The day wore a tired gray as Lucentum faced a relentless Lleida, a game where the visitors dictated tempo from the opening tip. Davison’s absence left a notable void in HLA’s offense, and the night never found a rhythm strong enough to close the gap. Barro delivered a robust all-around night with four triples, finishing with 16 points and 12 rebounds, while Balint added his steady scoring touch. Still, those numbers weren’t enough to offset the challenge posed by the Catalan squad. The streak of five straight wins for Lucentum paused on this day, a setback that felt larger because the team never clicked in the moments it mattered most. Pedro Ferrándiz’s squad stayed on the bench during crucial stretches, wasting several chances to narrow the distance with Lleida, and the contest devolved into a forgettable map of missed opportunities on both ends. HLA’s crowd support could not will the team to a comeback, and without Davison, the Alicante offense appeared lighter, more cautious, and markedly less explosive.
The warning bell had already rung as the first quarter closed with Lucentum trailing 12-25. Lleida appeared flawless, a step ahead in every ball screen, every transition push, every defensive rotation. The absence of Davison’s late-game punch left HLA flat, unable to stretch the floor or create a decisive advantage. Pérez Caínzos’ group struggled to translate its recent defensive sturdiness into sustained offense, and Lleida’s discipline kept the home side bottled up. Arroyo delivered a spark on the visitors’ side, complemented by dependable minutes from Matulionis. That opening period ended with a 15-26 score that underscored the uphill climb facing Lucentum’s drivers and defenders alike.
The second quarter carried the same weight as the first, with Lleida maintaining pressure and Lucentum failing to find a path through it. A 16-32 sequence on the scoreboard encapsulated the struggle, with Hasbrouck and Matulionis guiding the visitors and HLA offering little resistance. The Alicante squad’s attempts to crack the Lleida defense came up short, and the guests extended their lead with growing confidence. Yet in the middle portion of the frame, a brief, bright stretch from Barro and Hook ignited a glimmer of hope, turning a 19-36 deficit into a more plausible 31-36, signaling a potential shift in momentum. Varela then stepped up for Lleida, drilling two critical triples to blunt Lucentum’s push and leaving the home side to limp into halftime at 34-44, still within striking distance but far from comfortable territory.
Mar Galindo
Even after the break, Lucentum found scoring hard to come by. Balint reeled off three treys, yet Lleida responded with stubborn defense and careful shot selection that kept the Alicante club at arm’s length. With Davison missing, the HLA offense looked more pedestrian, and the Catalan team seized opportunities to extend their advantage. Free throws drifted long and rebounds slipped away too often, allowing Lleida to widen the gap again to 50-61. Pérez Caínzos called a timeout to regroup, but the mood darkened as the third quarter winded down with Lucentum still chasing. The scoreline at the end of the period read 50-65, leaving little room for error in the final ten minutes. Balint’s later presence did not fully bloom, and the night’s momentum shifted decisively in favor of the visitors.
Matulionis answered with a timely triple that briefly steadied Lucentum’s nerves, and Davison’s trio offered a thread of life as the countdown began. With six minutes left, HLA finally closed the gap to 63-70, but the comeback never fully materialized. The home crowd’s hopes flickered as Varela connected on his fifth triple of the night, a late demonstration of clutch shooting that only highlighted how far Lucentum was from close. Three minutes on the clock remained as Lleida moved comfortably toward victory, and HLA, in desperation, hunted for a spark that refused to arrive. The day closed with a Lleida win firmly in hand and Menorca waiting on the schedule, a reminder that the season’s tempo rarely pauses for sentiment or sentimentality.
In sum, the game underscored the difference Davison’s absence made on offense and the steady, balanced execution from Lleida on both ends. For HLA, it was a day to study what worked and what didn’t—narrative threads that will be carried forward into future battles where every possession and every rotation will be weighed with greater intensity by players and coaches alike. The lesson lingered: when the leader isn’t on the floor, the margin to an equal contest grows, and the margin to victory—though not insurmountable—requires a higher degree of collective resolve and sharper execution, especially against a disciplined opponent like Lleida. The season’s trajectory will be tested by how well the home team responds to this setback and how quickly Davison reclaims the form that powered earlier wins.