BM Benidorm lost to Logroño yesterday in a balanced match where La Rioja team put one more gear over Alicante in the last minute and beat them with a great defense.

Led by Fernando Latorre, the group started with seven players’ offense in the first five minutes of the match, using the goalkeeper-player figure that allowed them to easily break through the La Rioja defense. Gradually Miguel Ángel Velasco’s pupils were carbonized and they found themselves more comfortable on the track.

Benidorm continued to use seven players in their offensive play and what had enabled them to take the lead at the start of the match turned against them later because the La Rioja team were stronger on defense and quicker on counter attack.

This combination caused the Logroño team to open up a significant lead on the scoreboard, bringing the score to 15-10. Benidorm had to react with good performances from Iker Serrano and James Lewis. The local team did not shy away from this development and went in for three (19-16) breaks in electronics.

After the break, the scoreboard did not move until after the first four minutes due to the failure of the attacks. Logroño extended the draw with Cadarso to four goals (21-17).

The Alicante team closed the gap once again with the goals of Iván Rodríguez and Lignieres, leveling the match with a shot from seven meters with 15 minutes before the end of the match (23-23).

This draw provoked the reaction of the students of Miguel Ángel Velasco, who once again took control of the match thanks to the tremendous strength of Antonio Serradilla on the defensive and Ángel Rivero on the offensive, so that the Rioja team once again took the lead (26-24), the decisive extension of the duel.

In the end, the locals knew how to control the remaining minutes of the game and even extended the distance in electronics, achieving a final result of 34-31, bringing BM Benidorm closer to one point in the standings. Fernando Latorre’s men did not take advantage of the option to strike a blow in the European struggle.