Real Valladolid Basketball: Pucela Basket reacts late and pays for it with defeat

Real Valladolid Basketball fell in extremis and by surprise against Tau Castelló at home as a bitter sporting farewell to the year, in an irregular game in which practically the entire game was trailing. Even so, and despite rowing in a match thick in attack with too many saw teeth, the victory was decanted in the last possessions and more specifically in a controversial arbitration decision in the penultimate play of the game. A triple shot by Mike Torres was converted by one of the referees in an incomprehensible way in an attacking foul with just three seconds left on the scoreboard.

The last throw-in foul ended in two more points for Orenga’s team from the free throw line.

The bad news already started in the moments before the match for the locals with the availability of Xavi Rey, overcome some discomfort in the groin muscles, and Stutz, recovered from a sprained knee. Kuiper, Kabasele, Allen and, to a lesser extent, Mazaira took turns as strikers against two players, the ones finally recovered, who were relentless. Despite this, in the early stages it was Pucela Basket that established a 0-6 run that gave clear warning of their intentions until a three-pointer from Faner from the light bulb turned the score around (10-9, min. 5).

That slight disadvantage rose to ten points during the second quarter thanks to a four-player game of aces led by Juan Antonio Orenga from the sidelines after Alvarado scored a three-pointer after grabbing an offensive rebound (34-24, min. 15). Stutz and Xavi Rey became bastions under the rings to give spaces and opportunities to their teammates on the perimeter, an outer zone in which Faner and Edu Durán set a devilish and successful rhythm facing the ring.

It was the moment chosen by the coach from Valladolid to stop the clock with the aim of straightening out a very erratic course, irregular in his defense and with big problems in attack to finish off his possessions. Too many turnovers, many childish, and a poor shot selection that led the visitors to trail.

Image of the meeting.

That irregularity made him be behind almost the entire match. And it is that the seven triples converted from ten attempts by Tau before the break became a slab that weighed too much in the Blanquivioleta locker room, in which only Kovacevic gave good news (Mike Torres would join at the restart). Real Valladolid Baloncesto tried to come out with a different mentality after the break and jumped onto the floor with the knife between his teeth, ready to take his rival into the mud. And for this task, De la Fuente was chosen: the king of intangibles multiplied in both baskets to offer energy and character as compensation for the unfortunate meeting of his companions four days after eating the New Year’s Eve grapes. That revulsive had an effect to, thus, bring the visiting team closer on the scoreboard until, later, a new demarcation of the Castellón team.

The lack of accuracy in simple shots, accompanied by the good local moment, prevented a comeback that was made to wait until the last four minutes. A spectacular 4-15 run brought the game back and put the team from Valladolid ahead, in a section with too many controversial decisions by the referee trio. Then there was no finishing touch, with wasted possessions without actually shooting a basket, and Paco García’s team paid for it. With 70-74 on the scoreboard, a scenario that seemed almost unimaginable minutes before, gave life to the TAU that supported by a solid Xavi Rey and a fireproof Faner led the locals to reverse the trend and return to the game. Then came the decisive and controversial play of the match. One last possession for Pucela Basket in the last minute (78-77) in which Mike Torres risked a winning triple that referee Munar incomprehensibly turned into an attacking foul.

A highly controversial decision by the referees that snatched Real Valladolid the chance of winning. There were barely three seconds left -the clock ticked down due to the referee’s passivity-, and there was only time for one last foul that ended in two more points for the locals from the free throw line.