Alimerka Oviedo Baloncesto dropped its home opener 67-77 to Covirán Granada on Saturday at the Palacio de los Deportes, struggling with early tension and sustained defensive pressure from the visitors. Head coach Javi Rodríguez pointed directly to his team’s mental approach after the final buzzer, noting that visible hesitation hampered their rhythm throughout the contest.
Javi Rodríguez Points to Team Hesitation After Palacio Defeat
The home side spent large stretches of the match chasing the scoreline against an efficient Granada squad. Rodríguez did not mince words when evaluating his roster’s performance in front of the Oviedo supporters, pointing out that anxiety dictated much of their play. The Oviedo coach admitted that the group played with excessive doubt and lacked composure when the game demanded steady execution.
“We have played with many doubts, gripped, I do not understand why,” Rodríguez stated in his post-match press conference. “We can play better or worse, but with those doubts it is complicated. It was noticeable during the match that we were not with confidence; when we let go, we played better.”
That brief surge of freedom surfaced most clearly during a productive second quarter. Oviedo entered the period trailing by seven points but managed to turn the momentum around entirely, outplaying the visitors and heading into halftime holding a three-point lead. However, that advantage evaporated after the break as Granada tightened its defensive rotations and found consistent success in the hoop.
Winston Williams Leads Oviedo Scoring as Granada Pulls Away
Granada reasserted control in the third quarter, building a seven-point cushion by the end of the frame that Oviedo failed to erase. Winston Williams paced the home side’s offense with 17 points, but the visitors’ disciplined defensive structure kept Oviedo from mounting a successful late-game comeback.
Despite flashes of the competitive level the club can be, the inability to sustain defensive stops proved decisive over forty minutes.
Fibwi Mallorca Basquet Palma Awaits at the Palacio
Alimerka Oviedo will remain at home for its next fixture in search of a rebound. The squad’s upcoming test takes place next Saturday at 20:00 local time at the Palacio de los Deportes de Oviedo, where they will host Fibwi Mallorca Basquet Palma.
