Por Ismael Buendia Champions return to Carpena! This Sunday, starting at 12:30 hours, fans will welcome Unicaja after their conquest of the BCL in Athens last weekend in what promises to be an emotional day. They will face a rival that is determined not to be a mere spectator: UCAM Murcia (broadcasted on Movistar Deportes 2 -dial 64- and ⇒Unicaja Baloncesto Radio).
The Murcians come to the meeting with the intention of continuing to fight for one of the last Playoff spots. Currently, they are in 10th place, with 15 wins and 16 losses, one win away from eighth place (Baskonia), which marks the Playoff positions limit.
Sito Alonso’s team arrives in good form, having won three of their last four games, beating Joventut (100-83), Surne Bilbao Basket (80-83), and, last weekend, BAXI Manresa (81-71). Their only loss was two games ago in a close 79-77 defeat to Hiopos Lleida. With three games left in the Regular Phase, UCAM Murcia aims to keep their chances of qualifying for the Liga Endesa title playoffs intact.
An uncomfortable opponent
UCAM Murcia is a team to watch out for, as they have spoiled Unicaja’s celebration in Carpena before. Despite a favorable record in Malaga, with 18 wins and 7 losses in the regular season, it’s worth noting that the team from Levante has recently won in Carpena. In the last semifinal of the 2024 Liga Endesa Playoff, UCAM Murcia managed to win in Málaga on three occasions in a series where victory always went to the visiting team in five games.
This season, the two teams faced off in the Supercopa Endesa semifinal, with Unicaja winning 78-84 in Murcia; and in the first round of the regular season, where Ibon Navarro’s team won 77-89, with standout performances from Tyson Carter (19 points, 5 rebounds) and Kendrick Perry (13 points, 7 assists, 22 efficiency rating).
⇒ALL PREVIOUS ENCOUNTERS
Dylan Ennis, leader
The Canadian shooting guard remains one of the mainstays of UCAM Murcia. Leading in scoring with 16.6 points along with 3.3 assists and 3 rebounds for a 15.6 efficiency rating, his explosiveness and charisma make him a player to watch. Alongside him on the perimeter are Rodions Kurucs (10.1 points, 5.7 rebounds), Jonah Radebaugh (7.9 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists), and DJ Stephens (4.3 points, 2.7 rebounds), supported in the backcourt by Ludde Hakanson (9.4 points, 3.1 assists), who will be tasked with replacing the injured Howard Sant-Roos, sidelined with a minor tear in the right abductor long.
In the paint, the Levante team boasts the talents of Simon Birgander (8.5 points, 5.5 rebounds) and Nemanja Radovic (5.3 points, 2.1 rebounds), the versatility of Vladimir Brodziansky (7.8 points, 3.2 rebounds) and Kaiser Gates (9.5 points, 3.9 rebounds), and the defensive presence of Moussa Diagne (3.1 points, 2.3 rebounds) and Kostas Antetokounmpo (5 points, 3.3 rebounds), the latest addition to Sito Alonso’s squad.
Intensity as a hallmark
One of UCAM Murcia’s defining characteristics is the intensity they bring to the game, which is reflected in their statistics. They are the third-best team in the Liga Endesa in total rebounds (36.23) and defensive rebounds (26.16). It’s worth noting that even away from the Palacio de los Deportes de Murcia, they maintain their rebounding intensity, ranking fourth in the league with an average of 33.27 rebounds.
Another area where Sunday’s opponents excel is in steals, ranking fifth in the league (8.16). Jonah Radebaugh stands out as the second-best player in steals in the Liga Endesa, averaging 1.5 steals per game, tied with Shannon Evans and Facundo Campazzo.
Unicaja will face UCAM Murcia this Sunday, May 18th, starting at 12:30 hours. The game, part of Round 32 of the Liga Endesa, will be broadcasted on Movistar Deportes 2 -dial 64- and ⇒Unicaja Baloncesto Radio.
Get your tickets ⇒HERE.