The score was 16-11 when Laso and Albisu went to look for a drop from Mariezkurrena II together and collided when they launched themselves. … for the ball. The one from Bizkarreta, on the ground, turned quickly and with obvious gestures of pain he put both hands on his right knee, the one that had been operated on, the one that kept him out of action for five months and the one that forced him to miss the Cuatro y Medio, while Atano III held his breath watching him leave the field alongside Dr. Txema Urrutia, barely able to put his foot down. The almost five minutes it took him to return to the field, and in which his name was chanted, were an eternity because the passage of time put the ball players in the worst of scenarios. Seeing him sprint on the court upon his return was a relief. And a surprise.
If that strong blow conditioned the outcome of the match, only Laso knows that, at the conclusion, and although he acknowledged that he had gone cold and had left the match, he gave all the credit to his rivals, especially Mariezkurrena.
And without Laso’s enormous scare, this chronicle would have been entirely dedicated to praising the figure of Berriozar’s colossus, a kind of Swiss army knife with enough resources to solve all kinds of situations.
20
–
22
Larrazabal-Mariezkur’s II
-
game time
74 minutes and 51 seconds -
Good shots
591 -
So many serve
Laso, 0. Larrazabal, 2. -
Serving faults
Laso, 0. Larrazabal, 0. -
So many at stake
Laso, 7; Albisu, 2. Larrazabal, 4; Mariezkurrena II, 6. -
so many lost
Laso, 4; Albisu, 6. Larrazabal, 4; Mariezkurrena II, 7. -
Marker
2-0, 2-1, 4-1, 4-3, 5-3, 5-5, 9-5, 9-7, 10-7, 10-8, 13-8, 13-9, 14-9, 14-10, 16-10, 16-13, 18-13, 18-17, 19-17, 19-20, 20-20 y 20-22. -
Exit odds
100 to 70 in favor of Laso and Albisu. -
incidences
Pediment Atano III. 798 spectators. The game was stopped for almost five minutes after Laso’s blow that forced him to go to the locker room.
The Navarrese defended an outrageous thing. He returned unthinkable balls, several of them with his back attached to the rebound, highlighting a volley with his left foot at 12-8 that he scored despite having to jump to reach Albisu’s shot, which in any other game would have been crowned because Ataun’s, except for the last goals, was impeccable.
But Mariezkurrena also acted as a striker because three of the six goals that were his signature were a double wall to make it 9-6, the hook he executed after the drop shot that caused Laso’s hit to go up to 16-12, and a cut that Bizkarreta’s could not lead to, which meant 18-15. His other three goals were three impressive shots that would have gone directly to the rebound if Albisu had not intervened.
His six goals were two more than those added by a Larrazabal who was not good in the first goals and who lost confidence when it came to finishing. At least until the rope tightened around his neck with that 18-13 score that threatened to add to his locker the third defeat in three games. In that comeback, Amurrio’s player was decisive, adding two goals from a serve and two more with hooks.
Thus it was reached 19-19, a goal in which Mariezkurrena defended the indefensible before Albisu sent the ball to the upper mattress. Larrazabal did the same with a sotamano when he had the goal in his pocket. And with 20-20 came two more gifts from Albisu: a ball into the lower mattress and another into the countercourt that spoiled his good game. At least he has Laso.
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