Maria's 'Batute' João leads team united to the Final

CAB and GDESSA faced the third - and decisive - playoff playoff game of the Women's League. The final discharge of the League was discussed and both teams wanted to stamp their passport with the right to dream of the title of national champion, opportunist who would have if they had been present in the final, where they expected Quinta dos Lombos, finalist after winning the Sportiva Union. The bar could not be higher: the competitiveness of both teams was enormous, the ambition to go further was unquestionable, the desire to win was more than present. It would be a game of emotions and it would win the team that was able to turn those emotions into a motivating force. Could it be the CAB? Would it be GDESSA? It was not known and any prognosis inevitably risked being wrong, such the note of balance that has defined the games between the two emblems throughout the period. The game started best for the CAB team. The athletes of the house won the first period by 16-10, but, even more important than the result, it was the serenity that the Amigas showed at the time of performing the offensive drives and of selecting the best launch options, factors that had been half 'out' in the game of the previous day. In defense, the friends were mobile, fast in trade and able to respond to the visitors' weapons. In the second period, as expected, the continentals reacted and again tried to use the long distance launch as the main offensive argument. In this respect, however, GDESSA was less efficient than in previous games, and, in the case of intervalo, it was 25% (2/8). Also in the second half, and despite the constant 'invested' of the opponents, the CAB managed to maintain its game, with performances achieved in defense and attack. Even so, at the interval, balance was the dominant note. The CAB won the second half (18-17), but nothing was guaranteed and the point difference in the marker (34-27, in favor of the CAB), did not mean much, because everyone was aware that any deconcentration on the part of the athletes of the house could lead to the reappearance, in force, of Nuno Manaia's team. Madeiran players were advised to be very calm and confident in their own abilities. At this stage of the meeting, the most evident player in the CAB part was Maria João (9 points, 4 points, 4 assists). In GDESSA, the most effective was Laura Ferreira (12 points, 6 points, 2 assists). On the return of the resorts, GDESSA entered better, fully determined to turn around and stamp the ticket to the final. But the house team recalled the words of their coach João Pedro, who, still on the bench, said to the players: "Whoever wins the third period will win the game." The CAB reacted, well, led by Maria João, who, at the end of the third half, already registered 30 points, galvanizing the team, played after played, and sending the message that today, the party would be CAB. After winning the third period by 22-19, the CAB was ahead of the marker by 56-46. In the fourth period, the GDESSA attacked in all forms and ways: throwing from the outside, penetrating, exploring the outside game, trying to pull fouls and doing everything to defensively pressure the Friends and forcing the house to lose the ball. After some confusion, caused by difficulties in the midfield transition, the Madeirans again showed the confidence and calm they had shown in the most crucial periods of the meeting. At the end of the game of 'crushing', such as the uncertainty that lay in the pavilion, the CAB was more serene and had greater discernment. Despite losing the period (18-22), the CAB race was stronger, and when the horn rang, the party had red tones, with the marker recording 74-68 for the house. Sweat. Suffered. Merited. In individual terms: Cintia Fança, Catarina Freitas (3 ball robberies), Carla Relva, ana Jardim, Taj McWilliams (21 points, 13 caveats), Marta Bravo (3 points, 4 caveats), Maria João (34 points, 8 caveats, 8 assists, MVP of the meeting), Carla Freitas (6 caveats, 2 assists), Schera Sampson (16 points, 6 highlights), Carolina Escorcio (4 points). CAB's opponent in the Finals is the team from Quinta dos Lombos. The first game will be played at 5pm next Saturday, May 3. The following two games, which are the decisive ones, will be played in Carcavelos the following weekend.