Monbus Obradoiro claimed their second preseason friendly with a 77-96 victory over Asisa Joventut at the Palacio de Deportes de La Guía in the Gijón Tournament. The Santiago-based side proved superior in shooting accuracy and, especially, physical play against a rival in their early preparation stages.
How the Win Came About
The start wasn't ideal for Diego Epifanio's squad. Penya came out sharp on offense and closed a high-scoring first quarter leading 28-24. From there, Obradoiro corrected course: they turned the score around before halftime (40-43) and maintained control in the second half, breaking the game open early in the fourth quarter with a 60-77 run that left Joventut without answers to mount a comeback.
Dani Miret debuted on the bench with a starting five featuring Ricky Rubio, Humbert Ruiz, Álex Reyes, Adrián Torres, and Pol Saló. Boogie Ellis was by far Joventut's best performer, with 18 points, 13 of them already in the first half. Adrián Torres and Rubio himself each added seven by halftime.
Obradoiro's Context
The result carries extra weight given the starting point. Obradoiro enters this preseason as a newly promoted team, having won the Primera FEB championship last season, and began training on August 10 with an incomplete roster due to international commitments from several players. Beating a Liga Endesa team, and doing so by nineteen points, is a strong endorsement during this preparation phase.
Preparation continues with the most anticipated date on the Galician calendar: the Copa Galicia, taking place in Santiago on September 5 and 6, with a semifinal against Río Breogán. After that comes the EncestaRías Tournament, facing Valencia Basket, and the finale against Unicaja Málaga on September 20 at the Multiusos Fontes do Sar.