For an hour and a half, Baxi Ferrol did what was expected of a defending champion playing at home: hold on. For an hour and a half, Durán Maquinaria Ensino couldn't find a way to break away. Until they did, suddenly, in the third quarter, and the final was decided in five minutes. 91-79 and a sixth Galicia Cup for the Lugo team.
A back-and-forth first half
The start was balanced, with Kristin Williams punishing from mid-range to keep Ensino ahead (8-9). Then the home team woke up: Sydney Shaw organized the offense, scored five straight points and Baxi put together a 0-10 run that turned the game around (8-14).
Ensino didn't take long to respond, with both Williams—Kristin from outside, Priscill near the basket—bringing the team back to a tie (18-18). The first quarter closed at 29-31 and the second unfolded the same way: Baxi unwilling to relinquish control, Shaw as the reference point, and the Lugo players always within striking distance without taking the lead. At halftime, 52-54.
Five minutes that won a title
What changed the game was the outside shooting after the break. Four consecutive three-pointers from Vilaró dismantled Ferrol's defense and an inside basket from Nhug Bosch put Ensino ahead (67-63) with less than four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.
From there, everything went their way. The Lugo zone defense started contesting rival shots, the lead grew to thirteen points (78-65) and Zoe Hernández established herself in the paint. Baxi had no answer and the final period only served to round out the 91-79 final.
What the result says
Kristin Williams was the game's leading scorer with 22 points and earned the Final MVP. Vilaró finished with 15 points on 4-of-8 from three-point range, Zoe Hernández added 12 and Mama Dembele, 11.
The detail that adds extra merit is the timing on the calendar. Suso Garrido had warned this week that his roster is still "under construction" and that the team has barely been able to practice in this just-started preseason. Still, Ensino arrived physically fresher in the final stretch, which is where the title was decided.
For defending champion Baxi Ferrol, Sydney Shaw and Claire Melia each scored 14 points and Margaret Doogan added 12.