Club Baloncesto Gran Canaria suffered a 102-80 defeat against Movistar Estudiantes at the Movistar Arena, failing to sustain a strong first-half performance that had yielded a six-point halftime advantage.
Early Momentum in Madrid
Cajasiete Gran Canaria traveled to face an undefeated Movistar Estudiantes side with a starting lineup featuring Carlos Alocén, Marques Townes, Joaquín Rodríguez, Roberts Stumbris, and Fran Guerra. Bruno Savignani’s team established an early 5-8 lead by the fourth minute, driven by aggressive drives from Townes and a three-point play executed by Rodríguez. The visiting side maintained control through the opening quarter, extending their margin to 18-23 before a late offensive rebound by Luke Fischer and a three-pointer from Joe Cremo prompted an Estudiantes timeout. Gran Canaria closed the first period ahead 21-30 following an outside shot by Stumbris.
🏀 Tercer cuarto: 🟦 Movistar Estudiantes 71🐥 Cajasiete Gran Canaria 60📺 https://t.co/wtNVqrkmpk🔥 #VamosGranca pic.twitter.com/vRHnOgrMEd
Halftime Advantage Slips Away
Guerra dominated the paint during the second quarter, drawing fouls and scoring inside to keep the visitors ahead despite a Madrid surge that narrowed the gap to 32-36. The first half ended with Gran Canaria leading 41-47, anchored by Guerra’s 11 valuation points.
Estudiantes Rallies After Intermission
Movistar Estudiantes opened the third quarter with a 4-0 run, quickly erasing the visitor’s lead despite a temporary response from Townes. Toni Ten’s squad overtook Gran Canaria when Silverio converted a critical perimeter shot to make it 54-53. Another triple extended the home team’s lead to 59-53 with 3:43 remaining in the third period. As the Madrid perimeter shooting continued to find its mark, the deficit widened to 71-60 by the end of the quarter.
Final Quarter Pullaway
Facing a double-digit deficit in the final ten minutes, Gran Canaria fought to close the gap as Westermann maintained Estudiantes’ advantage above the ten-point threshold. A subsequent 84-69 scoreline forced Savignani to call a tactical timeout with under 4:40 remaining on the clock. The visiting side exhausted their remaining options, but Estudiantes closed out the fixture to secure the 102-80 victory.
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