Mateo Díaz had the chance to win from the free throw line, but a last-second tip-in gave Ourense the victory
The game started with a somewhat flat feel. Both teams were inaccurate around the basket, leaving a score of 7-9 after nearly 6 minutes of play. The good news for Iñaki Martín's side was the absence of Sean McDonell, who picked up fouls early and spent the rest of the quarter on the bench.
The first quarter ended with a score of 17-19 for Moncho López's team, in what was a constant exchange of baskets between both squads. They also exchanged misses, especially from three-point range, where Fuenlabrada had poor accuracy with 1 of 10 shots made, while Ourense was scoreless from deep with 0 of 5. Michael Caicedo stood out with 6 points and 2 rebounds.
The second quarter started with Ourense pulling ahead of Fuenlabrada. They broke away with a 0-7 run against a Fuenlabrada team that again struggled to close out on the boards and lacked offensive ideas with the absences of Mateo Díaz and Vítor Benite, whom Iñaki Martín kept on the bench due to foul trouble.
In Fuenla's darkest moments, Iker Montero appeared as the team's only scorer, but it wasn't enough. The Ourense squad achieved a 23-30 lead that forced the home coach to call a timeout. The instructions from the bench had an effect: Fuenlabrada turned it around with a great Michael Caicedo, who reached 13 points to make it 29-30. Despite the home team's good run, they couldn't stay in the game down the stretch. Fuenlabrada's Partizan was heavily penalized by their poor outside shooting, going 2 of 16 from three. The first half ended 36-44.
The second half started with bad vibes for Iñaki's team, who gave up a 0-5 run. The bad feelings stopped when Benite hit a three-pointer and all hell broke loose. Mateo Díaz joined in, but especially Iván Cruz, who went on a three-point spree with two straight triples making four total. The home team got to 50-51, not only stringing together great shooting from beyond the arc but also playing great defense that kept Moncho López's team scoreless.
The good streak didn't last long: substitutions took their toll on Iñaki Martín's squad, who went from a comeback to falling behind by 10 points, 50-60. Fortunately for Fernando Martín fans, who were unhappy with the officiating, Vítor Benite appeared. Two three-pointers from the Brazilian in the final minutes energized the entire Fernando Martín crowd after cutting the deficit to 56-63.
The fourth quarter was a continuous exchange of leads on the scoreboard. Iñaki Martín's team was very focused on defense, with great minutes from Mateo Díaz and Bruno Cardoso, who was providing the muscle for the team. The home side managed to cut the gap after Javier Nicolau's ejection: 67-71. Fernando Martín erupted in euphoria on every Fuenla possession and deafened the arena on every defensive stand. The end of the game had a thrilling finish thanks to Mateo Díaz, who was responsible for giving his team the lead, 79-78, with two minutes remaining.
Despite losing the lead, Ourense didn't give up and went back ahead with an outstanding Leimanis, who hit two straight three-pointers to make it 80-84 with 40 seconds left. Against all odds, Mateo Díaz worked magic and managed to make it 83-84 and get to the free throw line for a chance at the lead. He missed the first and made the second, tying it at 84-84 with 12 seconds on the clock. Ourense, in a quick transition, scored a tip-in that sealed the game: 84-86.