Men's Team and Women's Team give bittersweet Saturday to CAB fans

The heart of the CAB fans hit two different places on Saturday afternoon. While in Lisbon, the Women's Team faced Quinta dos Lombos in the first game of the Victor Hugo Final Four Cup in the north, in Oliveira de Azeméis, the Men's Team faced Oliveirense. Both games started at 6:00. In Lisbon, those commanded by João Pedro did not have an easy mission. As if the fact that the air connection, made on the day of the game, was almost two hours late, causing the Friends to “run” to arrive in time to the pavilion where the match was to be played, both foreigners of the Madeiran team met with serious intestinal problems that conditioned their physical integrity and would affect their ability to be in the game. Even so, the CAB presented itself determined, combative and combative. On the other hand, there was a team that played at home and that was greatly strengthened during the defense, ensuring the contest of Sonia Reis and Mary Andrade, two Portuguese reference internationals in their positions. The differences between the two teams, although large, not only in terms of preparation, but also in terms of financial resources, were not so evident over the first ten minutes. On the contrary, CAB and Lombos played each play with personality, with the marker to be marked 19-13 at the end of the first period, favorable to those of the house. In the second period, Lombos valued his weapons and managed to score more than twice the points of the Friends. At this stage, the Madeiran team showed some defensive fragility, as well as lack of entanglement in the attack. The interval came with the result in 34-20, in favor of continentals, numbers that were just in the face of what was going on inside the field. Our girls returned badly from the locker room and the third period showed gaps in the team and some lack of concentration. The degradation of the physical condition of foreign players was also evident, further sinking CAB's position in the game. By the end of the third period, the result was already 53-32, with Loins ‘shooting’ to 21 points of difference. The fourth period was painful for the young CAB team. Little by little, the fragility of the Madeira team at the level of turnover, height and experience of most athletes in official competitions of the Women's League came to the top. The final result was 77-49, favorable to continentals. In a way, it is possible to say that, before Lombos, the CAB 's blanket' was too short for all situations to which it was necessary to respond. The many ‘weights’ of insularity (travel, budget, etc. etc.) also do not help, but we are still proud of our girls and we know that they will be able to learn from defeat and move forward with their heads raised. Male winners in Oliveira de Azeméis In Oliveira de Azeméis, those commanded by João Freitas entered the game determined to erase the least achieved image of the previous day. Motivated by the messages conveyed by the coach in the aftermath of the game against Ovarense, the CAB took the field with desire to assume early dominance of the match. Even so, the CAB did not enter the game very well, losing the first period by 17-14. Some of the failures of the previous match persisted, with the team looking tired and unfocused. In the second period, men in red took on a very different attitude, marking more than twice the points they had scored in the first ten minutes. The interval came with the marker 30-44, favorable to the men of Madeira, who had at Ricky Franklin's aim and in strong defensive posture their main weapons. In the third period, balance was the dominant note. Preparing to have won the period (12-13), the CAB revealed some physical breakdown, perhaps the effect of a pre-season that still takes place and has been guided by great demand. As a result, the Friends were less authoritarian in the chapters of defense and rebound, which allowed the men of the house greater freedom in their offensive movements. In the fourth and final period, the CAB again won the 10 minutes of play by 12-13, slightly increasing the advantage it had already gained over the first 30 minutes of the match. Physical fatigue was once again evident in Friends, although on the other side there was a team that, although equally tired, was very dignified and fought to the end – or was not Oliveirense one of the references of Portuguese basketball. However, it is fair to say that the CAB was a fair winner and took an important step in preparing the regular phase. In individual terms: Ricky Franklin (17), Jorge Freitas (5), Edson Rosario (9), Fabio Lima (11), Jorge Coelho (5), Jobi Wall (11), Aaron Anderson (12), Frederico Tavares and Carlos Bettencourt.