UCAM Murcia began the Basketball Champions League the same way it ended its last league game: winning and defending. Three days after defeating Barcelona in the Liga Endesa, Sito Alonso's team overwhelmed Itelyum Varese at the Palacio de los Deportes (85-58) in front of approximately 4,000 spectators. They won all four quarters and held the historic Italian side to 27% shooting with 16 turnovers.
A slow start and the first quarter
The game took time to get going. At the five-minute mark, the score was 5-5 and neither team found rhythm. UCAM Murcia was the first to accelerate: they tightened their defense, pushed the pace, and put together a run that took them to 16-7. The first quarter ended 16-8.
Defense opens the gap
In the second quarter, Varese completely stalled. Without easy shots and with every possession turning into a battle, the Italians managed just 14 points, and UCAM Murcia went into halftime with a 17-point lead (39-22), the largest of the half to that point. Dylan Ennis, the game's leading scorer with 16 points, kept pace with Hunter Hale, the only Varese player finding the basket consistently (17 points).
A 7-0 run seals the game
Varese came out of the locker room with renewed intent and cut it to 13 (43-30). It was their only real moment. UCAM Murcia responded with a 7-0 run that extended the lead to 20 (50-30), and the third quarter, the highest-scoring for the home team (27-20), left the score at 66-42 with ten minutes remaining.
The fourth quarter was used to distribute playing time. Sito Alonso gave minutes to his entire rotation and all twelve Murcia players who took the court were involved in the game. The largest lead came at the final buzzer: 85-58, a 27-point victory.
A balanced attack
Behind Ennis, UCAM Murcia spread the scoring: Radebaugh added 11 points, Pansa 10, and Juani Marcos, in the matchup of Argentines against Mauro Villa, finished with 9 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists. Eight Murcia players scored five points or more.