· Zunder Palencia plays on Saturday afternoon (6:00 p.m.) at Miribilla, against a rival that is fighting to finish in European position
The Palencia team faces the thirty-second round of the ACB on the field of Surne Bilbao Basket, the eleventh in the table that aspires to improve one place in the table to be able to participate next year in the Basketball Champions League.
A rival that has two confirmed losses of Keith Hornsby and Adam Smith, two of the guards of Jaume Ponsarnau’s team and two of its best perimeter shooters (in addition to being the two players who shoot the most from the 6.75 line in every Surne Bilbao match).
(Photos: Víctor Quintana)
Despite this, in a team that has achieved 13 victories this season, its coach has other very good players. Because Alex Renfroe and Melwin Pantzar play in the direction, two players from distant generations, with different qualities, although in both cases with a lot of basketball in their hands. The first, incombustible veteran, highest scorer. The Swede, who until last season was Zunder Palencia’s rival for several years in the LEB Oro, had more assist and was a better shooter from positions far from the rim.
Only the powerful Sacha Killeya-Jones shows better numbers than the point guards. Because the 2.12 meter tall British interior averages 11.9 points and 4.8 rebounds (12.6 average rating). His Icelandic teammate, Tryggvi Hlinason (2.15 m), captures more rebounds (5.2). Between them they average almost three blocks per game.
(Photos: Víctor Quintana)
Bilbao’s third big center is the Greek Georgios Tsalmpouris (2.16). He is accompanied in the paint by two fours capable of opening the rival zone with their outside shots. One is the young Belgian Thijs De Ridder (good offensive rebounder) and the other is the Swede Denzel Andersson.
As for the perimeter, the international Xavi Rabaseda, the forward Álex Reyes (outstanding shooter), the guard Tomeu Rigo and the Estonian Kiristian Kullamae (9.8 points) play.
Surne Bilbao, which has among its assistants Sergio García (who in 2015-16 coached the Palencia team that achieved the first promotion to the ACB in the club’s history) fell on Palencia lands in the first round. That 78-72 victory was Luis Guil’s first victory as head of the purple bench.
The Palencia team’s last visit to the Bilbao Arena was in 2018-19, in the fifth game of the ACB promotion play-off. So. With several hundred Palencia fans in the stands, the local team won, qualifying for the Final 4 that was held on that same stage and where they managed to advance to the Endesa League.
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