103-86: Girona gets stronger at Fontahau, extending Lleida’s bad losing streak

This Sunday, Basketball Girona celebrated their fifth win in seven games at Fontahau with a 103-86 victory over Hiopos Lleida. This allows them to keep their hopes of winning the Copa del Rey alive, and it is Gerard Findo’s side’s sixth straight defeat.

Moncho Fernandes’ side are yet to win at home, but they have been feeling great at home and this Sunday they found new joy. Juan Fernandez, who had 18 points and 8 rebounds, was named MVP, and seven players scored in double digits.

Both teams started Round 12 of the Endesa League tied with 4 wins and 7 losses, but Girona’s win puts them four wins above the relegation zone and will allow them to continue chasing eighth place. Costner Baskonia has a game in hand, but he is one win away.

Lleida added James Batemon, the team’s best player (27 points, 32 rating credits), and arrived at Fontajo just when it was needed due to a bad losing streak, but regretted another setback.

In a lively match between two fast-playing teams, intensity was the dominant sound from the opening jump. Lleida dominated the early stages with an impressive triple 4/4 performance (12-16).

However, the local team was up 7-0 and Fiend had to take a timeout after Pep Busquets’ basket. After the fifth offensive rebound (22-17). The total score was 7-2. Pepe Vildosa’s triple (25-17) made the set 10-0.

Oriol Pauli and Batemon kept Lleida alive (27-22), but Girona ended the first quarter with two triples from Derek Needham to make it 33-24. After crossing the 6.75 meter line, the locals were 7/14 and the visitors were 5/8.

At the start of the second quarter, the maximum advantage reached 11 points. Lleida came within five points with a triple by Christels Zorics (40-35), becoming the fifth visiting player to score among nine local teams, but Girona pulled back 11 points (48-37).

Fiend had to call another timeout after Busquets’ triple made it 51-39 after 18 minutes. Pauli and Batemon scored before the break (54-44). They were already 11 and 16 years old, compared to Fernandez’s 12 years old. He was 12-0 in offensive rebounds.

technical sheet

103 – Girona Basketball (33+21+24+25): Livingston II (11), Needham (13), Martinez (5), Fernandes (18), Maric (2) – starting five -; Busquets (11), Goeben (13), Hughes (14), Vildosa (9), Sucinskas (6), Ferrando (1).

86 – Hiopos Lleida (24+20+25+17): Batemon (27), Agada (2), Edim (15), Sants (13), Diagne (6) – starting five -; Pauli (14), Walden (5), Goloman (1), Shurna (-), Zorik (3), Kurtwig (-).

referee: Cortes, Castillo, Esteve. They eliminated the visitors Goroman (34th minute) and Agada (40th minute).

incident: Round 12 of the Endesa League was played in front of 5,478 fans at Pavello de Fontahau in Girona.

The second half started with Caleb Agada’s first point and was very unpleasant, but the find stopped the match again a minute and a half ago, as the maximum advantage had already reached 13 points (58-45).

Three key visiting players – Batemon, Melvin Edim and Jorge Goloman – had already committed three fouls. The home team’s defense committed twice as many turnovers (5-9) and half as many rebounds (27-14) as its rivals, frustrating Lleida.

The match seemed to be going well, but Lleida took a step forward and fought his way into the match (66-60, 8-15). With 14 minutes left, Batemon already had 23 points. Edim punished Girona.

The local team stopped the blow with a triple from Mindaugas Susinskas and another action from Fernandez (75-63), and another triple from Needham started the final quarter to make it 81-69.

Lleida went into the final seven minutes with seven points thanks to Pauli’s 3-pointer (82-75), but Girona regained 13 points (89-76) and already ended the game with a Goben dunk and another Hughes 3-pointer (94-76) with three and a half minutes remaining. It was 12-1 in the quarter.

The advantage reached 19 points thanks to Fernandes (98-77). Girona can celebrate their third win in three ACB matches against Lleida and continue their cup dreams.