FCBARCELONA.CAT

06.02.2010 19:47

Big win in Badalona (57-81)

Carles Cascante

Barca Regal stamped their authority on the derby game with Joventut, beating their neighbours for the third time this season with Navarro leading the scoring with 14 points.

The Juventut players must dread facing Barca this season, it’s Xavi Pascual’s team’s third win so far and this time they brushed aside la Penya on their home turf by a massive 24 points to confirm their dominance at the top of the ACB.

Three pointers

Barca began strong with Basile outstanding. A Pete Mikeal three-pointer, the team’s fourth gave them an 8-14 lead early on and their hosts replied by throwing on Tucker who scored a three-pointer immediately (11-14). Pascual then sent on Navarro, who didn’t start a game for only the second time this season, and “La Bomba” finished off the quarter with a great three-pointer to make it 14-27.

Twelve points

Joventut, led by youngster Josep Franc never dropped their heads in the second quarter, but despite Tucker bringing them to within 19 points, it was Grimau and Navarro who finished the stronger restoring the lead to 12 points at the half time break(33-45).

Maximum differences

The third quarter saw Barca draw away with Lorbek, Navarro and Basile scoring early on to silence the Badalona crowd and push the difference to 18 points and Ndong rounded off a 0-11 start to the quarter to make it 33-56.

Xavi Pascual was also managing his bench well, conscious of the demands on his team of playing two games a week. Boniface Ndong was massive under the basket and with Grimau dominating, Barca put an end to any hopes Joventut might have, taking a 42-65 lead into the final quarter.

Too little too late from Joventut

The locals may have been down, but they weren’t out and lifted their game with a 10-1 start to the quarter to get within 14 points of Barca, who could only score three points, through free throws from Pete Mickeal and Ricky Rubio in the first five minutes.

However, Ricky scored two more free throws to make it 52-70 and Fran Vazquez then scored to restore a twenty point lead that the team pushed to 24 (57-81) by the end of the game.