VALENCIA BASKET DOMINATES CASADEMONT ZARAGOZA IN IMPRESSIVE COMEBACK
Valencia Basket returned to the court with vengeance, showing no mercy against Casademont Zaragoza, delivering them their worst defeat of the season with a lopsided score of 115-71 on March 1, 2025. This victory, following three consecutive league losses, was exactly what Pedro Martínez's squad needed to reclaim their confidence and ambition within the Liga Endesa standings.
The match, held at the Pabellón Príncipe Felipe, saw Valencia establish themselves early. They led by as many as 24 points during the second quarter, highlighting their superior gameplay both defensively and offensively. Coach Pedro Martínez stated, "This victory is important to recover our identity," emphasizing the need for his team to restore their previous form after their recent disheartening experiences at the Copa del Rey.
From the beginning, Valencia displayed excellent synergy. Starting with Chris Jones, Brancou Badio, Semi Ojeleye, Nate Sestina, and Matt Costello, they quickly built momentum. Ojeleye kick-started the scoring with a three-pointer—an indication of the shooting prowess to follow. Within three and a half minutes, Valencia led 13-4, showing aggressive offensive sets combined with stalwart defense. Although Zaragoza briefly reduced the gap, their inability to maintain scoring consistency became glaringly apparent early on.
The first quarter ended with Valencia holding strong at 29-20, but it was the second quarter where they truly exerted their dominance. The visitors launched themselves with renewed energy, culminating in stellar shooting performances, particularly from beyond the arc. They clinched 69% efficiency on three-point shots, making nine of 13 attempts. Meanwhile, Zaragoza faltered, struggling with their shooting percentages dropping to 33.6%, which highlighted their defensive inadequacies.
The half-time score of 63-40 left Zaragoza with little hope for recovery. Valencia continued to widen the gap through solid contributions from their starters and bench players alike. Jean Montero and Nate Reuvers were key contributors, balancing scoring across rotations and causing significant hardships for Zaragoza’s defense.
Despite the challenge of Zaragoza's new additions—including Nate Watson and Tomas Dimsa—their efforts went largely unrewarded, illustrating their struggle to mesh effectively within existing team dynamics. The joining of new talent could not conceal the evident gaps Zaragozans faced defensively as Valencia unloaded their offensive artillery. Casademont coach Porfirio Fisac acknowledged his team's poor performance, admitting, "The first to make mistakes is me," illustrating the team's frustration with their overall execution.
Entering the third quarter, Valencia maintained their intensity, stretching their lead to 30 points with efforts from both Badio and Ojeleye, who continued to wreak havoc from long-range. By the end of the third quarter, Valencia had firmly established dominance with an impressive score of 89-59, leaving no doubt about the match's likely outcome.
The final quarter proved to be more of a formality as Valencia cruised to victory, finishing the game with outstanding stats, including 18 three-pointers, just four shy of the club record. Their final output of 115 points marked the fifth-highest total recorded by the team in ACB history. For Zaragoza, the game signaled yet another challenging moment; the loss was not just another defeat but their highest-point concession without overtime.
Post-game, Valencia Basket stands tall with their record now improved to 15-6, momentarily positioning them neck and neck with Unicaja and Tenerife on the league table. Meanwhile, as they look forward to their next game against Surne Bilbao Basket, Martínez's team is optimistic, reflecting on this solid turnaround. The game demonstrated their ability to fight back after earlier setbacks, reminding opponents and fans alike not to count them out just yet.
This powerful performance by Valencia will resonate as not merely another victory but as pivotal proof of their resilience and intent to compete at the highest level both within Spain and across European competitions as they push forward this season.