Leyma Coruña regains glory after thirty years

The Leyma Coruña has written a new chapter in its history by conquering the Copa Galicia, returning to the top after thirty years of waiting. The victory against Río Breogán, with a score of 102-93, represents much more than just a trophy: it is the confirmation of an ambitious project that is beginning to show its fruits in the final stretch of summer. 

The match, held at the Fontes do Sar, left little room for doubt from the very beginning, with the Coruña team progressively imposing themselves and managing to establish a twenty-five-point lead on the scoreboard.

Dominance from the start

From the first moments, Leyma Coruña set the pace of a game that would be decided sooner than many expected. Alonzo Verge attacked the paint with determination from the first minute, forcing Breogán to respond from the perimeter. The Lucenses quickly reacted with seven consecutive points from Danko Brankovic, momentarily tightening the score. However, George Conditt quickly re-engaged his teammates, and the collaboration between Guillem Jou, Verge, Dmytro Skapintsev, and Tomas Dimsa allowed them to finish the first quarter with a 25-20 lead for the Coruña team.

The second period was the one of decisive takeoff. Lukas Uleckas, who had remained discreet in the initial moments, got into the game following the restart and began to bombard from three-point range alongside Dimsa, bringing the score to 31-20. The partnership between Verge and Conditt was particularly effective, raising the lead to 36-23 and forcing Luis Casimiro, coach of Breogán, to call a timeout. The Lucenses reduced the difference to ten points (40-30), but a three-pointer from Caio Pacheco and a basket with a foul from Uleckas left the score at 48-37 at halftime, with Leyma clearly in control.

The verdict in the third quarter

The second half began with a clear intention from the Coruña team to close out the game. Paul Jorgensen opened the scoring in the third quarter, and Verge starred in the play of the game: a three-pointer launched from very far while falling, including a foul, which he completed by also scoring from the free-throw line. Four points in a single possession for 54-39, a psychological blow that demonstrated the superiority of the Coruña team.

From that moment on, the game became an unstoppable roller. Dídac Cuevas and Jou took charge of the offensive play, while Jorgensen strung together his best minutes of the afternoon. The lead soared to 72-50, a score that reflected Leyma's dominance. Conditt registered a couple of blocks that energized the crowd, showcasing his defensive impact, and Skapintsev reached ten personal points for 77-58, consolidating Coruña's superiority.

Management of the final stretch

In the final quarter, Paul Jorgensen emerged definitively as a key figure, taking control of the game and leading his team to 90-65 with the help of Conditt, Verge, and Skapintsev. Leyma surpassed one hundred points with a dunk from Conditt that sealed the victory almost mathematically. Although Breogán tightened the game in the last moments, the gap was already completely insurmountable, allowing the Coruña team to manage the closing minutes without difficulty.

The dominance was so evident that the maximum lead of twenty-five points faithfully reflected the superiority displayed by the team from Costa da Morte. With three weeks until the start of the league competition, this final has served as a thermometer to assess the physical and mental state of the teams on the eve of the real test.

Future readings for Leyma

Beyond the trophy lifted at the Fontes do Sar, the final has left valuable conclusions for the Coruña project. Alonzo Verge was named the best player of the tournament, consolidating his position as a central figure of the team. His versatility, offensive capability, and leadership on the court position him as the catalyst of the project in the ACB for the upcoming seasons. Verge is on his way to becoming the indisputable reference of a squad that aims to compete in the top tier of Spanish basketball.

Equally significant has been the performance of two of the new arrivals, George Conditt and Dmytro Skapintsev, who began to find their rhythm precisely in the match that most resembled real competition. This detail is not minor: both, along with Silins, were the interior absences that left Leyma with only two available pivots in the friendly match in Palencia played a week ago. With them fully operational on the court, the team acquires a completely different dimension, especially in interior play and zone defense.

The inclusion of players like Conditt has proven to be a good decision, providing suffocating defense, rebounding, and presence in the paint. Skapintsev, for his part, has begun to find his rhythm post-travel and initial adjustment, showing capability to score and defend in his area. These two players, along with Verge and the rest of the squad, make up a team that arrives at the ACB League with real arguments to compete.

For Río Breogán, the result represents the first stumble of the summer after three consecutive victories against notable rivals such as Sporting de Portugal, Real Madrid, and KK Mega Basket. The defeat in the Galician final serves as a reference that the path to the regular season requires adjustments and greater cohesion, especially in moments of competitive pressure.

Leyma Básquet Coruña thus concludes a successful preseason with a title that boosts the morale of the group and projects an image of solidity for the upcoming commitments. The Copa Galicia 2024 will remain in memory as the turning point of a season that is just beginning.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, El Leyma Coruña recupera gloria tras treinta años