In addition, the victory came with the return of three important players. Mariona Ortiz, Helena Oma and Veronika Vorackova all returned to action with the team and the three left a positive impression, especially the red-clad captain and the Czech forward, who showed from the outset that they have returned in excellent shape after an intense summer competing with their national teams at the World Cup.
Above all, however, Kristine Vitola was the game’s standout player thanks to her versatility and scoring ability. Playing at power forward, the Latvian contributed on offense with points and offensive rebounds, as well as on defense. Yarden Garzon also stood out at key moments, showcasing her ability to punish opponents from the perimeter.
THE GAME
With three key players back in Mariona, Oma and Vorackova, and ten first-team players available, Casademont raised the level of its preseason in its second warm-up game by facing the reigning Greek league and cup champions and current EuroCup runners-up. Cantero therefore opted to start with a lineup of Laia Flores, Aisha Sheppard, Veronika Vorackova, Kristine Vitola and Nerea Hermosa.
With those players on court, both teams started the game struggling, unable to find their range from the perimeter and instead making use of drives and the paint to score. For the Aragonese side, Vitola, playing at power forward, took advantage of her height and shooting touch to score seven of the team’s first 11 points, giving the red-clad side the early initiative. The opening quarter ended with two outstanding baskets from the talented Mariona Ortiz, who had received a huge ovation when she first stepped onto the court in the Cinco Villas town (15-12).
After play resumed, and as is common in preseason, both Casademont and Athinaikos continued to struggle to score, turning the game into a frantic end-to-end contest with few stoppages and too much hurried play. The Greeks took advantage of the situation to put together a 0-6 run and tie the game, prompting Cantero to call a timeout to speak to his players. After the stoppage, several good plays from a Vorackova returning in outstanding form and from Sheppard, who made her presence felt with a three-pointer to close the first half, put Casademont back in front at the break in a low-scoring game (29-27).
THE SURGE
After halftime, Casademont stepped up and began scoring more consistently, putting together an opening 11-4 run with a physically imposing lineup featuring Mariona at point guard, Garzon at small forward and Vitola at power forward. Two consecutive three-pointers from Oma and Garzon extended the red-clad side’s lead to 16 points. In the closing stages, an all-around Vitola, who was enjoying an outstanding game and displaying a wide range of skills, added 11 points to her tally to cap a dominant third quarter in which Casademont broke the game open with a 23-8 overall run (52-35).
In the deciding quarter, Athinaikos had not said its final word and moved closer on the scoreboard with an opening 2-10 run. Another good play from Vitola and a reliable perimeter basket from Garzon failed to halt the Greek team’s response, as a new 3-9 run brought them within seven and forced Cantero to stop the game. Even so, the limited time remaining, together with several baskets and free throws from the Aragonese side, prevented Athinaikos from fully contesting a victory that went to Casademont, who secured their first win of the preseason (66-58).
