MADRID, 12 Dic. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Spanish women’s team made history this Sunday by winning the first medal in a major international wheelchair basketball event after taking bronze at the Madrid European Championship after beating Germany 40-58.
Until now Spain had never conquered a metal of this value, but the team showed the competitive growth that it has been carrying for several years and, in a great offensive and defensive match, it deactivated its rival to be able to get on the podium, a success for a a country that does not even have an exclusively female league in this sport.
Isabel López (20 points) and Beatriz Zudaire (19) led, especially in the first half, a national team that dominated from the first quarter and knew how to play calmly when the Germans, who had clearly imposed themselves a few days ago (55-34), they tried to react.
The Spanish team began very in tune on the field of a lively Francisco Fernández Ochoa Municipal Sports Center. It came out very intense and especially with the offensive success that Isabel López and Beatriz Zudaire gave it, who combined to score 26 of the 28 points that the team had taken at halftime, with 14 and 12, respectively.
The hosts’ first 20 minutes were very complete on both sides of the court. In defense, he knew how to control Lang, who had done a lot of damage in the game a few days ago, and in attack he found good fluidity to take command and play more calmly.
The Germans stayed more than eight minutes without scoring and Spain did not waste it to open a good gap in the electronic (8-22). He could not give it more continuity, but he knew how to be calm when his rival took a good run to regain ground (14-22) and closed the second period with a long way to go (18-28).
GERMANY IS COMING, SPAIN REPLICA
After the break, the Spanish team continued to control the Germans well, thanks to the fact that Virginia Pérez joined the scoring efforts, and kept ten points in the middle of the third quarter (24-34).
Lang was still well guarded, but a triple of his brought Germany closer to seven points (29-36) and opened the best minutes in attack of his team. Spain did not know how to grit their teeth, recover some success and reach the final ten minutes touching history (33-42).
The Germans were not willing to give up so easily and once again threatened to cut the difference on the scoreboard to a distance where nerves could be key. However, the hosts did not give facilities either and used their defense to close their hoop.
Two consecutive baskets by Sonia Ruiz and another by Zudaire brought the bronze closer with less than five minutes to go (38-50) despite Lang’s efforts. A ‘2 + 1’ by Zudaire shot the lead (38-53) and Spain no longer had any doubts about breaking down a historic barrier.