Talavera Basketball: Meana (5), Silverstrom (19), McRay-Thomas (17), Alvaro Martinez (9) and Archer (6) – starting quintet – Ganal (1), Luis Garcia (10), Peris (15) and Onuetu.
CAM Enrique Soler: Orrit (7), Elan (8), Fravert (16), Stankevicius (9) and Fall (10) -initial quintet-, José García (5), Poyatos (6), Ferrando and Ndiaye (9) .
Referees: Marín Abad (Aragonese College) and Betanzos García (Castilian and Leonese College). Local players Onuetu (min. 26) and Álvaro Martínez (min. 35) were eliminated due to fouls.
Partials: 21-12, 19-17 (40-29), 19-23 (59-52), 23-18 (82-70).
First of May. 300 spectators.
Talavera Basketball had a very dynamic game with very few long possessions that was decided thanks to the success of Ricardo Úriz’s pupils. The team from Talavera is now another, linking three consecutive victories and continues to exhibit its best level in the year of adaptation to the category.
The players of the azulón box started strong with Silverstrom as a star. The Californian player added 12 points in six minutes. The advantage of the team from Melilla was the inside game, but they were unable to overcome a great defense from the Talavera team. Úriz’s team, for its part, was determined to flee the area and look for the outside shot. He didn’t fare badly scoring four of ten tries to make it 13-1. The visiting coach, Javi Nieto, had to stop the game to change things and his pupils joined the wave of three-pointers to stay alive in the match. However, when the team from Melilla seemed to get closer on the scoreboard again, Talavera punished the rival again from the line of three. This time thanks to the new addition, Luis García. A triple of his closed the first quarter (21-12).
Orrit put the team from Melilla on his back and gave it another air. A more lively CAM cut the differences on the scoreboard to 27-24. McRay-Thomas had to get gold when the ceramic team was more stagnant, forcing a three-point free kick to stop the visiting comeback. There Silverstrom also reappeared from the corner to return the difference to nine points. Each Melilla score was answered instantly by Talavera. In the final minute of the first half, the team from Melilla made a series of errors as a result of a lack of concentration that did not hesitate to take advantage of Ricardo Úriz’s box to add four easy points and leave a very favorable result at halftime (40-29 ).
One of the keys to the match was the intensity on the court and there the Talavera Basketball found no rival. The beginning of the third quarter took the same path. McRay-Thomas steal and free basket after a silly loss by Fall. The dynamics did not change and Silverstrom did not miss from the three-point line. Given the problems in the outside game, the Melilla team sought to become strong in the area and there they began to improve with the presence of Ndiaye and Fall. But, once again, Talavera found a triple to punish the rival. Álvaro Martínez did not miss a shot from the front three and made it 50-40). And when it wasn’t Álvaro Martínez, it was Luis García or else Silverstrom. All very inspired. The sensations were that Talavera had completely controlled the match. And so it was until the end. The team from Talavera went up one more gear against a depleted and tired Enrique Soler and achieved its maximum difference in the last quarter with Peris leading the attack (67-52).
The last stretch of the game was already a general lack of control and with everything sentenced, Melilla got back to ten points thanks to an enlightened Stankevicius from the line of three (75-65). But it was already late. Ricardo Úriz’s pupils put things back in their place, as they had done before, and signed a third consecutive victory that makes them dream of leaving the lower zone.
