Basketball – Endesa Super Cup
The Lithuanian will play his seventh game with a title in play as a Barça coach
BarcelonaSarunas Jasikevicius has played seven competitions as Barça coach and seven have played for Barça. The Lithuanian coach is a guarantee when it comes to fighting for titles. This Sunday (6.30pm, #Vamos) Barça will be looking for an Endesa Super Cup title that has been resisted since 2015. The Catalan team reached the final after a good defensive job against Valencia Basket (87-68) . “I’m satisfied. We have to try to win games and at the same time keep improving,” Jasikevicius said.
After the disappointment of the Catalan League, Barça showed an attitude against a rival under construction. The Barça team accentuated their defense to raise the doubts of a Valencia Basket with significant casualties. The Catalan team used a 16-0 run during the first quarter to start building the pillars of victory. The ten ball losses in the first 10 minutes became a slab for the players coached by Joan Peñarroya (27-16). The Catalan coach was forced to increase the prominence of young players such as Josep Puerto, Jaime Pradilla, Guillem Ferrando, Millán Jiménez and Alejandro Bellver, and a much more experienced Barça took advantage of this.
Jasikevicius focused on a defense that at times seemed to use six players. His effectiveness allowed him to secure many points in transition situations and dominate the pace of a game that came to have a 20-point lead during the second period (43-23). Valencia Basket could only score 28 points in the first 20 minutes and came to the break with few options for victory (45-28). “We had problems passing the ball and we lost too many balls,” acknowledged Peñarroya.
Barça did not need to press the accelerator during a second half in which Valencia Basket fought with more character than success. Without offensive continuity, the orange team suffered to keep pace with a Catalan team that was comfortable playing with a very regular difference in points. Despite the loss of Sertac Sanli in the inside game, the reigning champion of the Endesa League and the Copa del Rey offered an exciting performance in Tenerife.
The twelve players used by Jasikevicius ended up scoring against a Valencia Basket with a much shorter rotation. “I’m very happy to be here. I fight every day to be on a team like this, which competes to win titles,” said Nico Laprovittola, who scored three triples. Brandon Davies and Cory Higgins also shone in a game in which the Barça team handed out nineteen assists. “Barça has put us in difficulties and we still have a lot of work to do,” said Peñarroya.
Manresa hosts a match
Spar Girona and Cadí La Seu will play the final of the 33rd AON Femenina Catalan National League this Sunday (12 hours, Esport3). The classic title match will be held at the Nou Congost in Manresa. Alfred Julbe will be without Laia Palau and Frida Eldebrink, but hopes Astou Traóre can make his debut. Bernat Canut will try to harness the energy of Jewel Tunstull, the last player to join the team, to have options for victory.
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