Consistent defense and effective attack help Friends return to the path of victories

The 16th LPB journey led the Barcelos team to Funchal to face the CAB. The two teams faced each other at almost opposite moments of their walk in this edition of the championship: while Barcelos is clearly on an upward curve, motivated by several less positive performances, the CAB is going through a phase of wear and tear, caused by several injuries to key players in its squad and by less successful exhibitions. The first two periods of the meeting were marked by balance. On the CAB side, the absence by injury of Aaron Anderson and Nuno Baptista could suggest that the team would be more limited in their options. That did not happen, because the CAB was able to close the absence of the poles with an effective exterior game in which Ricky Franklin, Jorge Freitas and Jobi Wall shone. Also worthy of prominence is Fabio Lima, who, in the first 20 minutes of play, was a headache for the men of the north, because he changed, with skill, its external launch with penetrations and quick and strong exits in counterattack. Defensively, the CAB team was very strong. With the exception of some occasional flaws in defensive rotation and aid, Friends defended and silenced the main offensive weapons of visitors, especially foreign players. Therefore, without surprise, the CAB was superior to Barcelos: in the first period, the Madeirans won by 22-20, and, at the interval, the advantage had already extended to 47-41, again favorable to the CAB. On the way back from the locker rooms, Barcelos' training was better. On the contrary, the CAB showed some initial apathy and defensive and offensive deconcentrations that gave visitors hope. However, at a good time the men of the house corrected this posture. In fact, the CAB that the public saw in the third and fourth periods was superior to the CAB of the first part, as it committed fewer defence failures and was more effective in the attack. The highlights of the second part go to Ricky Franklin, who, recovered from the physical problems that kept him away from the fields in the last two games, once again showed that he is a 'other championship' player. He was very well accompanied by the rest of the team, which contributed greatly to the Friends returning to victories and making them so clear. The CAB, not only won (82-68) but offered a great basketball show. When it is, the sport wins.