Birutis in the paint, with 18 points and a 27 efficiency rating, and Jaworski from the perimeter, with 23 points and a 20 efficiency rating, were the main weapons for an Aragonese team in which as many as five players scored in double figures. Casademont, which continues to excite and show that it is capable of reaching important heights this season, now has a notable 3-1 record and remains among the league's top eight teams.
THE GAME
At a Príncipe Felipe hungry for victories and excited and hopeful about its revamped team, Casademont was looking to give its fans a win on the final day of the Fiestas del Pilar celebrations. To that end, Gonzalo García de Vitoria opted to start with a lineup consisting of Gabriel Olaseni, Trae Bell-Haynes, Miguel González, Robert Blumbergs and Justin Jaworski.
The latter was the first red-and-black protagonist of the game. The shooting guard opened the scoring and tallied Casademont's first eight points, including a spectacular three-pointer on which he also drew a foul. The Aragonese side thus took control of a matchup that, as expected given the opposition, adopted a frenetic pace, with Lleida showing no hesitation when attacking. In fact, McGhee, who closed the first quarter with a three-pointer from the center circle at the buzzer, gave the Catalan club its first lead of the game (22-23).
The second quarter was key to the red-and-black team's victory. Photo: ACBPhoto/Esther Casas
After returning to the court, García de Vitoria's team adjusted its schemes to produce an entertaining, collective brand of basketball in a Príncipe Felipe crowd that passionately backed its side. After opening the second period with a commanding 17-5 run that created the first significant gap in the game, the red-and-black team, with Birutis its main weapon in the paint and making the most of its three-point shooting, where it went 10-for-20, exploded offensively to reach 60 points at halftime, a mark it had achieved only twice more in its history (60-43).
SECOND HALF
After halftime, the script changed completely. Lleida started with greater intensity and, led by Mikel Sanz, opened the second half with a 16-7 run that tightened the score again, while Casademont, unlike in the second quarter, struggled to find the basket and committed several consecutive errors. Even so, with Homesley making an appearance and an inspired Bell-Haynes totaling eight assists, the Aragonese side responded to restore some distance. Nevertheless, two red-and-black mistakes in the closing moments of the third quarter allowed Lleida to remain in contention heading into the final 10 minutes (84-74).
In the decisive quarter, Casademont raised its defensive intensity and allowed Lleida just one basket and two free throws in almost five minutes of play. The red-and-black team took advantage of the favorable situation, using three-pointers from Jaworski and Brussino to reach 100 points and break open the game as it moved closer to victory. Even so, Lleida once again capitalized on several Casademont errors and cut the gap to 10 points with just under two minutes remaining. The Catalan surge was not enough to overturn the game, which Casademont ultimately won (109-98).
