Matt Costello shines with 18 points as Valencia regains momentum and moves into a tie for second place
Valencia bounces back with statement win over Baskonia
Izveštaji utakmica
3 Min čitanja
Regular Season
Round 18 of 38
Regular Season
Valencia BasketVBC
9181
Kosner Baskonia Vitoria-GasteizKBA
Overview
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“To get a win in EuroLeague means so much,” stated Matt Costello, moments after his Valencia Basket team overcame Kosner Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz, 91-81. “ We’re fighting for something here and it takes every single game. We dropped a couple that I think we could’ve got, so we needed this one.”
The win saw Valencia bounce back from a potentially demoralizing loss. Last week, Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv ended Valencia’s five-game winning streak, so Las Taronjas returned to the Roig Arena with a point to prove in this rivalry match-up. Valencia did exactly that, earning the win to improve its record to 12-6 and climb into a tie for second place in the standings.
After a slow start for both teams offensively, Pedro Martinez’s men let it fly from beyond the arc to open up an early double-digit advantage. Swarming the visitors and capitalizing on their errors, the hosts calmly tightened their grip over the contest as it continued to develop.
Late in the third, Baskonia came back swinging, staying within touching distance and eventually putting together a run in the final frame to reduce the deficit to single figures. It was too little, too late, however, and Valencia steadied the ship in the final minutes to secure the 10-point win.
Costello played the starring role, adding 6 boards to his 18-point scoring display and making 3 of his 4 shots from beyond the arc. His presence was felt throughout the clash, making multiple hustle plays and showing clear signs of leadership.
Of course, Costello couldn’t do it alone. Kameron Taylor and Jean Montero both chipped in with 16 points, while Brancou Badio and Omari Moore also finished the game in double figures. Despite the loss, Eugene Omoruyi impressed for Baskonia, leading his team with 17 points.
Baskonia paid its first-ever visit to Roig Arena on the back of eight consecutive road defeats, so optimism was hard to come by. His team managed to bring the game to within 4 points in the final quarter, but coach Paolo Galbiati bemoaned their lack of composure down the stretch.
“It was not enough,” Galbiati said. “Our focus was not enough. It was our first game in 8 days, but we cannot play without focus. Valencia play with very good pace, with energy, with effort, we cannot play like this.”
As one of the in-form EuroLeague teams, Valencia is flying so far this season and will be buoyed by this bounce-back win. It will have a chance to build on the momentum against Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade next Tuesday. Baskonia, which fell to 6-12 with the loss, will welcome a break before returning to action against Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul on January 2.
