MURCIA - UCAM Murcia solidified third place in the Liga Endesa with a dominant victory over Surne Bilbao 100-81, built on strong defense and exceptional three-point shooting under coach Sito Alonso.
The hosts went 16 of 31 (52%) from three-point range, a display that left little room for a Basque side that dominated the opening fifteen minutes and held on as long as it could thanks to a stellar Hlinason, before collapsing definitively in the fourth quarter.
Martin (5-6 from three) and Radebaugh (4-8) led the offensive firepower for the Murcia squad, with De Julius (18 points and 7 assists) and Saint-Ross (14) making notable contributions to extend a lead that also allowed the university team to recover the head-to-head advantage over Surne Bilbao, who had won by 14 at Miribilla.
For Jaume Ponsarnau's side, after his 36 points in Andorra, the scoring drought from Jaworski was notable, and aside from Hlinason's solid performance (16 points and 8 rebounds), Hilliard's 18 points stood out despite being too inconsistent.
The game started with high intensity. A three-pointer from Hilliard put Surne Bilbao ahead, and they would maintain the lead until midway through the second quarter against a UCAM Murcia team that consistently relied on the three-ball.
https://youtu.be/Kl3j6bJBNeU?si=WXiTCzHy4HSWmkB2
The 13-19 score after a dunk by Bagayoko (7th minute) prompted frustration and Sito Alonso's first timeout, but the visitors maintained their composure until reaching a maximum lead of +7 (15-22), which Nakic cut to just one at the buzzer.
In the second quarter, the Bilbao side, with a solid Normantas, held firm, but UCAM's three-pointers prevented the gap from widening. The hosts stepped up their defensive intensity and first De Julius, then a hot Radebaugh, turned the scoreboard around (42-29, 16th minute).
It seemed like the moment for the Murcia squad, but Surne Bilbao kept its composure and weathered the storm, taking advantage of free throws and Hlinason's solidity in the paint to reach halftime with a tight 49-47.
In the second half, the game remained close, but from 57-57 (25th minute) onward, Murcia made its decisive push with three consecutive three-pointers from Martin, Saint-Ross, and De Julius. The disqualification of Krampelj following a hard flagrant foul and a technical on the Slovenian cut short any comeback attempt by a Surne Bilbao without answers.
The final ten minutes began with a back-and-forth, but the hosts came out on top and, even with the head-to-head advantage secured, didn't ease up, likely thinking about a potential FIBA Europe Cup final that could pit these two teams against each other in a month.
100 - UCAM Murcia (22+27+21+30): De Julius (18), Saint-Ross (14), Radebaugh (16), Martin (18), Cate (2) -starting five- Cacock (10), Forrest (9), Martínez (-), Falk (2), Ennis (5), and Nakic (6).
81 - Surne Bilbao (25+22+16+18): Pantzar (11), Jaworski (4), Hilliard (18), Petrasek (-), Hlinason (16) -starting five- Normantas (11), Krampelj (5), Bagayoko (8), Sylla (-), Font (2), and Lazarevic (6).