Valencia Basket earns its second win in the LF Endesa with a hard-fought victory (73-74)

Valencia Basket secured a hard-fought victory in the third round of the LF Endesa against Cadí la Seu. The match, marked by the defensive intensity of the Lleida team, forced Valencia Basket to work hard for the win, which was not secured until the final moments. A team effort, led by Iagupova with 16 points, was the key factor in securing a victory that puts the Taronja at 2-1 in the standings.

The Taronja team took to the court at the Palau Municipal d'Esports with Marija Lekovic, Queralt Casas, Alina Iagupova, María Araújo, and Kayla Alexander. In a tight start to the game, Kayla Alexander managed to break through the Catalan defense, scoring Valencia Basket's first 6 points of the game.  From the free throw line, she increased the lead, but the active defense of the home team allowed them to close the gap and forced Rubén Burgos to call a timeout after scoring 5 consecutive points that cut the lead to 4. After that, the Valencian team rallied again and increased their lead to 8 points, leaving the score at 15-23 at the end of the first quarter after a good mid-range shot by Leticia Romero.

Cadí La Seu started the second quarter with greater accuracy. Niare, Werth, and Gonzales scored five consecutive points to reduce the gap (20-23). The Taronja had to wait until 5:52 to score again through Alexander, who ended the quarter with 10 points and 5 rebounds as the most outstanding player, putting them 5 points ahead. An exchange of points between effective counterattacks by the Catalans and free throws by the Valencians kept the difference while adding points to the scoreboard. Tanaya Atkinson's free throws made it 33-37 at the end of the first half.

In the second half, it was the home team that got off to a better start. An 8-0 run turned the score around, making it 41-37. Romero broke the negative streak with a three-pointer, but it did not slow down Lleida's scoring pace. Three free throws by Rodríguez and a three-pointer by Raventós stretched the home team's lead, but in response, two consecutive three-pointers by Alina Iagupova and a basket by María Araújo brought the Taronja closer, putting them back within just 3 points (51-48). A three-pointer by Ben Abdelkader at the buzzer tied the game at the end of the third quarter, leaving the score at 53-53 and everything to be decided.

From the 6.75 line, Marta Morales opened the scoring in the final quarter, to which Romero responded with another three-pointer to level the contest once again. Raquel Carrera, with another outside shot, put Valencia Basket ahead, but Gonzales kept the score even. Both teams tried to catch their breath, and Iagopuva, with 14 points to her name, tied the game again from outside. Alexander, from the free throw line, put the visitors back in front (66-68), but two baskets after offensive rebounds by the Catalans turned the game around again (70-68). Free throws by Araújo and Carrera kept the crowd on the edge of their seats with less than a minute left in the game and kept the score tied. A decisive steal by Raquel Carrera and a drive by Queralt Casas put the Taronja ahead with 10 seconds left. Gonzales scored one of two from the free throw line after a foul by Raquel, but on the rebound, another foul gave the Catalans the last possession of the game with 1 second left. Laia Raventós tried to score, but the good defense of the Taronja team sealed the basket and the result at 73-74. Valencia Basket thus secured its second victory of the season in the LF Endesa.