First pre-season test for one Spar Girona still under construction and first victory in his pocket, after asserting his quality, resume and experience against a Tordera who competes a few categories below and who only looked for the tickles in a tight first quarter. Opportunity for see two of the new signings in action, Laura Cornelius and Irati Etxarri, while more new faces are expected and the arrival of Rebekah Gardner and Marianna Tolo, competing in the WNBA and with the Australian national team, respectively.
The result, in a duel of these characteristics, was the least and during the preview, coach Bernat Canut, who was making his debut on the bench, already warned that this afternoon was “the highest quality training ” of an intense work week. Fatigue has been noticed on the faces of the players and also on the legs. Inaccuracies and losses accompanied a match that was equal at the start, but that became unbalanced as the minutes went by. From the tight 18-22 at the end of the first period, it went to a devastating 4-21 partial. Etxarri soon showed his abilities, accompanied by the always intimidating presence of Araújo, the wrist of Drammeh and the intensity of Flores. Faustine Parra, until last year at GEiEG, has joined them, as well as the young women Claudia Acín, Aina Cargol and Marina Melero, who played under Canut.
The passage through the changing rooms has served to vary the dynamic and the differences have widened until a new maximum advantage, of 37 points (34-71), when the third quarter was already dying. A few minutes that served for Tordera to recover a little of the lost offensive ground, and at the same time to verify that Etxarri has adapted perfectly to his new team. Not only has he collected a good bunch of minutes, but he has found the basket with ease, making an interior partner with Araújo or Labuckiene. Meanwhile, the other new face, Laura Cornelius, watched from the bench. The Dutch base has been the headliner. What’s more, she opened the scoring with a triple, but once she was replaced, she didn’t appear on the court again. Discomfort in the quadriceps has forced him to rest so as not to strain the machinery.
Gasoline ran out before time did. Uni has acknowledged the effort, with a significant workload during these days. With a clear advantage, he has been allowed the luxury of missing simple baskets and accumulating some absurd and unnecessary loss. Small details but which have had no significance in the final result. Tordera, with a copy of free kicks, maintained the differences and the match ended with a loud ovation from the audience, deserving of a real tribute considering the heat that did not leave the pavilion from the first to the the last minute María Araújo, with 19 points, and Binta Drammeh, who added 18, they have been the top scorers.
