By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
It was a tense game but Unicaja Malaga finished it the right way, getting the 83-80 win over Lenovo Tenerife in the Copa Del Rey final.
The eventual winners entered the last minute leading by six (80-74) and didn’t lose control with Jaime Fernandez trimming their lead to three at the buzzer.
Tyson Carter with 17 points, all scored in the second half, was the MVP of the game, as Unicaja completed a miracle and won the second Copa Del Rey in their club history.
After beating Barcelona and Real Madrid, they also prevailed in the final over Tenerife which got a 56-47 lead three minutes before the end of the third quarter. However, the score was tied at 60 at the start of the fourth period and Unicaja got the job done.
Tyler Kalinoski added 14 points and a surprising number of nine rebounds, while for Tenerife Marcelo Huertas was terrific with 21 points, 10 assists, and four rebounds, but not enough.
The defending champions of the Basketball Champions League lost to a Basketball Champions League contender and this might be just the first episode of a new rivalry.
For coach Ibon Navarro who has won as an assistant in Baskonia two Spanish League championship titles and one Copa Del Rey, it was the first major title as a head coach. It was a night to remember for the club and the fans.
Copa del Rey
Quarterfinals (16-17/2)
Real Madrid – Valencia 86-85
FC Barcelona – Unicaja 87-89 OT (76-76)
Lenovo Tenerife – Gran Canaria 89-73
Joventut Badalona – Cazoo Baskonia 94-81
Semifinals (18/2)
Real Madrid – Unicaja 82-93
Joventut Badalona – Lenovo Tenerife 72-73
Final (19/2)
Unicaja – Lenovo Tenerife 83-80