Méndez’s men improve in their second game and crush Romania in Almería
MADRID, 14 Nov. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Spanish women’s basketball team came up this Sunday to strike Romania (107-52) at the Municipal Palace of the Mediterranean Games in Almería, the second match of the qualifying phase for Eurobasket 2023 and also second under the coach’s direction Miguel Mendez.
Spain greased the machine and thrilled its audience to lead Group C with two victories, after Thursday’s in Hungary. With just a couple more training sessions and with the notes from that premiere, Méndez enjoyed a team much more empathetic and tough on defense, which did not lower the bar during the 40 minutes.
The debutant Irati Etxarri (21 points) and María Conde (21 and 10 rebounds) were the best of a choral exercise, which broke the host with a 22-8 in the second quarter. Despite the cushion, Spain pressed until the end and took advantage of the game to take a step forward that is leaving the complicated summer behind.
With Etxarri scoring in the starting five and a great Silvia Domínguez, Spain was warming up. Once again Torrens was a reference and Raquel Carrera worked hard in search of a greater role. At the start of the second quarter, the four-time European champion broke the match, with a tough defense and a great success.
At halftime, Romania had only four assists and a large rebound deficit. With everything under control, Ardelean and Stanici were the best visitors in the first half, Méndez asked for more of theirs and the team responded. Conde, who was already the best against the Hungarians, and Etxarri excelled and Almería enjoyed it.
Spain pressed even on the entire court with more than thirty advantage and fattened the score until the last second, with 37 points in the fourth quarter. Méndez’s men take command of the group, the champion has a secure ticket to the European Championship, in this first window, the second will be next November, against a Romania that had beaten Iceland.
DATASHEET.
– RESULT: SPAIN, 107 – ROMANIA, 52. (46-27, at halftime).
–EQUIPMENT.
SPAIN: Maite Cazorla (6), Conde (21), Torrens (6), Etxarri (21) and Carrera (10) – starting five -; Silvia Domínguez (6), Leticia Romero (8), Leonor Rodríguez (8), Queralt Casas (5), Laura Quevedo (6), Paula Ginzo (10).
ROMANIA: Stanici (16), Ghizila (14), Fodor (-), Ardelean (7) and Orban (-) –initial quintet–; Popescu (-), Cazacu, Catinean (-), Armanu (-), Ghita (4), Croitoru (2), Fota (-) and Podar (9).
–PARTIALS: 24-19, 22-8, 24-7, 37-18.
– REFEREES: Dahra, Marziali and Maret. Without eliminated.
– PAVILION: Municipal Palace of the Mediterranean Games.