Valencia Basket moves closer to the Liga final
The ‘taronja’ team puts La Laguna Tenerife on the ropes after taking a 2-0 lead at the Fonteta
Valencia Basket defeated La Laguna Tenerife (105-74) on Thursday in the second game of the Liga Endesa semifinal playoffs held at the Fuente de San Luis Pavilion, showcasing their perimeter game with 16 three-pointers and moving one step closer to the final.
Led by Jean Montero’s 20 points, Pedro Martínez’s team dominated from the beginning, leaving no chance for the aurinegro team. With a 55-35 lead at halftime, Marcelinho Huertas tried to spark La Laguna’s offense, but the ‘taronja’ artillery made the second half one-sided, increasing their lead.
After focusing on inside play on Tuesday, Valencia rediscovered their three-point shooting, with Montero shining in the first quarter. The Canarian team struggled to score, with only four players contributing in the first half. Bruno Fitipaldo and Lluís Costa tried to ignite the visitors’ offense, but they couldn’t maintain their defense against Vidorreta’s team.
Valencia took advantage of La Laguna’s defensive lapses, with strong performances from Nate Sestina, Brancou Badio, and newcomer Joel Soriano. Huertas tried to rally in the second half, but Valencia continued to score at a high rate.
Back-to-back three-pointers from Matt Costello, Sestina, and Montero put the game out of reach midway through the third quarter (71-46). Despite Costa’s efforts, both teams, except for Chris Jones’ individual plays, were already thinking about the third game.
Pedro Martínez’s return to Valencia, the architect of the 2017 Liga victory, adds to the ‘taronja’ team’s hopes of reaching the final again with outstanding performances. La Laguna, in their second semifinal appearance after 2021, will need to rely on Santiago Martín and their strong season to find some joy.
TECHNICAL INFO.
–RESULT: VALENCIA BASKET, 105 – LA LAGUNA TENERIFE, 74. (55-35 at halftime).
–TEAMS.
VALENCIA BASKET: Badio (7), Montero (20), Ojeleye (3), Pradilla (9), Reuvers (4) –starting lineup–; De Larrea (6), Puerto (2), Jones (10), López-Arostegui (9), Sestina (12), Soriano (11), Costello (12).
LA LAGUNA TENERIFE: Huertas (8), Fitipaldo (22), Scrubb (7), Doornekamp (-), Morin (7) –starting lineup–; Shermadini (-), Kostadinov (2), Abromaitis (2), Fernández (-), Drell (7), Costa (19), Sastre (-).
–QUARTER SCORES: 23-10, 32-25, 20-22, 30-17.
–REFEREES: Peruga, Jiménez, and Oyón. No players ejected.
–VENUE: La Fonteta.
