Zonzamas Plus Car Lanzarote fell by 28-25 in their visit to Caja Rural Aula Valladolid at the Huerta del Rey Pavilion, in a match corresponding to matchday 23 of the Liga Guerreras Iberdrola marked by equality during a large part of the clash and decided in the final stretch.
The match started with maximum intensity and equality, with a constant exchange of goals in the first minutes. Irene Botella, with two goals, kept the pulse for the Lanzarote team (3-3, min. 6). Shortly after, a counterattack by Marie Louis put Zonzamas ahead (4-5, min. 10), in a very competitive start by the visitors.
Aula took advantage of a superior situation to open a small gap (8-6), but Zonzamas responded with character. Nahomi Márquez, with an outside shot, returned the lead to her team (9-10, min. 18). From there, the team led by Juan José Rivera took a step forward from the defense, managing to get two goals ahead and forcing the local coach to stop the game with 11-13 in minute
24.
The good defensive work allowed Zonzamas to maintain the lead until halftime, which was reached with 13-15, reflecting the great competitive level of the sweet potato growers in the first half.
After the resumption, the match entered a phase of constant exchange. Luna Vončina extended the lead from the pivot (15-18, min. 35) and a new counterattack by Marie Louis made it 15-19, forcing Aula to call a timeout. Zonzamas seemed to have the game under control, but failed to finish the moment.
The Valladolid team reacted by taking advantage of the visitors' inaccuracies. Although Claudia Kaulback broke a goalless phase (19-21, min. 44), Aula managed to equalize at 21 from seven meters and shortly after take the lead (22-21, min. 47), completely changing the dynamic of the match.
Zonzamas tried to stop the local reaction with a timeout in the 51st minute (23-22), but found no solutions against Aula's great defense. Tiredness began to appear in the final stretch, with turnovers and inaccuracies that the locals took advantage of to open a gap.
With 27-25 in the 59th minute, Aula called a timeout to manage the last attacks and ended up closing the match with the definitive 28-25, in an outcome that punishes the effort of a Zonzamas that came to have control of the match. A defeat that complicates the situation of the Lanzarote team in the fight for permanence, at a key moment of the season.
