The Fariones Sports Center has become this weekend the epicenter of the best 3x3 basketball thanks to the Under The Rim Quest Lanzarote 3x3, which has proclaimed Barcelona Panthers as the winner after an intense final against PBL Gipuzkoa Basket.
The Lanzarote event is a qualifier for the Lausanne World Tour event, so the high level of competition was noticeable from the first moment with the presence of 12 national and international teams.
The extraordinary FIBA 3x3 court installed in the Fariones Sports Center started strong, starting with Barcelona Panthers and The Crew. José Blázquez took four seconds to inaugurate a score that would exhaust the clock.
And despite the effort and drive of The Crew, they were surpassed at times, when the Catalans finished sentencing, taking the scoreboard to 21 points and the end of the game.
The same dynamic was experienced in the two previous matches. Despite the large scores that led PBL Gipuzkoa Basket and AYR TGN Mataró to win in the next two matches against Ecuatorial 3x3 and Fariones 3x3 by 21-8 and 21-3, respectively, it was mainly due to the lack of players. The 24º temperature and the great physical effort demanded by Gipuzkoans and Mataró players could not be followed by two teams that lacked a player to make a more than necessary change.
The large number of fans who did not want to miss this show witnessed what was coming. Music, DJs, three-point contest, gifts and prizes for the spectators, etc.
All this while Fribourg 3x3 took over and also reached 21 points to win against a BSB 3x3 that did not have enough effectiveness, although it did have the quality of play.
Titan 3x3 Canarias and The Crew met to leave the first great match of Saturday. Very close from the beginning and leaving grateful details encouraged by the public, it would be the locals who ended up taking the points by a 19-17 that could have changed until the last second.
3x3 KA-Ba Karlovav and Argo Bats would also win their matches in this group stage, against Ecuatorial 3x3 (21-6) and Fariones 3x3 (18-8), respectively. Another of the day's shows was given by Barcelona Panthers and Titan 3x3 Canarias. The Catalans had to come back with just over a minute left to the end of the match, to end up taking the points home with a 21-17.
Despite the efforts, the Canary Islands 3x3 could not beat the Swiss from Fribourg 3x3, who managed to finish the match with a clear 21-4, to give way to the last two matches of the day: PBL Gipuzkoa Basket against the Croatians from 3x3 KA-BA Karlovac (21-17) and AUR TGN Mataró against Argo Bats (14-9).
This closed the first day that would give way to the quarterfinals with which Sunday started. The Panthers would reach the semifinal after beating the Croatian team (21-16) with a whole show on both sides, as well as in the match between AYR TGN Mataró and Canarias 3x3 (19-17) in which the former would qualify.
Argo Bats made it difficult for Friburg, but the Swiss would win by 21-15; as did PBL Gipuzkoa Basket against Titan 3x3 Canarias (21-12), to give way to an exciting semifinal in which Barcelona Panther would suffer to reach the final after a great job by AYR TGN Mataró (20-15). At the same time, the Gipuzkoans secured their ticket to the final with an extraordinary match in which they beat the Swiss 12-21.
The final did not disappoint. Dream assists, dunks, alley oops, dribblings... The public enjoyed a very high-level match to the fullest, which would end up being won by Barcelona Panthers against a spectacular PBL Gipuzkoa Basket.
Only the awards ceremony remained, which showed the sportsmanship and connection between the rivals and members of the different teams. This bodes well for much more 3x3 basketball in the next Under The Rim Challenger Lanzarote 3x3, which is expected in July. María Fernández, Manager of the Biosfera Shopping Center, who presented the first prize with access to the Lausanne World Tour event, and Ismael Cruz, Councilor for Sports of the Tías City Council, who presented the second prize, which includes a Wild Card for the qualifying phase of the Lanzarote Challenger, attended this final event.
About HOOPERS UNDER THE RIM
HOOPERS UNDER THE RIM is a company dedicated to the promotion and organization of sporting events, with a special focus on FIBA 3x3 basketball. Founded with the mission of promoting sports and creating unforgettable experiences for players and fans, the company has grown rapidly to become a benchmark in the sports entertainment industry. Through dynamic and well-organized events, HOOPERS UNDER THE RIM SL not only promotes local talent, but also attracts participants and spectators from all over, contributing to the sporting and cultural development of the communities where it operates.
