By Antonis Stroggylakis/ info@eurohoops.net
Following the Basketball Champions League semifinal against AEK and the loss that came in very last seconds of the match, Murcia bounced back by winning the bronze medal after defeating MHP Riesen in the third-place game.
And Murcia captain Vitor Benite couldn’t be more pleased with how his squad reacted.
“We thought we were going to be in the final. But that’s sports. That’s how it is. I’m glad we ended this phase with a victory,” Benite told Eurohoops. “I’m really happy for that.”
“We are always fighting and looking for this kind of physical game. We did a pretty good job, especially in the atmosphere like that. We were down by 15 points and trying to get closer. At the end of the game, the blood is really… hot. Everybody wants to win. And sometimes we do things we don’t want to do. It’s a part of this will to win. But it was a good match and AEK deserved it,” the Brazilian guard added on the semifinal.
Now the goal for Benite and his teammates is gaining entrance in the Spanish League playoffs. With three games remaining for the completion of the regular season, Murcia is tied with Iberostar Tenerife in the eighth place and Benite believes that the Final Four experience will provide them with the necessary boost to punch a postseason ticket.
“ACB is one of the best leagues in the world. And we are fighting for the playoffs. This can give us a lot of confidence. A lot of confidence in each other. To know that we can play against big teams and that we can play big games.”