First Win at Martín Urbano (68-62)
Unicaja Mijas dominated SPAR Gran Canaria for much of the game, securing their first win at Los Guindos heading into the FIBA window. Javi Pérez de los Reyes’s team struggled to score in the fourth quarter due to the islanders’ 1-3-1 defense, but Parra’s performance and the lead they’d built up proved enough
The Málaga-based team heads into the national team break on a high note after defeating SPAR Gran Canaria, which was recently relegated from the LF Endesa League. Unicaja Mijas dominated from the start of the game and gradually extended its lead to +21 heading into the final ten minutes. However, Cristóbal Navarro’s team switched to a zone defense that brought the home team’s offense to a screeching halt. The Canarian side managed to close the gap to five points, but Parra stepped up to seal the victory with a 68-62 score.
A fast-paced, thrilling rhythm took over the court at Martín Urbano. Both teams started the game with great energy. While Unicaja Mijas tried to impose a breakneck pace, SPAR Gran Canaria focused its entire offense on what it does best: playing in the paint. The Málaga team built a slight lead, and Cristóbal Navarro called a timeout with the score at 16–12. It was to no avail; the home team shut down the visitors and opened up a gap to 24–12, which is how the first quarter ended.
Javi Pérez de los Reyes’s team picked up the pace in the second quarter. However, they never let the islanders get dangerously close on the scoreboard. Solid defense and three-pointers were the green-and-purple team’s greatest assets as they strung together several successful plays to head into halftime with a commanding lead, 45-26.
After the break, the game became more evenly matched. The ease with which Unicaja Mijas had scored in the first 20 minutes vanished, but their strong defensive play remained solid, allowing them to keep their lead nearly intact at 50–32 with 25 minutes on the clock. Javi Pérez de los Reyes called a timeout to try to reignite his team’s offensive momentum—and it worked. Zúñiga and Samuel hit three-pointers to extend the lead to 61-40.
Faustine Parra hit her fourth three-pointer of the game to kick off the final ten minutes, but SPAR Gran Canaria responded with something they hadn’t done up to that point: capitalizing on the fast break and quick transitions. With the score at 64-48, the Málaga coach called a timeout to prevent the run from continuing. Cristóbal Navarro’s team’s zone defense worked, stifling Unicaja Mijas, who endured a very tense final stretch of the game, but another three-pointer by Parra sealed the victory with a very close 68-62 final score.