Badalona (Barcelona), Nov 16 (EFE) .- The Joventut de Badalona achieved an important victory (90-80) in the Eurocup against a Morabanc Andorra that started well but that was deflated from the second quarter before the great choral game of the green and black led by Ante Tomic and Joel Parra.
The Croatian pivot had a great game with 18 points, without any failure in the shots, to which he added 7 assists and 4 rebounds. Joel Parra (14 points) and Arturs Zagars (12 points), who had many minutes due to Guillem Vives’ injury, were the other highlights of a team that distributed 24 assists.
The Andorrans started better by scoring on the counterattack and with Oriol Paulí hitting the triple (4-11, min. 4). La Penya started without defensive intensity and misguided in the triple, betting on the inside game to turn the scoreboard and finish the first quarter three up (23-20).
La Penya extended their lead at the start of the second quarter with a stellar Joel Parra and Ante Tomic (14 points in the first half) unstoppable under the hoops (40-25, min. 16).
Ribas and Tomic delighted the public with their combinative game while Codi Miller-McIntyre tried to revive his team with individual actions to end the first half with 9 points. Two free throws by Tomic put the maximum difference of the match coinciding with the break (53-36).
Morabanc Andorra had a timid reaction at the beginning of the third period led by Conor Morgan (57-44, min. 24) but the green and black reacted with a partial of 11-4 with Albert Ventura uncovering in attack (68-48, min. 26).
The Andorrans collapsed as a team and were left at the expense of the actions of Miller-McIntyre, who extended his scoring to 15 points, although he had the reply of Zagars who with five points in the final minutes put a new maximum advantage on the scoreboard ( 78-57) with which the Penya left the game resolved.
In the last quarter, the Andorrans improved hand in hand with Llovet and Diagne to reduce the difference to thirteen points (86-73, min. 37). Carles Duran dispensed with Ribas and Tomic in the last quarter and gave minutes to the less usual like Arturs Zagars.
The Andorrans, led by Miller-McIntyre, who finished the match with 22 points, managed to make up the final score with 90-80.
-Data sheet:
90. Joventut Badalona (23 + 30 + 25 + 12): Feliz (8), Ventura (6), Parra (14), Willis (9), Tomic (18) -starting team-, Busquets (4), Ribas ( 6), Birgander (6), Zagars (12), Brodziansky (7) and Maronka (-).
80. Morabanc Andorra (20 + 16 + 21 + 23): Miller-McIntyre (22), Jelinek (8), Paulí (7), Noua (6), Arteaga (6) -starting team-, Hannah (6), Nakic (6), Diagne (4), Olumuyiwa (2), Llovet (4) and Morgan (9).
Referees: Foufis (Greece), Sukys (Lithuania) and Bittner (Germany). Without eliminated.
Incidents: match corresponding to the fifth day of group A of the European Championship played at the Palau Olímpic de Badalona before 2,259 spectators.
(c) EFE Agency