Cartagena Basketball | The ‘Cebé’ looks to the leadership in search of the sixth victory

Cartagena basketball can be the leader of a professional category if the appropriate results are given today on matchday 7 of the LEB Plata. To do this, FC Cartagena CB must win this noon (Palacio de Deportes, 12.00 hours) yes or yes to Albacete and that the powerful Menorca do the same on the track of the first classified: Benicarló. If these results are met, and the difference in points for and against is favorable to the Albinegro team, the ‘Cebé’ will close the weekend at the top of the table.

The first objective is to beat Albacete, which is a classic in the category and occupies the seventh position with four wins and two losses. The ‘Cebé’ Cartagena has returned to the LEB Plata after three decades away from professionalism and has entered the competition with force, as a revelation team: it is second with five wins and only one defeat. Along the way he has knocked down powerful candidates for promotion to LEB Oro, such as Menorca (71-69).

Gustavo Aranzana’s boys want to continue on a roll, seek the sixth victory and continue undefeated at the Palacio de Deportes. There the presence of around a thousand spectators is expected, as is usual. There will be a basket competition with an economic prize, t-shirt throwing and a concert by the Los Recortables group, at halftime, among other things.

The novelty is that today is the first time that food is allowed into the stands of the Sports Palace, waiting for the club to close a fast food sales agreement as soon as possible, as it is already working on. The main runway cafeteria, meanwhile, has remained closed since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

On the sporting level, the Aranzana team has the only absences of the Senegalese pivot Ablaye Mbaye, who is absent for a long time, follows a conservative treatment and can now perform exercises on the court, in order to try not to undergo surgery. . Forward Manel Signes, international with Spain in the U-16 and U-18 categories, recently underwent knee surgery.

A rival who defends hard

The rest of the players are at the disposal of the Valladolid coach. Including power forward Samuel Rodríguez, with a past at Albacete. «It is a quite rocky team that defends well and where everyone can score. The keys are to rebound, run, give the game a lot of rhythm and, above all, defense. Two years ago they treated me very well and it will be special to play against them, “he said.

In the Albinegro box, the triples of Kimbrough (he already has 87 points), the leadership of Astilleros and the rebounds of Samuel Rodríguez will be key.