CB Canarias Edges Barça Atlètic in Liga U Thriller

Fundación CB Canarias celebrated their second win in a row in the new Liga U, beating Barça Atlètic 81-76 on Friday night. Ronald Cómez's team played a fantastic game, cheered on by over a thousand fans at the Santiago Martín arena.

The home team overcame their opponent's physical strength and talent in a tight match. The game turned in the third quarter, thanks to Rafa Rodríguez's excellent shooting from beyond the arc. Barça Atlètic, despite their efforts, couldn't quite catch up, even though they fought hard until the very end against the favorites. Barcelona's young star, Mohamed Dabone, a 13-year-old, 2.10-meter talent who has already played for the first team and is considered a future basketball star, was held to just 4 points in over 20 minutes on the court. He had previously scored 15 points against Manresa.

The team's strong defense, the excellent performance of Dylan Bordón, Rafa Rodríguez, and Xabi López (who scored a combined 47 points, with López having a significant positive impact while on the court), Mohamed Sangare's inside presence (12 points and 7 rebounds, despite early foul trouble), and the contributions of David Acosta, Diego Fernández, Louis Riga, and others, all contributed to Tenerife's well-deserved victory.

The game started with the home team trying to control the pace, but Barça responded with athleticism and skill. The Barcelona team briefly took the lead at the end of the first quarter (19-22). However, Cómez's team quickly regained control and never relinquished it, despite Barça's attempts to close the gap, leaving the score close at halftime (44-43).

After halftime, Tenerife managed to create some separation, largely due to Rafa Rodríguez's five three-pointers (65-56). He hit four of those in the third quarter alone.

However, the visitors started feeding the ball inside, looking to make the game closer. The final minutes saw Fundación edging towards a decisive lead, while the visitors defended fiercely.

Two consecutive baskets by Sangare and a three-pointer by Acosta as the shot clock expired with just over three minutes remaining (81-70) put the hosts in a strong position. They managed to hold on, despite a late surge from Barcelona (81-76 with 42 seconds left after two three-pointers by Barcelona's González), securing the win and sparking celebrations in the stands with the final score of 81-76.