Friends defeated by Victory after extension

The CAB faced the Victory in the first game of the Men's Portuguese Cup Final 8. The match was played in Fafe, where the highlight of this competition is taking place. To mention, in a way of curiosity, Fafe was also the stage where, in 2011, the men's team of the CAB won the Cup of Portugal, the first in its history, by defeating, in the final, the formation of Penafiel. The game started well for Friends, who opened the game with three consecutive triples, a sign that the continentals would have to worry about the Friends' outside game. It didn't take long for Victory to react, something that happened, essentially, the result of the action of his foreign player, Anthony Meier. Even so, the CAB, thanks to its aggressive defense, managed to defend the advantage that was slowly gaining and reached the end of the first time to win by 1925. Ricky Franklin (11 points) and Fabio Lima (6 points) were the main references of Friends at this stage of the match. In the second period, Victoria was better, which was more aggressive. On the other side, the CAB showed signs of fatigue and was very absent. In fact, much of the continental points were conquered from the free throw line. Although not particularly effective, the northern men reduced the difference to 4 points and reached the interval to be lost by 'only' 4 points, with the marker in 34-38. The most inspired Friends at this stage of the meeting were Ricky Franklin (18 points) and Jobi Wall (6 points, 6 points). The return of the locker rooms was more successful for the CAB team. Friends not only managed to maintain the pressing defense they had been able to implement in the first part, but were also diversifying their offensive options, with more players contributing to the important task of scoring points. When the minute 5 of the third half took place, the player Jorge Coelho was excluded from the meeting following a disqualifying lack contracted in a less cordial involvement with the player João Balseiro. Without its reference pole, because the American Aaron Anderson was very limited by a foot injury, the question was whether the CAB would give in to the opponents or whether, on the contrary, it would be able to hold the lead on the marker, which at this time presented 35-44, in favour of the Madeirans. Victoria realized the increased pressure that suddenly fell on the CAB and bet everything on a recovery. Exploring the inner game well and forcing the Friends to several unreleased ball losses, the continentals reduced, with merit, the punctual difference and reached the end of the third half to lose by 5 points, with the scorer in 45-50, still in favor of the CAB. Everything was open for the last 10 minutes of the meeting. The last period was one of intense pressure on both sides. The CAB tried, at all costs, to preserve its superiority in the field, time in the quartet of Ricky Franklin, Fabio Lima, Aaron Anderson and Jobi Wall their offensive references. At the right times, these players tried to exploit, in their favor, the defense of the continentals, in order to score key points. On the Vitória side, the strategy was to explore the advantage of height in the areas close to the basket, including the second opportunities for launching, resulting from the points gained in the table defended by the CAB. For nothing contributed a further exclusion from the match, this time by Aaron Anderson, for accumulation of fouls, when there were still 3 minutes to play. The result of all this was the proximity between the two formations, which spent the last minutes of the match in constant struggle and balance. The winner of the meeting was undefined, and 34 seconds after the end, the CAB won by only 1 point (68-69), after a basket converted by Anthony Meier. The CAB, however, had possession of the ball as its coach immediately asked for a time discount. The film was repeated 12 seconds from the end, with the CAB winning by one point and the Win on the free throw line. The continentals failed, and then Fabio Lima suffers foul and converts the 2 bids to which he was entitled. Vitoria answered with a triple, tying the match to 73 points and taking the game for extension. At this stage of the meeting, Ricky Franklin (27 points), Jobi Wall (17 points) and Fabio Lima (13 points) were taking over the offensive burden of Friends. On the Vitoria side, this task was assumed by Jose Silva (18 points) and Anthony Meier (19 points). In the extension, the continentals were better, who made fewer mistakes than the CAB and showed more 'cold blood' at the time of decisions. On the CAB side, there was clearly a physical breakdown and some lack of discernment. Jobi Wall's exclusion - one more - by accumulation of fouls when there were still 2 minutes left to play in the extension also did not help, removing the CAB an important pitcher. The final result was 86-78, in favor of Vitória, which moves forward in the Portuguese Cup. In individual terms: Nuno Sousa, Ricky Franklin (27), Carlos Bettencourt, Jorge Freitas (5), Edson Rosario (4), FaBio Lima (13), Jorge Coelho (5), Jobi Wall (17), Frederico Tavares (3) and Aaron Anderson (4).