Fontajau remains a fortress. FIATC Girona won their fourth home game of the season against Surne Bilbao, who led for most of the game, made more three-pointers and grabbed more rebounds, but lost the game at the free throw line. Moncho Fernández's team improves to 4-3 and ties Jaume Ponsarnau's squad in the standings.
Bilbao leads for three quarters
Bilbao started strong, with outside accuracy from Darius Hilliard and Nico Darling, and won the first quarter 19-25. Girona responded in the second quarter with McClung and Augustin Pluta, strung together a 27-19 run and went into halftime up two points (46-44).
The third quarter belonged to Bilbao again, who took the lead (66-67) thanks to the work of Tryggvi Hlinason in the paint. The Icelandic center finished with 12 rebounds and 26 in efficiency rating, the highest of the game, and helped his team win the rebounding battle 40-33.
The final quarter, decided at the free throw line
The game was decided in the fourth quarter, and not from three-point range, but from the free throw line. Girona was more aggressive on offense, lived at the free throw line and didn't miss: Geben made all five of his attempts and the team finished with 85% accuracy. With that 26-20 fourth quarter, Girona took home a game in which Bilbao made 14 three-pointers, but missed ten free throws.
Hilliard was the game's leading scorer with 24 points and 5 three-pointers, and Darling added 21. For Girona, McClung and Geben were joined by Jassel Pérez (13), who played despite arriving as questionable, and Pluta (12). Isaac Vázquez made his season debut with 4 points in eight minutes.