Sant Antoni Claims Fifth Straight Victory in Gritty Home Win
Class Sant Antoni demonstrated their trademark resilience on Tuesday night, overcoming Spanish Basketball Academy 70-63 in a tense Liga EBA showdown at Siroko Sa Pedrera Pavilion. The victory marks their fifth consecutive win in Spain’s Second FEB competition, propelling the Balearic squad to provisional leadership in the East Group.
Key Performers Shine Through Defensive Struggle
The hosts leaned heavily on Santi Paz’s dominant double-double performance (19 points, 13 rebounds) – his best showing since joining the Ibizan club. Veteran guard Dani De la Rúa contributed 17 points while Bulgarian center Emil Stoilov added 15, offsetting a challenging debut for new Croatian signing Lovre Tvrdic.
Spanish Basketball Academy saw standout performances from Serbian forward Dorde Simeunovic (game-high 22 points) and Rafa García (12 points), but ultimately faltered due to poor shooting percentages (38.5% FG, 23.5% 3PT) according to official league statistics.
Match Breakdown: A Battle of Attrition
The opening quarters set the tone for a physically demanding contest. Sant Antoni established early leads at 7-2 and 9-2 before Spanish Basketball Academy responded with a 12-16 advantage. Neither team found offensive rhythm in the first half, with the hosts clinging to a 28-27 halftime lead despite Madrid’s defensive intensity.
Momentum shifted repeatedly after intermission:
- 3rd Quarter: De la Rúa’s scoring burst (33-29) countered by Simeunovic’s 38-40 reversal
- Critical Sequence: Back-to-back threes from De la Rúa and Paz extended Sant Antoni’s lead to 49-43
- Final Push: Stoilov’s five-point contribution to a decisive 6-0 run (58-49) at 4:32 remaining
Strategic Implications
This result gives Sant Antoni (15-3) a temporary one-game lead over Amics Castelló in the East Group standings, though Castelló holds a game in hand. Coach Josep Maria Berrocal acknowledged post-game: “We knew their physicality would challenge us, but our defensive rotations in the fourth quarter made the difference.”
The win continues Sant Antoni’s best run of the 2023-24 season, demonstrating their capacity to prevail in low-scoring contests. Their +7.2 average point differential ranks second in the group according to FEB official statistics.
Source: Diario de Ibiza Match Report
Images Credit: www.diariodeibiza.es