Bitter Ending for Fuenlabrada Despite Dominating Performance Behind Strong Alex Renfroe, 83-79

Flexicar Fuenlabrada made several adjustments following Friday's heavy defeat. With Benite absent, the head coach started Alex Renfroe at point guard in place of Mateo Díaz, something we haven't seen all season.

Academy product Bruno Vidarte also played several minutes to add depth. The changes seemed to work, with Fuenlabrada's Renfroe orchestrating the offense and a strong 2-3 zone defense giving the visitors a commanding 16-23 lead in the first quarter.

In the second quarter, Fuenlabrada maintained its good form, starting 24-34. They continued with suffocating defense forcing turnovers from their opponents (9) and Prince Ali was their offensive engine, finally getting good looks today. Despite Fuenlabrada's strong pace, Súper Agropal Palencia took the lead with several consecutive three-pointers and free throws. When the home team mounted their run, Fuenlabrada's orchestrator Alex Renfroe appeared with seven points in the quarter to tie it up. The teams went into halftime deadlocked 45-45 on the scoreboard, accompanied by loud whistles directed at the referees from the entire Caldera de Castilla crowd.

The second half brought sparse scoring from both teams, who were inaccurate, 50-50. Fuenlabrada took the lead heading into the fourth quarter 56-62 thanks to a strong performance from Alex Renfroe. Despite the visitors' advantage, the main protagonist of this quarter was the referees. Both benches complained about the officials' calls, and the crowd responded with shouts and whistles.

The fourth quarter opened with an exchange of three-pointers reflecting the tightness in the final minutes. The crowd got into the game, cheering their team and serving as a sixth man. Midway through the quarter the score stood at 69-70, and Fuenlabrada was running out of gas—fatigue was setting in for the visiting team as their intensity dropped. Problems mounted for Iñaki Martín's squad with several players picking up their fourth fouls and finishing the game on the bench. The home team capitalized on this, led by Josip Vrankic with 17 points and 10 rebounds. They were able to match the Canadian with Alex Renfroe in the mismatch to steer toward victory. The final stretch of the game featured tactical adjustments from both coaches. A thrilling finish ensued after several Fuenlabrada turnovers that gave Súper Agropal Palencia the victory 83-79.