MADRID, 6 (EUROPE PRESS)
Lenovo Tenerife and BAXI Manresa will play this Sunday (20:00) the final of the FIBA Champions League, after beating Hapoel Holon (71-78) and Hapoel Holon this Friday at the start of the ‘Final Four’ in Bilbao. Ludwigsburg (55-63).
The Canarian team dominated their semifinal from start to finish, although they had to grit their teeth in the last quarter. The Bilbao Arena hosts the outcome of a competition of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) that in its first year, in 2017, the La Laguna team signed up.
Txus Vidorreta’s men will seek their second title thanks to the leadership of Marcelinho Huertas (17 points and 9 assists) and Giorgi Shermadini (14 points and 7 rebounds). Huertas was the director of the Canarian orchestra, much more choral and in tune than the rival’s from the first quarter (13-20).
The aurinegro team signed a complete game, well distributed already at halftime with the contribution of Fran Guerra or Sastre. The danger for Hapoel Holon was Menco and Ragland, but Huertas made sure that the third quarter was also for Tenerife (51-59). The Israeli side entered the last quarter with two three-pointers and Vidorreta’s men had to hit a stone to close the pass to the final.
A three-pointer by Menco put Holon ahead for the first time four minutes from time. Huertas and Shermadini, dominating under hoops, appeared again to leave the rival reaction on the shore and sentence the pass to the third FIBA Champions League final.
In the second semi-final the Spanish team also commanded and Manresa made history by reaching their first European final with a hard-fought guerrilla war and few baskets. Sima (15 points) and Moneke (13 points and 13 rebounds) carried the weight of a very physical game, with a lot of defense and little success in both.
Justin Simon (18 points) and Radebaugh were the best performers for the German team. Pedro Martínez’s team achieved their highest lead at the start of the last quarter (49-58). With the rebellious hoops on the outside shot, it turned out to be enough cushion for Manresa to be in their first continental final.
