In a fantastic basketball game, Cajasol Seville destroyed Power Electronic Valencia (82-53), thanks to a great defense and the good job of Earl Calloway and Tariq Kirksay on offense with 21 and 14 points each one. Only Kosta Perovic did a good job for Valencia.
The game started very slow, with both teams playing really bad, no baskets, no pace… It's true that the weather in San Pablo Arena is really cold in winter, but soon Cajasol took the first advantages, thanks to a great defense and great shoots of Calloway and Miso. Kirksay soon committed his second personal foul, so he went to the bench. Ty Ellis had to defend a much bigger Victor Claver, and here Valencia didn't take advantage of the situation at all.
So the game was good for Cajasol, which managed to keep advantage in the second quarter, despite a good effort by Kosta Perovic, who did his best to keep his team in the game.
But in the second half, something changed in local players' mind. The defense they played has not been seen here in Seville for years. Maybe since 1998/99 season, when the played the ACB Finals. Calloway, Ellis, Kirksay, Savanovic and Triguero just simply killed Valencia, to the point that both De Colo and Marinovic, point guards of the team, ended the game completely crazy. And this only helped to give Cajasol many and many more points in advantage.
The difference turned to be 34 points by mid-last quarter, and the Plaza gave a chance to younger players like Satoransky and Sastre. Also Ager played minutes, but he's not yet the players that the team needs. He must be under a big pressure because of the situation with Josh Asselin, but he doesn't have many more opportunities to prove himself.
This team has nothing to do with any other in previous years. Since Joan Plaza took control of the team, many players have impsorved their game. Triguero and Miso, for example, where shadows last year, nothing compared to the promising players they have been. Right now, you can always expect them to play a good game every night.
Not only them, also Dusko Savanovic has confirmed the high-class player he showed up last years not very often. And Xavi Rey, a great defending player on the paint, waiting for his chance to take more responsibility on offense.
So now the team is very close to play the Copa del Rey, an achievement that people in Seville hasn't enjoyed in a lot of years. But there is still some hard job to do.
82 – Cajasol (19+13+20+30): Calloway (21), Andrés Miso (13), Kirksay (14), Savanovic (7), Xavi Rey (4) -starting five-, Triguero (3), Cabanas (4), Ellis (12), Ager (2), Satoransky (2), Sastre (-)
53 – Power Electronics Valencia (14+10+11+18): De Colo (7), Rafa Martínez (9), Víctor Claver (12), Nielsen (5), Perovic (11) -starting five-, José Simeón (-), Lishchuk (3), Marinovic (2), Pietrus (-), Kelati (4)
