Friends at a disadvantage in the qualifier with Victory

The CAB men's team moved north of the country to confront Guimarães' team. The match marked the start of the Men's League playoffs, which is the final stage of the main male basketball competition. In front, the Friends had a very organized team, consistent and with a team with many more solutions than the CAB. The task was therefore difficult at a stage of the competition decided the best of five games, i.e., the first team to achieve three victories, with Guimarães having the ‘house factor’. The game began with the CAB showing a good defensive attitude. Although they were less effective in the implementation chapter, Friends remained in the game, as they were able to limit Victoria's actions. However, those in the house won the ‘collection of forces’ that was being imposed on them by the Madeirans, and, alternating the inner game with the outer releases, gained an advantage of 12-6. The CAB's response is not to wait and came in the form of an organized collective effort, in which it is fair to highlight some of Tommie Eddie's bids. With a good reaction capability, the CAB reached the end of the first half in front of the marker by 12-13. In the second half, the Friends, who were being supported by a small Madeiran entourage that had moved to that effect to the pavilion, began better than those of the house. However, Vitória reacted and placed the marker in 23-21, with about half a period played, fruit, essentially, of the effectiveness in the outer releases. Due to logistical problems related to the floor of the pavilion, the game was interrupted, a break that did good to the CAB, as it left for a partial of 0-7 and again conquered the front of the marker by 25-30. From then on, things went ‘less well’ to the CAB. Defensive failures and some precipitations in the attack, especially at the time of the launch selection, gave encouragement to the house, which made themselves a partial of 7-0 and reached the interval to be won by 32-30. On the return of the locker rooms, Victoria attempted to shoot the scorer, again betting on the alternation between the outside releases and the indoor game. However, the CAB stood firm, and, showing great personality, resisted and did not let the men of the house extend the punctual distance. On the contrary, it was Friends who, with consecutive points from Tommie Eddie and Jovonni Schuler, passed ahead of the marker by 36-38. The reaction of the CAB had a response from the Victory, and until the end of the encounter, emotions and balance walked hand in hand. The great delivery of the players of both formations resulted in a tie of wills and a point draw, as each basket of continentals responded with the same coin. So, no surprise, the third period ended with the marker in 46-46. In the fourth period, the victory entered with a very strong rhythm and the CAB did not have 'legs' to accompany the opponent. In fact, it was notorious the physical breakdown of Friends, the result of a reduced squad and the wear of the journey, carried out, as always, on the day of the game. A tiresome CAB saw Victoria make a 12-5 partial in the first five minutes of the fourth quarter, with the marker 'shooting' for 58-49, leaving the Madeirans in a very difficult position. Finding strength and with its players revealing an unquestionable delivery, the CAB still reduced to 58-53, when it was about four minutes to play. In fact, the men of the CAB were real professionals in the way they did everything to change the course of the meeting, but the Victoria, physically cooler and playing before its audience, maintained the reins of the match and won the meeting by 73-61. The point difference is because it is excessive in the face of the balance that existed throughout almost the entire game. After the first game, CAB and Vitória will face each other again tomorrow at 3 p.m. in the same pavilion. The third and fourth games are scheduled for next weekend at the CAB Pavilion in Funchal. The first team to win three wins is set for the next playoff stage.