Super Agropal Palencia stayed in the game until midway through the last quarter when Leyma Coruña took off on the scoreboard of a purple square without much punch (82-75)
The competition returned for the Super Agropal Palencia, in Coruña, at the home of the undefeated leader. In the home of a clockwork orange that today knew how to withstand the attacks of the people of Palencia. Like a boxer he engaged the fists of a Palencia who hit weaker today than other times, although they remained in an even, intense clash that did not disappoint.
Oroz, Kunkel, Jakovics, Kamba and Armus on the jump. Three attacks in a row marked by the purple ones, today in white. Two of them due to the persistence of the A Coruña defense, which was already showing its weapons, the other due to too much haste in a counterattack. Coruña struck first to go five up.
Palencia couldn’t find a hoop. The opposite of the locals, who extended their lead to 8. Kunkel was the first to score. From 4.70. 8-2 three minutes gone. Nothing at stake. 0 of 3 in field goals for Lezkano’s team. Jakovics, also from the same place, was adding for the Palencia team, thanks to his favorite play: a foul received on a three-point shot. Same launch point for Vrankic. Half a quarter and Palencia still did not score in the game.
Inside, nothing. Neither with the interiors that crashed against the Galician wall, nor in mid-distance shots, nor in tackles… It took six minutes for the first one to arrive on the move. Vrankic, assisted by Wintering on a counterattack. 12-8 in a match that went in fits and starts, with stops ordered by the scorers’ table.
Vrankic began to find his niche and brought the purple team within one point. 15-14. In the Coliseum of Coruña, Palencia could be heard louder, Palencia that had arrived late for the meeting, but had arrived. Borg turned the score around, with the numerous purple fans scattered around the old Coruña arena.
At the end of the quarter, 22-22. Despite three minutes without scoring, six without scoring in play and without any triple, Súper Agropal Palencia tied for the leader.
Second quarter.
Super Agropal once again fell into errors and bad decisions in attacks. Even Lezkano made his incomprehension evident with some plays. In addition, Kunkel was charged with three fouls, one of them unsportsmanlike, in a minute and a half. He left the game and Palencia would notice that. That gave Leyma wings to make a difference again. 27-22.
Palencia had also lost consistency behind. The oranges found the Palencia hoop easy and revolutionized the game with their speed. Wintering on the court when the locals already had the bonus in their favor, with three and a half played. 32-28 and timeout for Súper Agropal Palencia, who tried to filter balls into the area with little or no success. And throwing… the balls made his tie. Quite the opposite of Coruña.
It was Wintering who maintained the constants and ambition, who helped with a triple from Borg, the first of the game for the Palencia team, once again reduced the local advantage. 37-35, with 3.20 left before halftime. Time out for Carles Marco, so that his team could continue stirring the hornet’s nest.
Although the people from Palencia put on the diver so that the people from A Coruña did not open too much of a gap that had extended to 5 points. Several personal fouls called against the oranges (and highly protested by the Coliseum) and a triple by Wintering put the Palencia team ahead moments before heading to the locker room. 46-47. The second triple of the entire game on 11 shots. The Castilian team had not been able or willing to exploit that facet. Where he did do so was in the rebounding aspect, remaining practically at the same level as a team as physical as Coruña.
Third quarter.
Without success in attack, but with very intense defenses, the clash resumed in both areas. Both paintings are loaded with fouls. Cremo scored the first score, three, to once again give the advantage to the people from A Coruña. Precisely with the facet that Palencia was denied: the triple. Although Manu gave the reply, once again putting the Palencia team ahead.
The meeting had lost almost all logic. Races here, there, attacks without finishing. In those raffled balls, Kunkel’s fourth. As many as points. Two arreones from A Coruña, finished off with a triple, made it 56-52, forcing Lezkano to call a timeout.
Palencia now found Ugochukwu inside. And Manu on the outside. Triple from Granada to close the quarter with an advantage. 58-59. Two of the five with which Palencia closed its time in Coruña bore his seal. The truth is that the defense put forward by Coruña barely allowed the outsiders to breathe.
Last quarter.
The lead of 4 for the locals returned as soon as the game started. Palencia couldn’t score again, not even from free throws. The locals had them well tied. It is true that the purple ones did not make things much easier for the people of A Coruña either. It was a game of defenses.
The constant fouls that were now not called by the referees, caused Lezkano to protest (so that his players would not be the ones to do it) with the subsequent technique to the bench. 66-61 with 6.25 to play. And Kunkel back on the court. Missed the shot like the entire team. Not like the locals.
The rush came to the visiting squad, too much and Lezkano tried to calm his team down with a 6-point deficit (69-63) with 4.30 left to play. Little was solved because after the timeout the locals went up 11. His party maxim. Palencia struggled to swim as he had done in the other quarters, but the shore had moved away from him. More and more, losing balls, failing under the basket. The current was getting stronger, and with less time. Once again the lack of success affecting the team mentally.
On the other side, with the wind in their favor, Leyma Coruña was making champion plays. Like Jorgensen’s 2+1 at the horn, with two minutes left and which made the orange Coliseum explode.
From there to the end, almost of process because, although the advantage was not enough to be neglected and Palencia had several counterattacks to get closer on the scoreboard, it gave the feeling that Coruña was already dying to have it tied up. In the end 82-75, and highlighting the only five triples scored by the Palencia team, one of them already last, out of 23 attempts. In field goals, a total of 25 of 61. Well below what would be considered normal for Súper Agropal Palencia.
Among the purples, in this third defeat of the season, the best, Wintering and Ugochukwu. Top scorer, the center, with 15 points. The best +/- the 11 of Wintering.
