The purple ones, based on a strong defense and an exceptional Kunkel, beat Movistar Estudiantes by 31 (83-52)
It was one of the days marked on the calendar. That of facing the mythical and powerful Students of McGrew, Vaulet, Granger, Toni Ten… It was a touchstone. A tough exam. But in reality the tough test was for those of Movistar Estudiantes. An intense defense by Súper Agropal Palencia gave rise to a run to open a space and make the people of Madrid desperate. All of this also embodied by an excellent Kunkel in attack, cemented a victory that is worth its weight in gold.
He jumped with Wintering, Borg, Kunkel, Vrankic and Armus, in Nazarene purple with gold trim. This season’s shirt has finally arrived. A beginning marked by the minute of silence in memory of Antonio Ruiz Maeso, secretary of the Palentina Basketball Delegation and Referee of the Regional Federation.
First convoluted local attack, with a cap on Armus resolved by Wintering. He quickly wanted to play the purple box, although perhaps too much, wasting attacks. 4-2.
Estudiantes handled the ball more to make more worked plays. The Super Agropal, on the counterattack. That seemed to be the slogan. 6-7.
Estu left five in two mistaken attacks in Palencia. The difference in height was noticeable in the painting. Two hats to Armus and Wintering in the same play distributed Madrid’s inside game. 10-13 with three to play. And all, with a Palencia defense that bit to get the ball. That was the basis for taking the lead again as soon as the attack improved. Because the purple ones, squeezing out their steals, losses by Magariños and defensive rebounds, ran to go 14-12. Ten’s timeout.
At the end of the quarter, with only one triple from the purple ones (of four attempts) 22-18.
Second quarter.
Borg, with his second from the line of 6.75, extended the local advantage. In addition, the locals were charging the Madrid residents with fouls. Three, some children’s, in less than two minutes.
The next few minutes, the defenses won over the attacks. There were no facilities. Until Wintering, kneading the ball, making the visiting team collapse, leaving and re-entering, with a layup against the Madrid towers, ended the drought. 27-18 and Ten’s timeout.
It was the point guard who had the handle. Attacking, defending, stealing. Getting rid of rivals. Plus 10 and technique to Silverio, Estudiantes’ top scorer until then. Although in terms of steals (and rebounds) Oroz looked like Arsene Lupine. The Palencia defense was outstanding.
Jackovics, taking advantage of the current, made it +14 with three minutes left in the break. And Kunkel, the +16 with one of his penetrations taking advantage of the gaps formed. 37-21. A micro reaction from Movistar arrived to leave the lead at 12, causing Lezkano, the last coach of the Madrid team, to call his first time-out. Just over a minute and a half until the break.
Kunkel took out his rifle to hit his first triple, and then a layup. 12 points for the American. At halftime, 42-29.
Third quarter.
The match resumed with Wintering drilling his former teammates again. Also Kunkel, making blood. Defense and running. Defense and running. 47-31. Even Dementia had lost some of her voice. The purple tier won, with Kunkel’s medicine that added 20 with the triple that made Ten call a timeout. 52-31 played just four minutes after the restart. At that impasse, technique to Kamba.
Despite the advantage, the referee’s decisions fueled protests from the stands.
Things were not working out for the Estudiantes. Or, rather, Super Agropal didn’t let them come out. I was giving him a very complicated exam. 57-34, giving Kunkel a rest. Oroz took over from 6.75.
At the end of the quarter, 61-41, with only 12 points from the visitors, 8 of them from free throws.
last quarter
Biting in defense and looking for verticality, Súper Agropal Palencia was putting a severe corrective to Estudiantes, who had been waiting for the FIBA window holidays since the break.
The purple team conspired to maintain the advantage although now the ball did not want to go in. It was enough to let it run and leave it to Kunkel: 25 points for the American and the lead with five minutes left: 70-45.
Little more in a match in which the local team dried up the attack, leaving it with just over 50 points, a low balance to win a match in First FEB.
In the end, 83-52 in a clash with which the purple ones vindicate themselves and gain morale ahead of the break to face the clash against Coruña after the FIBA break, on December 7.
Among the purples, the top scorer, Kunkel with 26 points and fired by the stands shouting MVP. And statistically it was, with a rating of 20. The best +/-, for Borg, with +26.
