WhatsApp: (+34) 91 745 88 50
Press conference. Local coach Txus Vidorreta clearly depicts the game: «It got bloody tough». Not the most elegant wording but yet cristal clear. Asefa Estudiantes had to recover Carl English’s best version in order to beat last team of the league standings. The local squad also had to call Fortune goddess and there she arrived, dressed in blue and Sideshow Bob afro haircut. Indeed, it did not look like defeating the last one (3/16) but a very good bunch of competitive players.
Woods started with in and out action. He was blocking and he was scoring. The outside scoring was controlled by Woods and Javi Salgado.
Against them, raw meat.
Asefa Estu had a grey day. The beauty-trio Granger, English and Gabriel offered some sparks of scoring power but it had to be the second unit. The cavalry gave way to the infantry. Or something.
Guard Jaime Fernández clutched a three-pointer to steer the entire machine. His companion outside the line Josh Fisher and five points on a row from Kyle Kuric gave fresh air to a slow motion first quarter and a good part of the second period. Where things got to flow. But the flow was too ‘flowy’ and nobody got the lead with something perceivable as good basketball.
Sorry. Even if it is our team.
A 39-even halftime and both teams trying to run and score. But both Vidorreta and Sito Alonso had declared the war on defense. This probably made players to arrive exhausted to the shooting. Free throws and minimal scoreboard motion when it happened; Lagun Aro discovered how to grasp a bit of luck.
Someone at the crowd found the remote control, though. He or she pressed English subtitling and the canadian scored 9 points in a couple of minutes. Kuric supported the scoring mood (he ended with 13pt) and Asefa Estu got to a brighter situation (+8, 62-54).
The alleged 9,000 attendance got silent as Quintel Woods reacted in the last period and almost equalled with a shooting from the corner. But this game was one of those for MVP Carl English. English for a 2-3-2 score made every effort worth to enjoy this killer. He is playng with us this year so we’d better trust him at the tight games.
Not the type of game Asefa used to enjoy last season. The type of clutch balls that last year escaped spitted by the rim. But last season we had no spirit at school. Although Quintel Woods enjoyed himself and made two free-throws for the 77-77, the spirit somehow appeared. English passed to Granger, he got into trouble but our center Nogueira deposited the ball where it had to be.
We used to thrash these games last year. You never know what might have changed. But let’s forget this Sunday game and enjoy we are in PO positions.
BOXSCORE
ASEFA ESTUDIANTES 79 (14-25-19-21) Fisher 3, Fernández 5, Clark 3, Granger 7, Gabriel 8, Kuric 13, Kirksay 6,English 31, Barnes 0, Nogueira 3. DNP: Vicedo, Guerra.
LAGUN ARO GBC 77 (17-22-15-23) Papamakarios 4, Woods 20, Neto 2, Rubio 2, FInley 9, Díez 2, Doblas 13, Salgado 10, Ibekwe 2, Paunic 3. DNP: Olaizola.
