Alimerka Oviedo Basketball pulls proud in Alicante but remains without a prize (78-69)

HLA Alicante, 78-Alimerka Oviedo, 69

Rooms: 20-16; 18-18; 18-15; 22-20

Referees: Francisco José Zafra, Josep María Oliverares and Eva Areste. They excluded the visitor Martí for 5 fouls.

Pedro Ferrándiz Pavilion of Alicante.

The road to the salvation of Alimerka Oviedo is that of the victories against Almansa and Ourense, but also that of the work that he did in many phases of the defeat this Friday at the field of HLA Alicante, a team that occupies play-off positions, with which they competed until the end, even when everything seemed lost with three minutes to go (70-62). At that moment, Romeo Crouch uncovered the jar of essences and in a flash, with a robbery and a couple of triples, he tightened the duel (70-68). OCB’s defense on the next play was very good, leaving Alicante with four seconds left from a kick-off, but Steinarsson was able to find only Guillem Arcos, who hit a three-pointer that shattered the blue comeback attempt. At least, the defeat of Iraurgi in Palencia guarantees that the OCB will continue one more day out of relegation.

And it is that this season things are never easy for Alimerka, who saw how Oliver Arteaga, who had started the game at a spectacular level (he scored a triple, something he had never done in LEB Oro), injured his knee in the first quarter, and, although he returned to the field, in the second part he could no longer play. A huge blow that, however, did not prevent the rest of the team from continuing to do a good job against an Alicante that, at times, played at a high level, with Blaylock putting a very high physical level at important moments, with the former OCB player McDonnell is very successful in all facets and with a league classic like Edu Gatell doing his job well, grabbing fifteen rebounds and scoring eight key points.

The deficiencies in the OCB are almost always, its low percentage of success in triples (8 of 31), although, on this occasion, the mistake in shots from two (13 of 36) was much worse, something that prevented phases in which the team shone in defense, coming to cancel out their rival, that work had the deserved reward.

The game began with Alimerka Oviedo who once again had Arteaga as the beacon that illuminates him, in attack and defense, but it was in that first quarter when he took the blow that later prevented him from continuing in the second half. The OCB, in addition, was suffering on the rebound against an Alicante that has one of its main virtues in that facet. That dominance allowed them to take a seven-point lead (20-13) that Fabio Santana, another one who had an inspired day, reduced to four with a triple (20-16).

The best of the OCB in Alicante was, without a doubt, the second quarter, leaving almost four minutes without scoring for their rival, who could only do so in a meritorious inside action by Gatell. The problem is that the OCB, in that time, had only scored four points, wasting free throws and missing shots, some singles. Even so, Oviedo was doing things very well and Alicante, uncomfortable, only managed to score with actions of merit, such as a three-pointer from Matulionis. Pruitt managed to stretch the lead to five points (25-30), but Alicante knew how to react, even managing to go four up at halftime (38-34).

The local team took a step forward after leaving the locker room, although Oviedo never lost face to the game and a triple by Chuso brought them within two (49-47) with 1.55 left to finish the quarter, although Alicante returned to respond with a triple. The last quarter was reached with an income of seven (56-49) for Alicante. Oviedo continued intense, involved, waiting for his chance, which came, but it slipped through his fingers.