Alimerka Oviedo Baloncesto has won 83-64 over Fibwi Mallorca Basket Palma in the dispute of the fifteenth day of the Primera FEB 25/26. He did it in front of 4,497 spectators in a Palacio de los Deportes that at times vibrated with the offensive brilliance and the solidity in the defensive effort during many passages of the match by Javi Rodríguez’s pupils.
He also feared for the health of Calvin Hermanson, who was evacuated to the hospital after receiving a hit on a block when he was the best of the game with five triples in the first quarter. Fortunately, everything ended in a scare and, despite the time he spent lying motionless on the hardwood while being treated, the North American forward is recovering satisfactorily from cervical trauma.
Because within the match there were many mini matches from which the OCB emerged victorious. The first, before beginning to recover from the loss of Lobaco, absent as a precaution after having received a blow during the week. Without their main defensive bastion and shooter, however, the start was solid. A 13-5 forced Pablo Cano to call a timeout with 5:08 left in the first quarter. The success from the triple made the difference with Calvin, Townes and again the Oregonian scoring on their first three shots.
After Fibwi’s break Bracey reduced the difference with a three-plus-one but again Hermanson hit from beyond the arc three consecutive times for a spectacular 5/7 in triples. Duscak also from a distance, of course, closed the set with a resounding 29-14.
But it was behind where the match was decided despite the local triplet exuberance. With contacts, with rebounds, with energy and determination, the OCB was cutting off the Mallorcans’ scoring routes like a boa constrictor.
It was difficult to maintain the level of success and the start of the second quarter was slower. It took three minutes for OCB to score but when they did they uncovered their best basketball: a counterattack culminated by Faure running the center of the court and then, after great defense, Parham made a three for, again, the visitor’s timeout at 6.42.
Two consecutive scores by Palma, however, slowed down the local rhythm and Javi Rodríguez tried to abort the visitor’s reaction by including Hermanson in the quintet again after the timeout. The visiting partial went up to 0-8 and good old Calvin didn’t have much more time. At 4:42 before the break he hit a block with Smith and went to the ground spectacularly.
After the atmosphere froze while Hermanson came out on a stretcher applauded and raising his thumb as a sign of being conscious, it didn’t take much for OCB to reconnect and between Townes and Parham they established a nine-point lead to reach the break 41-32.
Upon returning from the locker room, the OCB did not give up on its plan, giving one more twist to its physical and defensive level. Without Hermanson or Lobaco Copes was present to open the quarter with a triple, a luck that he would repeat in the last set with the Argentine putting in a solid match in both rings.
With the interiors struggling (40 rebounds, 9 offensive) and Townes, Duscak and Parham setting the tone, the OCB left Fibwi with just six points in the third quarter for a lead of nineteen, 59-38, the highest so far before entering the decisive stretch.
And there the OCB smelled blood with an 8-0 start to definitively kill the duel. As adults, Longarela had minutes and the Madrid native took advantage of them by adding to his defense and scoring two consecutive triples thirteen months after his last basket in the competition (72-43, 5:40).
With everything resolved, the end was less and Fibwi Palma found his main offensive weapon in Vázquez. In the triple contest, seven in a row between the two teams, Bahía Imprenta San Agustín was ironing out the differences to the chagrin of Javi Rodríguez, upset with the final disconnection of his team.
With this, Alimerka OCB achieves its seventh victory of the season and moves into the middle of the table in a large group of teams tied for wins. Next week it’s a trip to San Sebastián and in fifteen days, visit Oviedo Melilla Ciudad del Deporte in the last match of the first round.
Partials: 29-14, 12-18, 18-6, 24-26.
