Alter Enersun Al-Qázeres wins an irregular duel against NB Paterna

A block by Sara Zaragoza on a drive to the basket by Inja Butina secured an important home win for Alter Enersun Al-Qázeres 62-60 over NB Paterna. The action, with still four points difference, took place with 18 seconds to go. Even so, the host team lost the ball in the following attack and Isabel Martín enjoyed three free throws with two tenths in the clock that raised questions, but she missed the first, which was decisive for Jesús Sánchez’s pupils to get the tenth victory and catch up with their rival in the standings.

The local team did not put on a good staging, as it was difficult for them to combat the high pace imposed by their rival. In fact, he tried to use the same weapons, but this was precipitated in the actions, which involved several losses, especially in the host ranks. The reaction came in the final stretch of the first act, which allowed the team from Cáceres to be ahead on the scoreboard for the first time (21-19).

The ups and downs of the clash and the continuous errors returned the lead to NB Paterna (25-26, min. 15), but, after a timeout requested by Jesús Sánchez, the confrontation changed. Alter Enersun Al-Qázeres endorsed a 6-0 run in just over 40 seconds, thanks to two triples in a row by Mabel Galiana, they returned the initiative on the scoreboard to the local team, which came into the break with a lead of seven points (36- 29).

The host team kept the distance at the beginning of the third quarter, but their rival adjusted on defense. This meant that the match was tightened and the difference was cut to one point (42-41, min. 26) after a triple by Butina. The answer came from Vujacic, from the perimeter, with 3:41 still ahead. The annotation was scarce, which allowed entering the decisive stretch of the game with four points away (47-43) favorable to the local squad.

The last act was one of variable emotions. The team from Cáceres commanded the scoreboard but the distances ranged between two and nine points, the maximum income (61-52, min. 36). Then the nerves kicked in. The host side did not score any more until Conchi Satorre hit the second free throw with 13 seconds to go, with NB Paterna already within three-point range, which sealed the win.