2023-11-01 22:40:00
Javi Zamora’s defensive slate managed to minimize the Corueses, who suffered their first defeat in their worst game of the season
01 nov 2023 . Updated at 9:40 p.m.
The story of the promotion to the ACB has been around A Corua for years. And this Leyma was giving reasons to think that the door could be knocked down on this occasion. With the defeat of COB in the previous one, Diego Epifanio’s men had in their hand the option of climbing to the top of the table alone in Menorca. They came out like a roller. They went 7-13, relying on the 6 points of Diagne, especially active, with two rebounds, and the 4 of the always accomplished Aleix Font, the most outstanding in the start of the Corueses. By the final stages of the first quarter, the islanders had woken up to push the score to 13-15, with Pol Molins as the top scorer. From the three-point line, all attempts were unsuccessful in the first quarter. 0/2 for Menorca and 0/3 for Leyma. The horn is with 13-17.
The local captain, Diego Alderete, was the first to score from outside the 6.75. The match got stuck. The attacks became static. With two free throws from Alderete, one of the heroes of the promotion, Menorca restored an equality (17-17) that it had not witnessed since the first point and took the lead (19-17), making the score of Javier from Madrid count. Zamora. Epi asked to stop. In the middle of the second quarter, a triple by Clevin Hannah extended the local advantage to a lead of five, which was maintained until, at 24-19, a triple by Barrueta and a loss culminated by an illuminated Aleix Font returned Leyma to the lead. match (24-23) in a matter of seconds. From the fight until the break, it was worth highlighting the triples by Font and Alderete, top scorers, along with Hannah, with 11 points. Menorca, which had a victory in four games at the start, was able to take the game into a draw at half-time (31-31). A very different score than the last Leyma precedents.
The turning point came at the beginning of the third quarter. A triple by Jakovics, with an additional shot, due to Hannah’s foul, returned Leyma to its maximum advantage (31-37). Menorca went more than five minutes without scoring a point. It was a mirage. When he got excited, he returned the set and maintained his balance at the end of the quarter (43-43).
With a triple from Hannah, before the fourth foul was called, Menorca showed its teeth. He started to believe it. Added 14 offensive rebounds. Bad data for Leyma, unsuccessful in free throws (17/25). There was a long minute left in the game and Menorca was still ahead (52-49). The defenses were enlarged. With 18 seconds left, 54-51. Jakovics wanted overtime with a triple. I didn’t enter. And from the free kick, Menorca sentenced. Alderete was the top scorer. Lleida, next rival (Sunday, 8:00 p.m., La Liga +) for Leyma.
Diego Epifanio: We were not comfortable in a game with so few points
Leyma’s coach, Diego Epifanio, congratulated Menorca for the victory and acknowledged the difficulties his team went through during the match. There have been specific moments that have defined the game. On the rebound they have been better than us. We have not been at all comfortable in a game with so few points. We came from a series of matches in which we took very good shots and today we were not able to, they did not let us feel comfortable at any time, he admitted.
Alderete has gone a little off script, scoring many outside points, and not knowing how to maintain the fight on the rebound has conditioned us. There is no need to make excuses. They have been better, acknowledged the coach of the Corueses.
Technical sheet
Minorca: Yomi Kemayou (0), Hannah (16), Alderete (20), Paul Molins (8), Stoilov (1) — starting quintet — Grandison (3), Tomaic (2), lvaro Sanz (4), Arteaga (2). ), Kabir Lo, Pablo Surez and Lex Tamayo.
Motto: Jakovics (6), Huskic (1), Lundqvist (7), Barrueta (3) and Galan (5) —starting quintet—, Aris Petersen, Diagne (12), Aleix Font (16), McDonell (1).
PARTIAL: 13-17; 18-14; 12-12 and 13-8.
REFEREES: Lema Parga (Galician), Esteve Malmierca (Castilian-Leons) and Domingo Vilalta (Catalan). They excluded Barrueta.
INCIDENTS: Menorca-Mahn Pavilion. 5,000 spectators. Full.
#Leyma #shrinks #Menorca