relegated. However, this Cultural does not seem to have limits. Luis Castillo‘s men defeated the Extremadura team (75-68) after three impeccable quarters and knowing how to suffer in the last one.
Leonese Cultural
Okafor (4), Greeley (11), Pau Isern (13), Rodrigo Llamas (11), Ochi (7) – starting quintet – Álvaro González, Berthold (7), Roger Fàbrega (8), Diego Bultó (3), Frank Stain (7), Jordan Kellier (4), Ruiz.
75
–
68
Cáceres City of Basketball
Alvarado (5), Fernando Sierra (11), Eduard Gatell (5), Pedro García (7), Kalinicenko (8) – quinteto inicial – Adekoya (9), Cándido Sá (10), Ja’Monta Black (10), Rubén Salas, Dani Rodríguez (3), Pedro Arribas.
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Partials:
22-18, 45-28, 58-42, 75-68. -
Referees:
Álvarez-Ossorio Varela and Fernández Requejo. -
Incidences:
León Sports Palace. Day 3 of Second FEB. 2,804 spectators.
Luis Castillo’s team got off to a very good start. With great precision in their attacks, the whites managed to recover from the scoring success of the Cáceres, forcing several 2+1, which put the Leonese team ahead on the scoreboard before closing the first quarter.
Cultural arrived at the first break with a four-point lead, thanks to the offensive volume led by an inspired Berthold. In defense, the Leonese were unable to impose themselves on the greens, who showed their quality by scoring from the paint on numerous occasions.
Recognition of a beautiful memory
In the short break between the first and second quarters, the Palacio de los Deportes took the opportunity to pay tribute to Gustavo Aranzana, legendary coach of Baloncesto León, the last one who managed to promote the Leonese club to the ACB.
The start of the second quarter was quite positive for the locals, leading up to seven points. But after Cáceres was only three points behind, Luis Castillo called a timeout to stop the defensive bleeding.
The talk had an effect and after two possessions against without the Extremadurans drilling the rim, Cultural was within eight points after a great triple by Greeley. The greens called a timeout, but did not prevent Pau Isern from making it 35-25 on the scoreboard.
The captain increases the income
And that didn’t stop there. Rodrigo Llamas, touched by a wand, scored two consecutive triples to put the score at +16. A three-pointer from the visitors stopped the poor offensive dynamic after several minutes without scoring points, but it did not prevent the players from retiring to the locker room with a lead of 17 points.
After returning to the court, Cultural did not initially show the same precision in its attacks. Cáceres closed the gap and in the offensive phase Luis Castillo’s men were hasty, shooting with plenty of time in front of them and with several turnovers.
The culturalist coach called a time-out, but a triple by Ja’Monta Black put fear in the Palace. However, Frank Staine scored from the perimeter to return the lead to 14 points.
Accuracy from the three-point line
The third quarter ended with a triple by Diego Bultó and with great defense on the last possession that led to a 16-point lead in the last ten minutes. Luis Castillo’s team would still have to row, but with a lot of advanced terrain.
In search of a comeback, the Cáceres tried in the last stretch to score in quick attacks, without running out of possession time. The visitors were within 11 points and the Leonese coach called a time-out to stop the defensive bleeding, accentuated by the lack of inspiration in attack.
With Pau Isern and Fábrega on the court, Cultural sought fluidity in their attacks, but the greens showed their best defensive level with pressure from the rival field. Seven points separated both teams on the scoreboard when Fares Ochi scored two free throws in which the Palace stands called for unsportsmanlike behavior.
final suffering
With two minutes left, the visiting team scored a three-pointer that put them just five points behind. Pau Isern scored a free throw to be within a minute and a half with 67-61 on the scoreboard. Ochi’s block lifted the Palacio and frustrated Cáceres’ possession. The robbery led to two free throws by Fàbrega, both scored by the Catalan point guard.
With 60 seconds left, a great defense by Luis Castillo’s team meant that Cáceres did not advance on the scoreboard and the triples by Roger Fàbrega and Obi Okafor ended the game with more suffering than expected at the end of the third quarter.
Leaders
Finally, the score closed at 75-68 and allowed Cultural Leonesa to finish the day as leader of the West group of the Second FEB. Only Melilla follows the pace of victories and the difference in points gives the team from León the head of the standings.
