The Palencia team, with an exceptional second quarter, got back on track with a game in which they rediscovered their best version (77-102)
Conquering Zamora in the league was a priority for Super Agropal Palencia. Not because the points were necessary, which they always are, but because trust is worth more than what the box checks. That the ball enters is vital. That there is certainty that he is going to do it is half a basket. And that is what happened today in Zamora and in what way. Showing his best version again. The overwhelming one. The one that fascinates.
Palencia wanted to get rid of the ghosts of the past. To take it off, he even took off last year’s kit and debuted this season’s kit, on matchday 7. The white one. Oroz, Jakovics, Vrankic, Kunkel and Armus came out at the initial jump. Another starting five for the Super Agropal repertoire. Although he did it minutes late because, when the 10 players were already around the central circle, there was a break. Moment that the numerous Palencia fans used to remind their team that they were playing at home. Or almost.
The game didn’t start badly for the people from Palencia who were able to impose their rhythm. Steal, run and basket. With this they gained a small advantage. Just a breath. Shots were still missed, but with a better percentage than in previous days.
Zamora began to take the game by storm. To keep the ball a little longer. To take advantage of their height advantage both in one area and in the other and to machine-gun the basket of the Palencia team, who changed their face with just five minutes of play with the rotation of the entire quintet.
He punished Palencia at the height of the belt and then Paukste, although without much involvement in attack, covered the purple opportunities to score. He was more than a head taller than the Palencia centers. Chema had to leave, he hesitated until the end to try to put some order and more guts in the fight for the balls. In both areas.
At the end of the quarter, 23-18.
Second quarter.
With the lead of -5 for Palencia, the people from Palencia raised their defense lines, intensified their charge on the rebound and with two good plays in a row by Manu, a penetration and a triple, they got within one because the Zamorans also bet (and hit the triple). 26-25. First timeout of the game for Saulo Hernández.
Call to make better use of Paukste’s centimeters of advantage. But Manu was hooked and that’s when the game began to break down. To rediscover Palencia with its essence. Second triple to now tie the game at 28 and loss of ball by the Zamorano team. Oroz, from 4.70, put his team ahead. Palencia’s ring had widened and they managed to leave free shots to their outsides. Manu, with the third triple, became the top scorer so far with 13 points.
With increased defensive intensity and confidence regained from the outside, the Palencia team went 10 down midway through the quarter: 31-41. The triple percentage was just under 50%. Kunkel increased the distance by creating, with Armus’s block, a little layup under the basket. 31-43. Second timeout for Hernández.
The locals missed their shots, not always clean due to the sticky defense of the Super Agropal team that was tearing down Zamora as if it were the flag of the city of Duero. In nine stripes. He went 22 up. 31-53.
The Palencia team opened the local zone, took out the ball and stabbed Zamora’s basket from three-point range. Or with penetrations when the interior opening allowed it even for the little ones.
And by defending, they caused nothing to happen for the Azulones who saw Palencia getting further and further away. The blockade. The streaks against Palencia have also suffered in other games.
At halftime, 33-60 and a partial of 10-42. Too much punishment for Zamora, but a fair reward for Palencia who was once again the Super Agropal that he showed before the Cup week.
Third quarter.
Oroz, from the triple, put the +30 with which the second half started. But the rest of the game was not going to be a walk. With a slight drop in the performance of Lezkano’s team, the locals were within 20 after 5 minutes. Time it took for the venues to benefit from the bonus. The locals doubled in the fourth quarter 14-7.
Wintering, who had just entered, was unsportsmanlike and the home team came closer. 47-67. And almost in the next play, Manu was technicalized for complaining about a foul. 52-67 with 3.44 left in the fourth quarter and Lezkano’s timeout. The gusts.
The game got messy, the rebounds were now for the locals and the one whose hoop was closed was Palencia, who missed even a few trays. Until Manu arrived and achieved a 3+1.
Manu again, the turning point. Palencia worked more on the attacks now, they stopped the local frenzy, loading the rebound better both in defense and attack and the advantage returned to 20 points after having fallen to 15. 54-74
They went back to not giving up balls for lost, to practicing theft almost at the hands of the locals. At the end of the quarter, 60-78 after Paukste abused the Palencia hoop.
Last quarter
Two consecutive baskets (five points) in Palencia’s run and two local attempts far from becoming a basket welcomed the final quarter. In 40 seconds Saulo Hernández had called his time out.
It was now Zamora who played desperately, with poorly measured passes. On the other hand, Palencia liked each other again. Opening the meat to the local defense. The advantage had not diminished the competitive desire. An example was Jakovics’ protest that earned him a technical for a baseline kick.
65-88 with less than 7 left to play and, most importantly, the balance of triples was once again close to normal, which allowed more game variables to be handled. About 50%.
Kunkel put the 100th point in the Palencia team’s box with a drive and layup with two minutes remaining.
Until the end of the game little more than minutes of processing. (77-102)
Fifth victory for Super Agropal Palencia after a tough journey of two consecutive defeats. A victory that tastes like glory, especially because of the sensations both in defense and especially in attack and shooting.
The worst thing was the injury to Ugochukwu, who only played three minutes in the first quarter and watched the rest of the game from the ice bench.
Among the people from Palencia, the MVP, Manu Rodríguez, with a rating of 23. He was also the team’s and the game’s top scorer with 22 points. The player with the best +/-, Jakovics, with +25 with him on the court, followed by Armus with +21.
Next game, on Friday against Oviedo at the Municipal de Palencia.
