Pérez shines with 40 points in Girona's thrashing

The Bàsquet Girona secured a resounding victory over Leyma Coruña with a score of 110-90, demonstrating offensive capability despite the absences that weakened their roster. The home team controlled the game at key moments and executed fluid basketball that allowed them to build a lead that proved decisive in the outcome.

Jassel Pérez, undisputed star

The standout figure of the match was undoubtedly Jassel Pérez, the Dominican forward who became the offensive cornerstone of the FIATC Girona. With 40 points scored in just 24 minutes of play, Pérez showcased high-quality basketball, particularly from the perimeter where he hit 9 out of 13 three-pointers. His contribution was crucial in the final quarter, where he scored 17 points with an impressive 5 of 5 in three-point attempts, allowing the Catalan team to seal the win definitively.

Alongside Pérez, N'Guessan was another pillar of the local attack, adding 19 points. Both players were responsible for 39 of the first 65 points scored by Girona, imposing their will at moments when the team needed to find offensive solutions.

A dominant second quarter

Fueled by the inspiration of Jassel Pérez, the locals extended their lead to 13 points in the second quarter (44-31), relying on a barrage of three-pointers that Leyma Coruña failed to defend adequately. The visiting team suffered penalties for turnovers and lack of accuracy from distance, which facilitated the dominance of Bàsquet Girona during that phase of the game.

However, the Coruña team did not give up. With George Conditt and Tomas Dimsa leading the visitor's resistance with ten points each, Leyma went into halftime trailing by only five points (53-48), keeping their options alive despite the strong start from the Catalans.

The third quarter, a turning point

The third period was particularly even. Uleckas, the guide of the visitor's attack with a total of 17 points, punished the locals while Paul Jorgensen managed to tie the game with a three-pointer (65-65). Leyma Coruña even took the lead in the middle of the third quarter (60-59), exploiting the rotation issues faced by the locals due to their four absences. The first visitor advantage since 6-7 came when Coruña finished the third period ahead (74-76) after a 0-8 run.

The visitor collapse in the final quarter

As the game appeared to be leaning towards the visitors, Bàsquet Girona reacted emphatically. Jassel Pérez, the best player on the court, knocked down three consecutive three-pointers and led a 14-0 run in the first three minutes of the last quarter (88-76). The visiting coach, Marco, had to call two timeouts and made five substitutions at once, but the match was already decided.

The local advantage increased progressively with a tremendous 36-14 run in the final period, which completely defined the match. The dominance was so evident that the final 110 points of FIATC Girona reflected a superiority that grew as the minutes progressed.

In terms of local contributions, besides the already mentioned Pérez and N'Guessan, Pluta added 11 points, Kunc had 7, and Geben chipped in with 9. For the visitors, Silins scored 16 points and Verge Jr added 12, though it was insufficient to stop the overwhelming Girona attack.

Valencia Basket dominates effortlessly

In Valencia, Valencia Basket displayed high-caliber basketball against UCAM Murcia, winning 116-93 in a match that was defined in the early stages. The taronja team had a great start, quickly taking a ten-point lead, and UCAM had to resort to a zone defense that proved ineffective.

With Cuban Rivero and Mirotic operating in the high post, Valencia neutralized the Murcia adjustments and widened the gap to double their opponent with a couple of three-pointers from the Montenegrin Mirotic (34-17 at the 12-minute mark). The visiting team lost hope against the local's defensive intensity, which they maintained throughout the game.

Rivero was particularly inspired, scoring 12 points in his first 8 minutes of play. The direction and flair of Cárdenas, along with Brooks' defensive work, overshadowed any attempt at a reaction from UCAM. Valencia reached halftime with a 22-point lead (58-36), with the flow of the game completely favoring the taronja side.

After the break, UCAM found no way out. Valencia continued to rotate Córbalán and Cárdenas to maintain intensity while Brooks found openings to score. The lead was nearing thirty points despite Ennis' efforts to carry the team on his back (76-49 at the 26-minute mark).

With the match seemingly decided, Steinbergs revived UCAM, closing the gap from 88-60 to 90-74 with a pair of three-pointers from Forrest. However, TJ Shorts quickly quelled that last Murcia attempt, pushing Valencia past the hundred-point mark to close out a comfortable victory without any trouble. Individually, TJ Shorts scored 16 points, Brooks added 16, Rivero tallied 20, and Mirotic got 15. For Murcia, Ennis was the top scorer with 28 points.

Zaragoza imposes authority

In Zaragoza, Casademont achieved a clear victory against iLERNA Lleida with a score of 109-98. The home team controlled the scoreboard from the second quarter onward, although the first was even with a three-pointer from Darius McGhee from midcourt (22-23).

Vives and Trae Bell-Haynes wowed the crowd with their plays in the second quarter, allowing Casademont to go up by 14 points (40-26). With Lleida looking very uncomfortable, they reached halftime with the locals in control (60-43). It’s worth noting that Casademont reached 60 points at halftime for the third time in their history.

The third quarter followed the same rhythm for the locals, although Lleida improved their defense. Sanz kept the Catalan team afloat, but with the locals in bonus and six minutes remaining, Lleida could not take advantage. Zacharie Perrin was very inaccurate at the free-throw line, while Mark Hughes tried to cut the deficit (84-74).

The last quarter energized Casademont, who employed a fast-paced game led by Laurynas Birutis and an active Nicolás Brussino. Both allowed the margin to reach 23 points (97-80). Brussino, with two three-pointers, helped the locals reach the century mark, but they stalled at that figure. Lleida, with their fast-paced possessions, managed to close in through Melvin Ejim and James Batemon, but the distance proved insurmountable. Justin Jaworski was the highest scorer for Zaragoza with 23 points, followed by Birutis with 18 and Vives with 14.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Pérez brilla con 40 puntos en la paliza del Girona