85-84: EuroLeague Next Generation champions!

Our Junior basketball team have been crowned EuroLeague champions in their category in Berlin following a spectacular over-time victory against PFBB Paris in the final. Javier Juárez's boys retained the title they clinched last year in Kaunas to get their hands on the trophy for the fifth time - a fourth in the last five editions. Hugo González was named Final MVP and also made the competition's best five.

The grand finale pitted the only two unbeaten teams against each other and it was an evenly-fought clash from the off. The intensity was high, the difference between the two outfits minimal. The French team made the most of their physical prowess to head into half-time with a five-point lead (39-44). Our boys relied on the Egor-Hugo González duo to hit back, with 33 points in the opening 20 minutes. The pair would end up as the game's top performers with 26 and 23 points respectively.

The defenses were on top in the third quarter. Madrid managed to limit the Parisians' point-scoring but were unable to generate any significant advantage up the other end as they looked to edge ahead. Mitar, Egor and Ismaila carried the offensive mantle for Javier Juárez's team, who won the quarter 17-16 (56-60). The academy side continued to grow in the final period, upping the aggression to control the rebound, while Mitar stepped it up in offense to help the team edge the scores at 65-62 with five minutes to go. From there to the end, it was a battle truly worthy of the final. The French team hit back to make it 73-70 with 25 seconds on the clock, but Hugo González, MVP, posted a triple at the death to take it to over-time (73-73). The extra period was more of the same, with an exchange of baskets allowing no room for error. Two Ismaila free-throws made it 85-84 with only 16 seconds left, then a superb defense in the final play was enough to hand the madridistas the title.