Alimerka Oviedo Baloncesto confirms its recovery after scoring its second victory of the season on the Melilla field in a tight game that the Asturian team won thanks, in large part, to a great Oliver Arteaga, who rescued the team in its lowest moments , he gave a recital in defense and had the intelligence and temper that other less experienced teammates sometimes lack. At 39, Arteaga clouded Fall, one of the most decisive centers in the category, and ended up adding 29 valuation credits doing everything: shooting (16 points), rebounding (12 rebounds) and assisting (3 basket passes). . The canary had his best allies in Romeo Crouch, who had an irregular but key performance in some phases and, above all, in Marc Peñarroya, who continues to increase his performance in each duel.
This victory is pure gold for Alimerka Oviedo who already sees the classification with a little less anguish after chaining two victories in a row. The one in Melilla was suffered, on a field that is bad at it and in a game that had everything, especially errors, on both sides. If the success of Trifón Poch’s team was horrible from the line of three (2 of 16 in triples), Melilla’s was gruesome in free throws (18 of 35) in a game in which the referees took charge from the beginning to make sure there were plenty of fouls.
The third quarter was the best for the Oviedo team, as it was in their first victory, last Saturday (93-83), against Leyma Coruña. An excellent Peñarroya began to go to the hoop with determination and find Arteaga again and again. Both of them were joined by Romeo Crouch, reaching in and stealing balls to go out on the counter and punish the rival basket over and over again. A basket by Crouch raised the difference to twelve points (42-54) at 2.20 to finish that third set. But once again, Trifón Poch’s team had one of those moments when it faded and allowed Melilla to get closer to six points (48-54) to face the last set.
The last quarter was above all very tense, with two teams located at the bottom of the table (after this match, Oviedo has two victories in nine games and Melilla three) and, therefore, very much in need of adding. The inaccuracies on either side of the field were the highlight and Oviedo was lucky that Melilla made a mistake in the many free kicks available to them. A couple of actions by Chuso González, and a basket by Romeo Crouch put the OCB ahead again (61-62) with 2.47 to go and then Melilla had four free throws of which they only scored one (62-62) with remaining 1.47 left to play. And in that final stretch, captain Oliver Arteaga was once again decisive, scoring a basket and serving a fabulous assist to Oliver to Chuso González that made it 63-68 with one minute to go. They still had to row a bit, and Melilla had a triple to tie, but the victory was in the end for an Oviedo team that was beginning to come out of the hole.
The first part of the game was even and in it the OCB showed that they already have a plan in their matches and that, although they still have a lot to do, they are a team capable of competing with guarantees. A team that is sometimes too innocent and in which important players like Pruitt sometimes leave games due to silly mistakes. Pieces that will fit better if the streak of this Alimerka Oviedo continues.
