Surne Bilbao kicked off the preseason with a convincing 103-81 victory over Alega Cantabria at the Polideportivo Emilio Amavisca in Laredo, a venue the Bilbao side visits regularly each summer. The opener delivered what teams seek in September: playing time for new players, game action, and no injury concerns.
A 22-0 run decided everything
The Cantabrians started strong, coming out with intensity and building a 20-11 lead thanks to sharp shooting from Kyler Jordan-Jenkins and physical play from Nwogbo in the paint. A 9-1 Bilbao run got them back on track, and Alega held on until 31-31, but then came the decisive moment: a 22-0 run that made it 51-31 at halftime.
In the second half, the men in black managed the game without taking risks, with constant rotations from head coach Jaume Ponsarnau to maintain high energy. The lead reached twenty-one by the end of the third quarter and never dropped. For Cantabria, Jenkins finished with 23 points and former ACB player Miha Lapornik added 21.
Darling's debut
The star of the afternoon was Nate Darling. The new Canadian shooting guard scored the first basket of the preseason and finished with 22 points, fourteen of them in the first half with excellent shooting percentages. He combines well with outside shooting and penetrations, and he connects effectively with the big men. He's not an explosive player, but he enters the paint with good decision-making and breaks down defenses.
Another standout was Tryggvi Hlinason, with 15 points and 8 rebounds, once again serving as the interior reference. Among the newcomers, Hustak impressed with two clean three-pointers despite his 2.11-meter frame, Vautier improved as the game went on and looks like a solid paint option, and Somogyi is still settling in. Duscak showed solid fundamentals as a third point guard, and Ansorregi, with his work rate and physicality, closed out the game with a three-pointer.
What the project looks like
Beyond the final score, which is irrelevant in a September friendly, it became clear where the team wants to go: high pace, many possessions, intensity, and versatile offense. There are still pieces to fit together and barely three weeks to do it, because the Liga Endesa starts before the month ends with a visit from Manresa.
The best stat, in any case, is the one that doesn't appear on the box score: no injuries. Frey gave a scare in the final seconds, but it doesn't appear to be serious.