Insolac Caja 87 secured a historic victory against Palmer Basket at the San Pablo pavilion, rallying from a halftime deficit through a suffocating defensive display.
Defensive Turnaround Fuels Second-Half Surge at San Pablo
The Seville club turned a disappointing first half into a triumphant debut in the Primera FEB. After struggling to find any offensive rhythm and trailing 44–33 at the break, head coach Juani Díez adjusted his defensive schemes. The hosts clamped down after intermission, sparking a transition game that fueled their comeback.
Mendikote and Varela Spark the Andalusian Attack
Mendikote led the verdirrojos with a physical, relentless performance, constantly driving into the paint and drawing fouls despite heavy contact. Nacho Varela found his shooting touch from beyond the arc in the second half, hitting crucial perimeter shots that erased Palmer Basket’s lead. Their contributions helped Caja 87 overcome the absence of Moody, proving that the team could execute a high-intensity game plan when forced to respond to early adversity.
Palmer Basket Takes Early Lead Through Defensive Breakdowns
The opening quarters exposed glaring flaws for the hosts in half-court execution. Palmer Basket capitalized on defensive breakdowns and transition opportunities, jumping out to an early 11–0 run. Mingo troubled the Caja 87 defense with multiple three-pointers, punishing slow closeouts and poor balance. By halftime, the hosts had shot just 1-of-9 from three-point range, leaving them facing an uphill battle before the defensive adjustment arrived. Head coach Juani Díez had already substituted his entire starting five before the midpoint of the first quarter after falling behind to a 4–0 start followed by an unanswered 11–0 run. Mendikote broke the scoring drought and tied the game at 13–13 with a traditional three-point play. After a horizontal pass from Webster and an illegal block by Bolavie brought the score to 15–18, Franch entered the match. Palmer Basket extended their lead to 15–20 through fast breaks while the hosts struggled in positional offense, missing four free throws between Bolavie and Mendikote in a first quarter that ended at 17–22. Vilà scored his first points from the post, but Wimberg and Hodge struck from the perimeter to give the visitors a 19–28 advantage. Vilà briefly took over scoring duties from Mendikote before a transition basket pushed the deficit to 23–32, prompting a timeout from Juani Díez as the hosts neared collapse. Mingo continued to punish the vulnerable defense as the score stretched to 23–36, and Rafa García subsequently entered to improve the team’s playmaking. Mingo extended the gap to 32–42, and the teams reached halftime at 33–44 following a lengthy video review of the final visiting basket to check for a potential legal block by Bolavie.
Turning the Tide After the Intermission
Vilà opened his account from the post without a game director, but Wimberg and Hodge struck from the perimeter to reach a 19–28 lead. Later in the contest, a radical change occurred when Hodge immediately answered the second three-pointer of the game for Caja 87, scored by Varela, to make it 38–49.
Next Fixture on the Primera FEB Calendar
Insolac Caja 87 returns to league competition as they look to build upon their historic first victory in the Primera FEB.
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