The Junior Report Pando UE Mataró has competed in two important tournaments in the last 15 days. Within the Herbalife 3×3 Series national circuit, the team was present in Zaragoza and La Coruña. Despite the fact that the results were not consistent, both competitions were great experiences to continue gaining confidence at the highest level. We broke down everything that happened.
In Zaragoza the team showed its tenacity in three group stage matches against elite teams on the national scene. Santfeliuenc, winners of the Catalan circuit, was the first rival and despite being close to victory, entering the last three minutes with an advantage, three turnovers at crucial moments allowed the rival team to turn the score around, leaving Junior Report Pando UE Mataró with an unfavorable result.
The second game, against UEMC Valladolid, was another tight battle, where the team was up four points with three minutes to play. Once again, the difficulties in managing the final moments cost them the victory, leaving the Maresme team one point behind on the scoreboard, despite a great triple by Eduard Coll “Coco” at the last moment.
The third match against BE GOAT was also even, with Mataró leading for most of the match. However, the rival team came back in the last moments, putting a draw in the electronic. A turnover late in regulation proved crucial, forcing the team into a tactical foul to send opponents into free kicks. Unsuccessful in his attempt to change the result in his favor. With three losses, his tournament ended there.
Despite the adversity, the team showed determination and prepared for the next stop in La Coruña. In this second tournament, the Junior Report Pando UE Mataró fought once again in the group stage, facing tough teams and competing with great intensity.
In their first match, they faced the talented La Celeste team, made up of the top 4 players in the FIBA ??3×3 ranking from Uruguay. The equality was total and the game went to extra time. A crucial triple forced extra time. During extra time, the men from Mataró found themselves with a golden opportunity to win with a 2-point shot (a triple in 5×5 basketball), but the basket was canceled due to an attacking foul. Unfortunately, the game ended in defeat after some missed free kicks.
The next match was against UEMC, the same team they had faced in Zaragoza, but this time the result went to Pando Mataró. The team showed an excellent game and took a great victory with a resounding score of 21-11.
Finally, the squad faced a difficult rival, Valencia Básquet. The objective of the Mataronese was to score at least 11 points to ensure the tiebreaker in their favor and advance as second in the group. However, despite meeting their goal, La Celeste won their last game by one point, leaving the team with no options to advance.
Despite the adversities, the team demonstrated their talent and passion for 3×3 basketball in both tournaments. Now, with new learnings and greater determination, they will prepare for future competitions with the goal of achieving success in the world of 3×3 basketball.
