Third fateful period mandates Friends home early

CAB and Quinta dos Lombos met in Coimbra in the clearance game for the first half-final of the Federation Cup of the Women's League. The match was very difficult for the CAB, because, in addition to having traveled in the morning of the day, it was facing the team that currently leads the Women's League and which has at its service a very strong squad, in which they militate athletes of international reputation. Friends entered the field very well aware of the challenges that awaited them. To the difficulty of playing in an adverse terrain, without the comfort of playing in the pavilion, they had to deal with the low temperatures, which in no way facilitated the physical performance of athletes. Even so, the game began well for those commanded by João Pedro Vieira, who bet on a very strong zone defense and a well organized attack to try to counter the many arguments of Lombos formation. The approach was successful, and at the end of the first period, the result was 13-9, favorable to Madeirans. In the second period, the balance was the dominant score between the two teams. To the baskets of the CAB Lombos responded equally effectively, the match being played 'taco-a-taco' and with several good moments of basketball. It could be said that the two teams were dignifying the modality and demonstrating that any of the formations deserved to stamp the passage to the mid-final. Even so, the CAB managed to maintain the distance that separated the Madeirans from the continentals and reached the interval to win by 26-21. In the third period, both teams entered at a very strong pace and playing physical and aggressive basketball. If, on the CAB side, the will was to protect the short advantage gained in the first part, already Quinta dos Lombos wanted to regain the disadvantage of conco points that it had for the Madeirans and dominate the match. In a first phase, Lombos was more effective, and with four minutes spent in the period, the difference between the two formations was only one point, with the CAB leading by a few 28-27. The Friends, in turn, were paying for the deconcentration with which they had reentered the match, as well as their inability to explore the strongest aspects of their team. The time discount requested by the CAB coach did not result in any improvement for Madeirans. On the contrary, the losses of the ball were followed and the inability of the CAb to conquer bumps, including in its table, became evident. The passing of the minutes became desperate for the CAB, which saw Lombos recover the difference and move forward the marker in a expressive way, without the CAB being able to outline any response. After a partial of 6-20 (unfortunately too bad for the CAB), the end of the third period arrived with the marker in 32-41, favorable to Quinta dos Lombos. In the decisive fourth period, the CAB's obligation was to change the attitude it had shown in the third period and to approach the departure with force and determination. Only a real ability to overcome would allow the Madeirans to overcome the "timely hole" in which they had placed themselves in the third period and dream of the semi-finals of the competition. For the last ten minutes, the CAB coach bet on a change in the defensive strategy he had presented in the first three periods, using the man-to-man defense. The statistical change and greater aggressiveness of the Madeiran athletes allowed the CAB, little by little, to recover points in the marker. Lombos did not disarm and continued to have severe headaches for the CAB, alternating, with effectiveness and merit, external releases with moves that exploited the ability of the highest players. The match acquired even more excitement when, four minutes after the end, the result was 46-49, in favor of the Lombos, a punctual difference that allowed the Friends to continue dreaming about the half-finals. Since then, the CAB has put soul and heart in the match and has done everything in its power to win a place among the top four. Our athletes have shown that they are true heroes and that they have a huge heart with them that never surrenders. At fourteen seconds of the end, they already won by one point, but in the last few seconds, in an unfortunate move for the CAB defense, Lombos scored two points and stamped the passport for the next phase of the competition. The game ended with the result in 56-57, in favor of the Carcavelos team. At a time of great frustration and discouragement for the entire CAB FAMILY, we cannot help but express great ORGULHO on our team and its coach. We believe in your work and, for us, you are and will always be the champions. Keep your heads up, because the season is still long and we all believe that together we will still smile and celebrate. Let's go! In individual terms: Cintia Franca, Maria João (10), Carla Relva, Catarina Freitas, Taj McWilliams (18), Carla Freitas (2), Carolina Escorcio (11), Schera Sampson (12) and Marta Bravo (3).