Girona opened its Liga Endesa campaign with an ugly win. The team defeated UCAM Murcia 84-77 at Fontajau after three quarters of widespread inaccuracy and a final period where it found its rhythm, with Jassel Pérez leading the way: 20 points, nine rebounds, and a 30 rating.
A first half of shared mistakes
UCAM came out with its four signings in the starting lineup—Juani Marcos, a former Girona player, Souley Boum, Marcis Steinbergs, and Jean-Marc Pansa—and threatened to run away (9-14). The team lost its accuracy suddenly and the home side responded with a 13-2 run to close the first quarter at 22-16, with a three-pointer from Mac McClung.
Girona's lead reached eight points after another powerful display from Pérez (26-18), but UCAM took advantage of the home team's inaccuracy with a 0-7 run from Michael Forrest to tie it at 28-28.
The numbers from that first half explain the game: Girona shot 2 of 11 from three-point range and 4 of 17 from the field in the second quarter alone. It went into halftime leading 36-33 only because Murcia's numbers were even worse.
A third quarter without accuracy
UCAM took a step forward after the break with a 3-12 run led by Boum and Nakic for its largest lead (39-45), which forced Moncho Fernández to call a timeout.
Girona went more than eighteen minutes without hitting a three-pointer and shot 2 of 6 from the free-throw line in that stretch. Even so, the inaccuracy was so mutual that the score remained tight: a three-pointer from Stanley Whittaker at the buzzer left it at 52-52.
The 11-0 run that decided it
The visitors tried once more (58-63), but Girona responded just when things looked worst with an 11-0 run that turned the game around with four minutes remaining.
Forrest tied it with his third three-pointer, and then Pérez appeared with another from deep range at the shot-clock buzzer. Martinas Geben made it 76-70 with ninety seconds left and the game was decided.
The final quarter ended 32-25, which explains the outcome.
The numbers
Pérez was the game's best player with 20 points, nine rebounds, and a 30 rating. Whittaker added 19, and McClung and Geben 11 each.
For UCAM, Boum had 18, Forrest 15, and Cate 10, in a very sluggish game for Sito Alonso's team: 25 of 74 from the field, a 34 percent clip.