Refitel Nadunet Bàsquet Llíria Cruise Past UPB Gandia 76-61

Refitel Nadunet Bàsquet Llíria produced the most complete performance of their Copa del Rey de Baloncesto campaign so far, dismantling UPB Gandia 76-61 in a Valencian derby that was effectively decided by the end of the third quarter. A blistering opening period and a dominant rebounding display gave the hosts a lead they never looked like surrendering.

It was a statement win for Llíria: fifteen points of separation, a double-digit advantage in nearly every meaningful statistical category, and a bench rotation that kept the intensity high from tip-off to final buzzer.

Match Overview

Llíria set the tone inside the first four minutes. A 12-2 run built on transition baskets and aggressive drives forced UPB Gandia into an early timeout, and although the visitors stabilized afterwards, the tone had been set. The hosts closed the first quarter up 22-14 and never let the gap drop below six for the remainder of the evening.

• Quarter scores: Llíria 22-18-19-17 — Gandia 14-16-15-16
• Final: Refitel Nadunet Bàsquet Llíria 76, UPB Gandia 61
• Competition: Copa del Rey de Baloncesto

The second quarter was the closest of the four, with Gandia's zone defense briefly disrupting Llíria's rhythm and a pair of corner threes keeping the deficit manageable. But the hosts answered every mini-run with a run of their own, heading into the break with a ten-point cushion and the momentum firmly in hand.

Key Moments

The decisive stretch came midway through the third quarter. Leading by nine, Llíria ripped off three consecutive defensive stops, converted two of them into transition points, and pushed the lead past fifteen. Gandia's coach burned his second timeout, but the pattern held: every time the visitors threatened, the hosts had an immediate response.

Gandia's best spell arrived early in the fourth, when a 7-0 run trimmed the margin to eleven and briefly raised hopes of a comeback. Llíria answered with a patient, clock-eating possession that ended in an and-one, effectively closing the door with four minutes left.

Tactical Story

Rebounding was the foundation of this win. Llíria's interior players controlled both backboards, limiting Gandia to very few second-chance opportunities while generating a steady stream of their own. That advantage allowed the hosts to survive a mediocre shooting night from beyond the arc — they simply got more looks than their opponents.

Defensively, Llíria's switching scheme frustrated Gandia's half-court sets. The visitors' guards were repeatedly pushed away from their preferred spots, and their offense devolved into late-clock isolations that produced low-percentage attempts. Gandia's zone defense was their most effective weapon, but it required them to sacrifice offensive rebounding, and Llíria punished that trade-off relentlessly.

Standout Performers

Llíria's starting shooting guard was the game's most efficient scorer, mixing mid-range pull-ups with sharp cuts to the rim. Their center anchored the paint at both ends, altering shots and cleaning up the glass. Off the bench, a young forward provided an energy spark in the second quarter that helped steady the hosts during Gandia's best stretch.

For UPB Gandia, the point guard battled throughout and finished as his team's leading scorer, but he received limited support. Their inside presence struggled against Llíria's length, finishing with a quiet night on the boards — the single biggest reason the visitors were never truly in this one.

What It Means

The victory moves Refitel Nadunet Bàsquet Llíria into the next round of the Copa del Rey de Baloncesto with genuine momentum. A fifteen-point win built on defense and rebounding is precisely the kind of performance that travels well into knockout basketball, where margins are thin and possession counts decide games.

UPB Gandia exit with lessons to take into league play. Their half-court offense will need more movement and more reliable secondary scoring if they are to compete against opponents with comparable size, and their coaching staff will surely revisit the rebounding numbers first.