Valencia Basket routed UCAM Murcia 116-93 at the Roig Arena on Sunday, bouncing back from a difficult double-round week in the EuroLeague to climb to a 2-2 record in the Liga Endesa. Xavi Albert’s side dismantled the visitors behind points from Jasiel Rivero, perimeter shooting from Nikola Mirotic, and pressure from Álvaro Cárdenas and TJ Shorts. With all players available and no longer including Yankuba Sima in the squad, Xavi Albert had to make three roster cuts, leaving out Omari Moore alongside Mo Gueye and Lucas Marí. Gonzalo Corbalán, following his strong performance against Maccabi, entered the starting five alongside TJ Shorts, Kam Taylor, Dylan Osetkowski, and Neal Sako.
How Valencia Built a Decisive First-Half Lead
The tone of the contest was set early when Valencia burst out of the gates with a 9-0 run, sparked by consecutive baskets from Shorts and a triple from Dylan Osetkowski. UCAM Murcia coach Sito Alonso called an early timeout to reset his defense, deploying a zone scheme designed to slow down the hosts. However, Valencia systematically dismantled the zone by placing Rivero and Mirotic at the high post, exploiting the passing lanes to carve up the defense. The Valencia BC learned its lesson and started with greater intensity in defense, making every shot uncomfortable for a rival that took nearly three minutes to score its first points through a triple by Souley Boum. Two triples from Dylan Ennis reduced the deficit, but in the exchange of baskets, Sako, TJ Shorts, Cárdenas with a triple, and Brooks from the free-throw line even managed to extend the advantage to +23 at 67-44.
Rivero wreaked havoc inside, pouring in 12 of his points during his first eight minutes on the floor. Meanwhile, Cárdenas injected high-tempo energy off the bench, shadowing Murcia guard Souley Boum to neutralize the visitor’s backcourt engine. By the end of the first quarter, the scoreboard showed a 25-14 advantage for the home side.
The cushion swelled further in the second stanza. Cárdenas and Mirotic found room to operate from beyond the arc, stretching the margin to 17 points at 34-17. Mid-quarter adjustments by Murcia, including a brief return to man-to-man defense and energetic plays by Raieste, failed to stem the tide. Armoni Brooks finished off a slick baseline cut in the final seconds of the half to send Valencia into the locker room holding a commanding 58-36 lead. Valencia reached halftime with its advantage intact and the dominance of sensations at 58-36 in the 20th minute.
Contrasting Perspectives on the Offense and Defense
Valencia dominated 15-3 in assists before the break. Head coach Xavi Albert utilized all 12 active players in the opening half, with every single one contributing to the scoresheet as the team shot effectively and shared the ball.
UCAM Murcia struggled to find consistent offensive rhythm for the majority of the match. The visitors grabbed offensive boards early on, but failed to convert those second-chance opportunities into points. It wasn’t until the third quarter that Dylan Ennis found his shooting touch, attempting to shoulder the scoring load for Murcia with a flurry of deep shots. Yet, Valencia’s lead continued to balloon, touching 29 points before a late third-quarter triple by Michael Forrest trimmed the deficit to 86-60.
Late-Game Runs and What the Result Changes in the Standings
With the contest firmly out of reach in the final ten minutes, Valencia eased off the defensive intensity. UCAM Murcia seized the opening to string together a 4-13 run, fueled by the physical inside play of Marcis Steinbergs and perimeter marksmanship from Forrest, which narrowed the gap to 90-74. There was no runaway start by UCAM after the break, partly because Corbalán and Cárdenas took turns on the court to maintain the taronja intensity, and because Brooks found spaces to score. His baskets and good screens allowed the team to go from 88-60 to 90-74 with a couple of triples from Forrest. But TJ Shorts quickly smothered that last Murcian attempt to return to the clash. Any hopes of a miraculous comeback were quickly extinguished by Shorts, whose quick-twitch drives cut through the Murcia defense and pushed the home side past the 100-point threshold.
The final buzzer confirmed a 116-93 rout, leaving UCAM Murcia with a 1-3 record after four rounds of domestic league play. Cárdenas fouled out late in the contest in the 40th minute with 12 points to his name, while Ennis finished as Murcia’s leading scorer with 28 points. The comprehensive victory thrusts Valencia back into the upper tier of the Liga Endesa standings.
Questions Remaining for Both Squads Ahead of the Next Fixture
Valencia successfully steadied the ship at the Roig Arena in front of 9,104 spectators during the match corresponding to the fourth round of the regular phase of the Liga Endesa. For UCAM Murcia, the search for consistent backcourt answers alongside Ennis and Boum becomes paramount as they look to escape the lower half of the domestic table.
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