Hiopos Lleida Suffers Crushing Defeat Against Superior Valencia Basket

The Lleida team lost by 36 points at the Roig Arena, unable to contain the pace and three-point accuracy of the hosts.

Generic image of a professional basketball game, with players in action and the basket in the background, without recognizable faces.
IA

Generic image of a professional basketball game, with players in action and the basket in the background, without recognizable faces.

Hiopos Lleida suffered a severe defeat at the Roig Arena in Valencia, where Valencia Basket dominated from the second quarter onward, winning by a 36-point margin.

The start of the game was slow, although Hiopos managed an initial 3-8 run thanks to two three-pointers by Mikel Sanz. However, Pedro Martínez's team quickly reacted, closing the first quarter with a 16-0 run that forced the Lleida coach, Encuentra, to call a timeout (25-15).
The second period proved decisive. The Lleida squad began struggling with static offense and accumulated six turnovers. Valencia Basket, highly accurate from the three-point line (10 triples scored by halftime), extended the lead to +19 (44-25), reaching the break 52-32.

The defense was incomprehensible, passing direct blocks from behind and allowing the Valencian players to shoot freely.

The situation worsened when Atoumane Diagne was ejected for five fouls with almost ten minutes played in the third quarter. This left Krutwig, who was already struggling with injury, as the only available center. Although the third period was the most balanced (19-19), the difference remained around 20 points.
In the final quarter, with the result already decided, Valencia increased their lead further with an 11-4 run. The match allowed for the ACB debut of Pol Ríos (from Pujol Mollerussa) and Pau Torrens (from Amara Lleida), while less common rotation players tried to gain experience. The final score was 101-65.