Ilerna Lleida opened its league campaign with a 100-105 victory against reigning ACB champion Valencia Basket at the Roig Arena, capitalizing on a stellar offensive performance and a 23-point display from James Batemon. Head coach Gerard Encuentra saw his revamped roster validate preseason expectations by withstanding intense runs from the home side.
A Blistering Start and Early Momentum Shifts
The visitors caught the defending champions off guard right from the tip-off. Ilerna Lleida launched a 0-10 run over the first two minutes, fueled by deep three-pointers from Darius McGhee. Valencia coach Xavi Albert quickly called a timeout to reset his squad, prompting an 11-16 response. As McGhee rotated to the bench, Lleida’s perimeter accuracy dipped and turnovers mounted, allowing Valencia to string together nine unanswered points and capture their first lead at 20-16. True to the frantic tempo of the opening quarter, Lleida answered with another 0-10 surge to take a 20-26 advantage into the second period.
Battle in the Paint and Second-Quarter Exchanges
Both teams continued to trade baskets at a blistering pace through the second quarter against permissive defenses. Ilerna Lleida controlled the glass during the opening half, grabbing 30 rebounds—including 20 on the defensive end—more than double Valencia’s total of 17. However, the early quarter scoring streaks leveled off. Valencia began chipping away through an improved outside shooting display, sinking 5 of 8 attempts from beyond the arc in the second frame. A deep shot by Brooks handed the hosts an eight-point cushion at 53-45 before Encuentra’s side closed the half with five consecutive points to trim the deficit to 53-50 at halftime.
Third-Quarter Turmoil and Bench Response
Valencia seized control early in the second half. Within the opening four minutes, Ejim picked up his fourth personal foul, Perrin was whistled for a technical foul, and Valencia built their largest lead of the night at 63-54. Facing a hostile environment and a mounting deficit, Lleida found an offensive spark from its reserves. Mikel Sanz completed a 0-11 run in just two minutes to reclaim the lead, which Shurna punctuated with a perimeter shot to make it 64-68. James Batemon then scored his first field goal with 1:15 remaining in the third quarter, setting the stage for a tense final frame at 70-74.
Clutch Execution Down the Stretch
Hughes and Perrin pushed Lleida ahead by six at 75-81 with eight minutes remaining, but foul trouble caught up to the visitors as they entered the bonus. Valencia capitalized to level the score at 81-81 near the midpoint of the fourth quarter. After a missed layup by Rivero that would have given Valencia the lead, Hughes answered with a crucial three-pointer for 81-84. The closing minutes transformed into a scoring duel between Valencia’s TJ Shorts—who poured in 12 of his team’s final 19 points—and Batemon. With the score locked at 89-89, Batemon connected from deep with 2:38 left, took control of the offense, and sealed the 100-105 road triumph by converting his free throws down the stretch.
Related reading
