As a result, the red-and-black side remains unbeaten with a 5-0 record and is the only team in the entire league competition yet to lose after Azulmarino fell at home to Hozono Global Jairis this round. Those numbers have left Cantero's team alone at the top, in an outstanding start for a squad that is dominating the league with a version far superior to that of its rivals.
Mariona was the game's best player, finishing with 23 valuation credits. Photo: Casademont Zaragoza
Captain Mariona Ortiz was the team's guiding light, recording 13 points, 9 assists and 4 rebounds for 23 valuation credits. The Catalan point guard's level has been outstanding at this stage of the season, while she was joined by an accurate Sheppard, who scored 15 points, and Helena Oma, who contributed at both ends of the court to finish with 12 valuation credits. Vitola also played her best game so far, adding 7 points and 6 rebounds in the 12 minutes she spent on the court.
THE GAME
Carlos Cantero sent out what was probably his strongest starting five in Salamanca, knowing that this was the toughest game of the league season so far, and opted for Mariona Ortiz, Aisha Sheppard, Ornella Bankolé, Nadia Fingall and Merritt Hempe in search of a fifth consecutive league victory.
The red-and-black side did not make the best start offensively, but once Mariona Ortiz rolled up her sleeves to organize her team, scoring 4 points and providing 3 assists, they built a 7-13 lead midway through the first quarter. Cantero's team led by as many as eight, but a more even scoring stretch late in the period saw them take a 13-20 lead into the first break. Casademont were not at their most dominant, but they maintained a level the Salamanca side could not match.
The next quarter was closely contested in every respect, with both teams scoring in bursts, although the red-and-black side benefited from continuing to hold a lead that fluctuated between five and nine points. Although Vitola's late three-point play, almost on the final possession, put the visitors 13 ahead, Soriano ran the floor and scored a layup, with some suspense, to send the game into halftime at 32-43.
SECOND HALF
Raquel Romo's team opened the third quarter with an inspired Johansson, who cut the deficit to five with two three-pointers. But Vorackova led the Aragonese side with several plays that showcased her quality, helping them open up a 0-7 run and restore a 12-point advantage.
Although the Salamanca side was in the bonus, Cantero's team failed to make full use of its free throws (14/20), leaving many points on the table that would have virtually put the game to bed. Raquel Romo's team took advantage of those misses to win the third quarter on its terms, reducing the red-and-black lead to eight (56-64).
In the final quarter, Bankolé emerged as the difference-maker, with the outstanding French player adding seven points to restore a 13-point lead with just over six minutes remaining. To close out the game, the duo that delights the Red Tide every matchday, Mariona and Hempe, stepped up to seal the contest and secure a fifth consecutive league victory.
GAME DETAILS
Meins Avenida (71): Claudia Soriano (6), Kennedy Brown (3), Sara Roumy (2), Stephanie Mawuli (16) and Rebeka Mikulasikova (12) -starting five- Marta Canella (6), Inés Santibáñez (4), Fassina (12), Elena Benito (-), Johansson (10) and Davinia Ángel (-).
Casademont Zaragoza (83): Mariona Ortiz (13), Aisha Sheppard (15), Ornella Bankolé (10), Nadia Fingall (6) and Merritt Hempe (10) -starting five- Veronika Vorackova (10), Laia Flores (1), Yarden Garzon (-), Helena Oma (8), Kristine Vitola (7), Nerea Hermosa (2) and Carla Brito (1).
Officials: Germán Morales Ruiz, Alejandro Aranzana García and Encarnación Hernández Cañaveras.
Quarter scores: 13-20/19-23/24-21/15-19.
Venue: Matchday 5 game in the Liga Femenina Endesa played at the Pabellón Würzburg Silvia Domínguez (Salamanca).
