Uni needs a historic feat to be in the Eurocup final (81-60)

Mendy in match action
FIBA

The Eurocup final is just a stone’s throw away for Spar Girona, who this afternoon fell apart in the last quarter and lost by 21 points (81-60) against Besiktas. A 25-7 run in the last ten minutes than anyone, neither from the court nor from the bench, has been able to stop, has left one of the goals of the season in almost an impossible one. Fontajau must be a shout, next Thursday, despite everything, because the second leg of the Eurocup semi-finals can still be historic, however utopian it may seem. It must be tried, now is not the time to throw in the towel. Twenty-one points, a major challenge, but so is the prize, to be in the grand final.

At the start of the last quarter, Uni was more alive than ever (56-53), but it ended up deflating at the worst moment. Now Spar Girona is calling for a comeback that will have to be epic after losing the north in the last few minutes. Roberto Íñiguez’s team had survived in Istanbul during the first three quarters, against a Besiktas that has based its game on the base Evans and the immense pivot Li, with the addition that the Girona, with the loss of Tolo, did not they had head 5 to be able to defend it. But in bad weather, good face, and if neither the Australian nor Nicholson were there, Magarity, Mendy and Bertsch have emerged. Uni had to save really complicated moments (23-12, 37-27) but always managed to reduce the difference below ten points and even ended the third quarter only three down (56 -53). Until it sank in the last ten minutes.

Evans’ triple and some free throws scored by the same base that represented 67-53 just over six minutes from the end opened a critical final stretch of the game for the Girona girls. Mendy made a three-point shot (67-56) that stopped the shot at times and Íñiguez ordered the entire court to defend. A three-pointer by Lazic with just over four minutes left left a very worrying 16-point deficit (72-56). With the match almost lost it was time to try to cut the difference as much as possible. It was not an easy mission, and more so with increasingly surreal refereeing that allowed, for example, 18 more free kicks to the Turks. There was no way and not only nothing was cut, but the wound got even bigger.

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2024-03-07 18:52:19
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