Chris Duarte Shines in Unicaja Málaga’s Defeat Against Río Breogán
Málaga, Spain – Dominican player Chris Duarte scored 11 points, but Unicaja Málaga couldn’t avoid the 98-82 defeat against Río Breogán. This result complicates the Andalusian team’s aspirations to secure their early qualification for the Copa del Rey, which will be held in February in Valencia.
The Río Breogán, with a solid collective performance, dominated the match from the second quarter onwards. Mihajlo Andric, with 22 points and six three-pointers, and Danko Brankovic, with a double-double of 16 points and 11 rebounds, led the Galician team. Their intense defense and balanced attack were key to the victory.
Despite the defeat, Unicaja maintains a record of 8-11, placing seventh in the Liga Endesa. The team will need one or two more victories to secure its place in the cup tournament.Party Development
Unicaja, coached by Ibon Navarro, started the game with great effectiveness from the perimeter, achieving five three-pointers and an 83% success rate in long-distance shots in the first quarter. Olek Balcerowski and Killian Tillie boosted the team, taking the early leads (10-15, 12-19 and 19-25).
However, Breogán reacted with Dominik Mavra’s leadership, Bakary Dibba’s work, and increased defensive intensity. An 11-2 run turned the score around (30-27), forcing Navarro to call a timeout.
Although Unicaja tried to respond with two consecutive three-pointers from Alberto Díaz, Breogán continued to punish with offensive rebounds and fast transitions, reaching halftime with a 50-43 lead.
At the start of the third quarter, Breogán extended their lead, with Arturs Kurucs scoring eight of his team’s first ten points, reaching a 20-point difference (68-48), with Andric standing out on both sides of the court.
Unicaja tried to react with Augustine Rubit and outside shooting, but misses on open shots, including two three-pointers by Alberto Díaz and Chris Duarte, prevented a bigger comeback.
After a new reaction attempt (75-60), Breogán sealed the match with three consecutive three-pointers from Andric and Mavra, following a technical foul called on coach Navarro, leaving the score at 85-69 with five minutes remaining, with no final response from the visiting team.
