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oct 25 2026The Argentine point guard was the game's MVP with a 34 rating after scoring 20 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists
The Fernando Martín arena roared back to life this Sunday in the fifth matchday Primera FEB game between Partizan Fuenlabrada and Basquet Menorca. A matchup that would prove crucial in determining the final standings position, as the loser would remain winless.
Iñaki Martín's team held the advantage of playing at home, plus they had two recent signings that elevated the squad's level: Iker Montero and Michael Caicedo. Especially the latter, who arrived after playing the season's start with Monbus Obradoiro in the ACB.
The day's first surprise came with Jonathan Zhao starting ahead of Vítor Benite. The decision was made to have a scorer in the second unit. The first quarter saw constant back-and-forth scoring from both teams. Javi Zamora's squad was led mainly by Hansel Atencia, with 7 points. On Iñaki Martín's side, Mateo Díaz was the team's best, with 6 points, 1 rebound, 3 assists and 1 steal. The recent addition Michael Caicedo also made a strong impact, debuting with 4 points, 1 rebound and 1 assist in the first quarter. The first half ended 23-24.
Poor start to the second quarter for the home team, who began with a 0-5 run. Despite the rough start, the crowd never stopped roaring, cheering their team and criticizing the referees' calls. Iván Cruz cut it close for his side with 4 points: 27-29. Michael Caicedo joined Iván's hot streak. At Fuenlabrada's best moment, the referees called a highly disputed foul on Caicedo, and the player received a technical: 33-39.
The first half ended 41-45, with Fuenlabrada struggling to stay in the game because they couldn't secure the rebound. Fuenla had 12 rebounds compared to Menorca's 21, with 9 offensive.
The second half brought a different face to Partizan Fuenlabrada. Iñaki Martín's team was much better defensively, especially closing out on the glass. Much of this was due to Michael Caicedo, who had a strong presence on both ends and was playing at a high level despite having only 2 practices with the team. Mateo Díaz and Vítor Benite also stood out, punishing Mahón's team from beyond the arc and mounting a comeback: 69-60. The Basque coach's halftime talk changed his team's face completely, finally showing their true level, closing out on the defensive glass and eliminating easy points in the paint. There was also great ball movement and more fluid offensive flow from Fuenlabrada.
At the start of the fourth quarter, Fuenlabrada struggled to maintain the pace against Menorca, who cut it to 78-74. Despite the negative run, the Fernando Martín crowd kept pushing and cheering. The support was reflected on the court with a three-pointer from Vítor Benite that made it 81-74 with 2 minutes left, which would define the result. After the Brazilian's basket, the home team grew and just kept scoring bucket after bucket. Menorca's Ordoñez picked up his fifth foul and was ejected along with Pol Figueras, who also had five personal fouls. With the entire Fernando Martín on its feet cheering, Fuenlabrada just kept growing and closed out their first win 90-76.
The team celebrated with the fans after Mateo hit a final three-pointer at the buzzer and went to celebrate with the Blues fan section. The game's MVP was Mateo Díaz, with a 34 rating after scoring 20 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists. Michael Caicedo's performance also deserves mention, as with only 2 practices, he played 26 minutes, scoring 14 points, grabbing 6 rebounds, 1 assist and 2 steals.
