Spar Girona has won the Basket Landes in an even match in which Girona took the lead but where they did not quite find fluency in the game. The locals were able to take advantage of the visitors’ blocking attack in the last quarter to impose a distance that was unsurmountable for Julie Barennes’s team.
The first annual meeting of Spar Girona this 2023 in Fontajau has brought a very interesting Euroleague duel against one of the classics of the competition: Basket Landes. The French, thirsty for victory after finishing the first round with a single victory and reinforced with new signings, have come out with momentum and taken the lead. The locals responded with speed, turning the score around with an 8-2 run led by a precise Marianna Tolo who, with her classic stamp of quality, was unstoppable. An exchange of long distance triples between Drammeh and Roumy closed the first quarter (18-14).
Julie Barennes didn’t wait even two minutes to call a timeout seeing that the start of the second quarter started with two consecutive baskets. The French showed speed in the match and, taking advantage of a couple of counterattacks, they tied the match (24-24) thanks to Kendra Chery. Equity was short-lived thanks to a 2+1 from Rebekah Gardner that allowed her team to catch some air. The American has woken up to, at the same time, reactivate the Girona players who today could not find success from the perimeter. The Galas have not lowered their arms and the Chery-Roumy duo has boosted the local advantage. With the score tied (35-35) Gardner took oil to leave his team ahead at the break (37-35) from the personal line.
An inspired Marie-Eve Paget put her side ahead again and Gardner, again, responded for the home side. The game has become static, with little fluidity, turnovers and difficulty for both squads to score free kicks. Laura Gil appeared in the low post to cut distances (45-44) and Sykes did the same, giving depth to the game and penetrating towards the hoop to stretch the local advantage a little more (54-48).
Five points separated Spar Girona from their opponents at the start of the last quarter. The French were blocked in attack and Bernat Canut’s players took advantage of this to place the maximum difference (58-49). The game began to break down with five minutes to go. With the anxiety to score affecting the decisions of the Barennes players, Tolo extended the score even further and Etxarri added to the cart to make up the external statistics. All this has prevented any sign of reaction from the visitors and has allowed Uni to celebrate with the fans of Fontajau the first triumph of 2023.
