The 20-9 and 18-6 scorelines in the second and third quarters speak for themselves regarding the level of this red-clad team, which is fully inspired at this stage of the season and knows nothing of defeat, aside from its opening loss to Valencia Basket in the Spanish Super Cup. In this kind of form, Cantero's side is very difficult to stop because every player knows her role and they function as a genuine team.
Brito produced her best game, contributing across all statistical categories. Photo: FIBA
The victory was once again a collective effort, with Mariona and Hempe recording the highest valuations with 15 and 12 credits, respectively. Carla Brito's performance also deserves special mention, as the Canary Islander posted 6 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals, showing that she can be very useful this season.
THE GAME
Knowing how important the game could be for the course of the EuroLeague, both in this phase and the next, Carlos Cantero fielded his strongest lineup against the Lithuanians: Mariona Ortiz, Aisha Sheppard, Veronika Vorackova, Nadia Fingall and Merritt Hempe.
The game began with the Lithuanians fully switched on, racing to a 0-6 run that forced Cantero to call a timeout, making it clear that things on the court were not going according to plan. However, the introduction of tireless Ornella Bankolé and a sharp Sheppard from beyond the arc turned the game around, leaving the score at 25-22 after the first 10 minutes.
After the restart, a 7-0 run gave the Aragonese side breathing room as they came out firing. Mariona and Hempe took over the game, and the lead continued to grow, ending with a superb basket from Carla Brito, outstanding in every aspect of the game, to make it a 14-point advantage at halftime (45-31).
It was a very serious defensive performance from the Aragonese team, which gave the revelation of this EuroLeague season barely any opportunities as it pursued a third straight win in the opening phase and began looking toward the Final Six.
SECOND HALF
The Baltic side had completely lost its way and scored just two points during more than half of the third quarter, allowing the red-clad team to move 21 points ahead thanks to three-pointers from Mariona and Vorackova. The game was breaking open, and Casademont did not ease off, sensing that it could finish the contest quickly.
That is exactly what Cantero's side did, extending its advantage through Sheppard and Vorackova, who were both highly inspired during this stretch. The lead reached 29 points, but the Lithuanians reduced the deficit with several baskets to leave the score at 63-37 with 10 minutes remaining.
The result was already beyond doubt, and the Aragonese side lowered its intensity. There was little left to the story beyond a few three-pointers from Garzón, who looked more confident from the perimeter, although the outcome had effectively been decided several minutes earlier in a comfortable, high-quality victory for Casademont Zaragoza.
GAME DETAILS
Casademont Zaragoza (77): Mariona Ortiz (7), Aisha Sheppard (16), Veronika Vorackova (11), Nadia Fingall (3) and Merritt Hempe (8) -starting five- Ornella Bankolé (8), Laia Flores (5), Yarden Garzon (8), Helena Oma (2), Kristine Vitola (3), Nerea Hermosa (-) and Carla Brito (6).
Kibirkstis Vilnius (55): Woolfolk (8), Zoe Wadoux (4), Sinickaite (8), Becker (17) and Use (4) -starting five- Labuckiene (-), Galvanauskaite (-), Meskonyte (8), Miknaite (2) and Paliaulyte (2).
Officials: Vlad Cotrobas-Dascalu, Jordan Wallet and Armin Mutapcic.
Quarter scores: 25-22/20-9/18-6/14-18.
Match information: EuroLeague game corresponding to Round 3, played at the Príncipe Felipe Sports Pavilion in Zaragoza.
