FIATC Girona defeated Cheshire Phoenix 93-77 in Platja d'Aro in the first preseason friendly of a preparation period that carries more weight than usual this year: Moncho Fernández's squad faces its debut season in European competition, the FIBA Europe Cup.
A 19-7 run that broke the game open
The start was even (23-26 at the end of the first quarter and 31-31 past the fifteen-minute mark), but Girona found their rhythm before halftime with a 19-7 run that made it 50-38. The Catalan streak extended to a dominant 45-21 run, which put the score at 76-52 at the end of the third quarter. The final period allowed the English squad to improve the scoreline.
Lithuanian center Martinas Geben led all scorers with 16 points in just 13 minutes of play. He was followed by McClung and Sergi Martínez with 11 each, and Pep Busquets and Whittaker with 10.
McClung's first game in Europe
The highlight of the afternoon, beyond the result, was Mac McClung's debut in a Girona jersey. The 27-year-old, 6'3" point guard-shooting guard from Gate City is the summer's most high-profile signing in the Liga Endesa: three-time consecutive NBA All-Star Dunk Contest champion (2023, 2024, and 2025), two-time G League MVP, and the all-time leading scorer in that competition since March of this year.
His numbers in the development league are undeniable: last season he averaged 29.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 7.6 assists in 40 games with the Windy City Bulls, for a 28.6 efficiency rating. The question—the only one—is the perennial one with this profile: how a G League dominator translates his game to European basketball, which he has never played, with fewer possessions, more contact, and a different way of defending the pick-and-roll. Eleven points in an August preseason game proves nothing, but the process has already begun.
Stanley Whittaker also made his debut, another addition to a deeply revamped roster that aims higher this year: the project led by Marc Gasol wants to compete for the Copa del Rey and a playoff spot, in addition to competing in its first continental adventure.