Comfortable victory for the 'taronja' team 66-81 against ALBA
MADRID, 1 Feb. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Valencia Basket won this Thursday by a calm 66-81 on their visit to ALBA Berlin, with an outstanding performance by the Nigerian forward Semi Ojeleye, in a match corresponding to matchday 25 of the Regular Phase of the Euroleague and that left the team on track. taronja' with its good first half, shining especially in defense.
At the Mercedes-Benz Arena, Álex Mumbrú's students started with a 3-14 run that was already a declaration of intent. His great performance in defense prevented doubts from increasing when ALBA responded with a 7-0 thanks to their choral display, with Matt Thomas hitting the ball in the paint alongside Matteo Spagnolo.
Damien Inglis emerged in the low post and Xabi López-Arostegui accompanied him with aim from the light bulb, closing the first period with a 15-20 in favor of Valencia. Despite a triple by Justin Bean (20-23) and another subsequent basket by Khalifa Koumadje, the home team was unable to stop the good version of their opponents.
Reflection of the visitors' superiority was a triple scored by Chris Jones on the penultimate possession of the second quarter, without Martin Hermannsson being able to replicate it right after. The score at half-time (30-42) gave a very concentrated Valencia room for maneuver at the back.
Without complaining about the absences due to injury of Brandon Davies and Boubacar Touré, the 'taronja' team cut off rival passing lines and stretched their lead to +20 on several occasions (37-57, 39-59, 41-61) during a third act that ended at 45-65 after a basket by Gabriele Procida.
Despite the distance, Mumbrú barely controlled Chris Jones and therefore reduced Jared Harper's participation on the court. The 'taronja' coach did not trust a possible reaction from ALBA, which in reality never occurred. Thomas and Koumadje's insistence on attack was inert.
The returns of more than twenty points did not make it easier for the stands of the Mercedes-Benz Arena to believe in the miracle. Thus, Valencia managed without scares a fourth period valid for statistics but without 'chicha'. This victory put Mumbrú's team with a balance of 13-12, still in the 'play-in', and left the German team behind with 5-20.
DATASHEET.
–RESULT: ALBA BERLIN, 66 – VALENCIA BASKET, 81 (30-42, at halftime).
–EQUIPMENT.
DAWN BERLIN: Hermannsson (3), Thomas (15), Brown (3), Wetzell (1) and Schneider (4) –starting quintet–; Spagnolo (10), Sterling (2), Procida (6), Mattisseck (1), Bean (8), Nikic (-) and Koumadje (13).
VALENCIA BASKET: Jones (14), Robertson (7), Anderson (4), Ojeleye (18) and Pradilla (3) –starting quintet–; Harper (9), Reuvers (4), Inglis (8), Puerto (), López-Arostegui (11) and Pangos (3) and Jovic (-).
–PARTIALS: 15-20, 15-22, 15-23 and 21-16.
–REFEREES: Paternico, Difallah and Bissell. They eliminated Reuvers in Valencia Basket due to personal fouls.
–PAVILLION: Mercedes-Benz Arena.