GABBA Junior Men reach Cadiz League B Division finals

GABBA Junior Men took full advantage of an unexpected situation to overturn a large deficit and make the final of the Cadiz League B Division. The Cadettes suffered a narrow defeat in the return leg of their semi-final but paid the price for a below par first-leg. The under 14 teams went different ways, with the Girls winning the last of their regular season matches to finish third in Group A and book a quarter-final tie with the second team from Group B, while the Boys finished their nightmare participation in Group 1 (see report below).

FULL RESULTS:

JUNIOR MEN (UNDER 18), SEMI-FINAL (2nd Leg).
CB Algeciras 47 - GABBA 77 [10-18; 6-24; 18-17; 13-18], (Aggregate score: 114-121); (Javi Felice 28, Kingsley Sylvester 24, Javi Andrews 10).

CBA fielded their Under 16 A team, recently crowned champions of Andalucia, in the first leg played in La Linea the previous week. They won by 23 points and evidently expected the return on their home court to be a formality. They spent the whole week in San Fernando, competing in the Andalusian Championship, and obviously did not expect to get past the quarter-finals, played on Friday, which would have made them available to play GABBA on Saturday, the day chosen by them. They won their quarter-final, however, and thus had to play the semi-final on Saturday and the final placing match on Sunday. So, GABBA, expecting a non-appearance by CBA, found the club’s Under 16 B team instead.
The match, played on the worst surface encountered throughout the season, required maximum effort, discipline and focus from GABBA if they were to overturn the 23 points’ deficit brought forward from the first leg. Incidentally, this CBA team had beaten GABBA Under 16 in the first phase by 25 points in Algeciras and by 18 in the only match played by any CBA team in the TSH.
They were no match for GABBA in the first-half, and a blistering second-quarter, won by 18 points, pulverised CBA’s advantage. GABBA started the second-half 3 points up in the aggregate score, but were outscored by 5-11 in the first 4 minutes to go behind by 3. 11 straight points put GABBA 8 ahead but CBA were not done and narrowed the difference to just 2 points by the end of the quarter. Worse was to come as CBA went 2 ahead (2nd min), then it was all-square 4 minutes from time and GABBA were 1 down a minute later, but finished strongly with 10 straight points.
Naysayers may scoff and label this a hollow win but the fact is that GABBA are now in the final, where they will play Puerto Real this weekend. This team has provided more than one surprise throughout the season. Let’s hope they finish with another one!

CADETTES (UNDER 16), SEMI-FINAL (2nd Leg).
Adesa 51 - GABBA 49 [8-11; 21-7; 18-11; 4-20], (Aggregate score 108-96); (Daniela Martinez 24).

GABBA started promisingly, edging the first quarter by 3 to narrow the overall deficit to 7, but were then outplayed in the next two quarters, leaving an unassailable margin of 28 points at the start of the last quarter. But this was to be their finest hour. Led by Daniela Martinez, playing in her last Cadiz League match at Under 16 level, GABBA ate into Adesa’s lead, four 3 pointers from her in the last 2 minutes almost winning the match, if not the tie. The team will now continue its preparation for the U16 Women’s EuroBasket in Malta early in July.

UNDER 14 GIRLS
GABBA 55 (Briella Bagu 29) - CB Algeciras 36 [16-10; 15-8; 6-10; 18-8].

CBA gave GABBA a good run in the last match of the regular season, played in Los Barrios. A 13 points’ half-time lead was reduced to 5 in the third quarter, but GABBA kept control to win and claim their quarter-final place against Cadiz, the first leg of which will be played in La Linea as the TSH floor is being replaced.

UNDER 14 BOYS
GABBA 20 - Puerto Real 61 [0-16; 4-14; 10-17; 6-14].

Without a point in the first quarter and 4-30 down at half-time, GABBA succeeded in avoiding the dreaded score-stopping 50 points’ deficit with a much-improved second-half performance to end their nightmare participation in Group 1, with just 1 win in their 14 matches. They earned their place in the group of 1st phase group winners, back in the Autumn, having been drawn with 3 very weak teams. These subsequently enjoyed more success in the 2nd phase just finished: 2nd placed La Inmaculada 5th in Group 2 with a 7-7 record; Gades 4th in Group 3 with 8-6; and Don Bosco 2nd in Group 4 with 7-5. It might have been better to have been drawn in a stronger group in the first phase but, hopefully, the boys will have benefitted from the experience.