Playoffs To Liga Femenina Spain

MOGUERZA REAL CANOE N.C. AND ARGON UNI GIRONA NEW LIGA FEMENINA TEAMS FOR NEXT SEASON

Last weekend two spots in the next season of Liga Femenina were on stake. The best four teams in the last edition of Liga Femenina 2 contended to be next season in the highest level in two games which lived up to the  expectations about how a Final should be.

MOGUERZA REAL CANOE N.C. – ARRANZ JOPISA BURGOS

Canoe got off to a strong start in the first minutes of the game, working patiently on its offense and making Burgos struggle to find good shots – in fact Radostina Dimitrova, one of the leading scorers of Burgos remained scoreless in the first quarter- and Canoe stayed in front in the first minutes, but Burgos mixed individual and zone defense in the second half of the quarter making good stops on Canoe and Guillermo Fernández team’s offense improved. Emily Heikes finally entered the game starting by scoring 5 straight points to make a comeback and put her team in front with less than three minutes remaining, 10-9, and then she scored four more points during the ensuing trade, finishing the first ten minutes with a levelled score, 14-14, after Christina Quaye put back a rebound.

Teams traded points four by four in the two first minutes of the quarter but then both them remained scoreless Turing three minutes until Christina Quaye put Canoe in front with 4:53 remaining for the break, 20-18, leading to a Burgos time out alter which Radostina Dimitrova finally entered the game by scoring back to back baskets and regain the lead for Burgos, 22-20. Teams traded baskets until the break then. Canoe struggled to acore because of the improved Burgos defense but in the offense Burgos wasn’t on target.

Mónica Jorge continued what Dimitrova started –she scored 6 pts in the quarter- by scoring four points in the last two minutes, while Mari Carmen Ruíz added five to keep Canoe in the game. Vanessa García levelled scores again wiht 30 seconds remaining alter a trick in a inbound pass which she made hit Anna Barthold’s back to enter the court and regain the ball to score, but in the last Burgos offense Mónica Jorge send her team to the interval leading 32-30.

After the break it was all about Trading again. Canoe switched to a zone defense which made Guillermo Fernández’s team struggle and Vanessa García warned Burgos about Canoe’s intentions regaining the lead for Canoe alter 1:30 with a three point play, 35-34, and two minutes and a half after thw young 19 year-old player hit the trey to put Canoe in front again, 41-39, leading to Burgos’ time-out, switching to zone defense, but young García had already sparked Madrid’s team and aftet the time out came Laura García and Mónica Garrido performance who, with 4 and 2 points respectively gave Canoe its first important lead, 46-39, wiht 4:20 remaining. Anna Barthold anb Emily Heikes scored four straight points to cut the deficit, 46-43, with 3:10 in the clock, but  Iván Tenés team fought back and reached the end of the third in front 51-47.

Emily Heikes made it a two point game for Burgos, 51-49. Canoe hit then Burgos. Christina Quaye had finally entered the game at the end of the tirad and startes and capped a 9-0 which put Canoe into double digit margin, 60-49, alter 3:30. Burgos didn’t give up and made a 6-0 run to make it, 60-55, but Christina Quaye answered inmediately scoring her tenth point of the game and Mónica Garrido made threepointer to make it 65-55 with 3:15 remaining leading to Burgos time out. Radostina Dimitrova scored after the stop but nothing could stop Canoe already and Mónica Garrido started and capped –from the perimeter- the definitive 7-0 run which brought back Madrid’s team to Liga Femenina four years after. Burgons didn’t give up anyway but time had run out. Marta Cobián closed the final scored the last basket of the game and for Burgos to make it the final 76-65.

For Moguerza Real Canoe N.C. Christina Quaye had 22 pts and 12 boards, Mónica Garrido added 16 pts and 5 boards, Laura García had 13 pts and Mari Carmen Díez 12.

For Arranz Jopisa Burgos Radostina Dimitrova had 14 pts, Emily Heikes 13 and Anna Barthold 10.

ARGON UNI GIRONA – UNB OBENASA NAVARRA

The first ten minutes were a constant trading. Girona looked to its inside reference Turing the Seaton: Astou Traoré, and Navarra did the same with Dace Cinite –which scored 8 and 6 pts respectively. Girona had a better balanced offense making the moves to give good balls to Astou Traoré and taking advantage of the rooms defense left while defeneding the Senegalese. Navarra struggled a little bit more in the offense but César Rupérez’s team quality didn’t let Girona put the game away. Girona saw one of its best players; Geisa Alini Campos, had to sit after picking up the second foul but her back up Zora Skrabalova did a good job and the team didn’t miss Geisa in exchange Navarra missed Kate Mills during the first quarter however the contest was close and Girona ended up the first quarter with a 4 point lead, 21-16.

Girona improved defense in the second, making better stops on Cinite and Mills and Anna Caula’s team dominated the quarter and having a biggest lead of 9 points three times during the quarter. The second –after a three point play from Berta Sinyol, who placed good the point- made it 31-22 and lead to Ruperez’s time out with 4:30 for the break.Girona continued its dominante but after Marta Xargay made it 33-24 Obenasa Navarra reacted and made a 6-2 run in the last two minutes to stay in the game, after a threepointer from Cecilia Liñeira which capped a previous three point play from Estitxu Ibarretxe, sending the game to the interval with Girona leading 35-30.

Navarra came out strong then. Its defense improved –César Rupérez mixed zone and one on one- and that improvement passed to the offense, were Kate Mills had Woken up finally and with Dace Cinite made a 10-4 run started by Edurne Ortega and in which Cinite and Mills scored four points apiece and regained the lead for Navarra after five minutes. Girona was knocked and Navarra took advantage. Edurne Ortega continued Cinite and Mills work scoring five straight points to make it 45-39. Geisa Alini Campos finjally cut the drought for Girona, 45-41, but Cinite and Mills answered putting Navarra eight points up, 49-41m with 30 seconds remaining, appearing then Marta Xargay from the perimeter go give some air to Girona wiht 19 seconds remaining, making it 49-44 to start the fourth.

And with  Astou Traoré on court you cannot give Girona any brath. The Senegalese came out strong and made a 6-0 run by herself to switch the lead again, 49-50, after 3:15. Cecilia Liñeira scored the trey after that and Edurne Ortega scored two more points to give some air to Navarra who regain the lead, 54-50, but Girona’s engine was on again and Geisa Alini Campos started an 8-0 run with a putback, capped by a threepointer from Anna Carbó and made it 58-54 to put Girona on track to Liga Femenina. Estitxu Ibarretxe scored two freebies in the next play to put Obenasa into two points, 58-56, but they won’t get any closer. Dace Cinite was fouled out and Navarra was in bonus from befote he half of the quarter, Girona took advantage of that and controlled the game. Anna Caula’s team had a 7 point lead with barely a minute, 65-58. Navarra kept its hopes after a Cecilia Liñeira’s threepointer that close the gap to, 61-65, and 35 seconds remaining, but they couldn’t go further and Girona close the score from the free throw line making it 69-61.

For UNB Obenasa Navarra Dace Cinite had 14 pts and Edurne Ortega and Kate Mills 10 points apiece.

For Argon UNI Girona Astou Traoré had 25 pts and 7 boards, Marta Xargay 12 pts and 5 rebounds, Anna Carbó 10 pts and Geisa Alini Campos 8 pts and 8 boards.  

MIQUEL BORDOY CANO