dreamland gran canaria comeback win unicaja overtime

Dreamland Gran Canaria stun Unicaja in incredible overtime comeback

Dreamland Gran Canaria pulled off a stunning overtime victory against Unicaja, winning 100-101 after trailing by six points with just 30 seconds left in the fourth quarter. Guard Isaiah Wong led the charge with 29 points as the team secured a crucial win in their battle to avoid relegation from the Liga Endesa.

Thrilling finish in Malaga

The match, which remained tightly contested until the very last moment, was ultimately decided by point guard Carlos Alocón, who sank two free throws with just two-tenths of a second on the clock to seal an extraordinary victory. For Unicaja, the defeat represents another setback in their push for a play-off place.

Dominant start from the hosts

Unicaja dominated the first quarter, racing into an early lead thanks to near-perfect shooting. In the opening five minutes, the score stood at 16-4, with the Malaga side hitting all four of their three-point attempts. However, Dreamland Gran Canaria—desperately needing a win to put distance between themselves and the relegation zone—gradually clawed their way back into the game, improving steadily from the latter part of the first quarter through to half-time.

Unicaja grew increasingly rushed in their shooting, over-reliant on three-pointers (making just 6 of 15 in the first half) and attacking without structure. The Canary Islanders, by contrast, were organised and accurate, cutting the deficit to just one point (44-43) by the end of a very strong second quarter.

Back and forth battle

From that early superiority to the patchy form that followed, Unicaja fell back into the inconsistency that has plagued them all season—a weakness the visitors were quick to exploit, refusing to drop out of the contest at any stage. In the third quarter, Gran Canaria matched Unicaja’s frantic pace, running the floor when the home side insisted on playing that way.

Just when Unicaja seemed to be pulling away after a Tyson Pérez three-pointer (57-50, 25th minute), Gran Canaria hit back. A series of errors from both sides—a missed dunk from Olek Balcerowski when he was through on goal for the home team, and a wide-open three from Metu that brought the visitors to within three points—sent the game into the final three minutes with Unicaja still holding the advantage.

Last-gasp heroics and overtime drama

Just when it looked as though Gran Canaria had given up, a three-pointer from Wong and a basket from Metu restored belief (79-77). Perry then appeared to have sealed the win for Unicaja with two triples and a jump shot in the final minute and a half. However, the visitors refused to die, turning an 87-81 deficit into 87-87 with two three-pointers—first from Metu and then from Wong—to force overtime just as the crowd at the Martín Carpena were celebrating victory.

The extra period was a back-and-forth affair, with the Canary Islanders holding the edge until the final minute. Balcerowski had a chance to win it for Unicaja from the free-throw line, but a shooting foul on Alocón with just two-tenths of a second remaining handed the point guard the opportunity to seal a miraculous win—which he did with two perfect free throws.

Scorers and match details

Unicaja (100): Díaz (15), Perry (20), Webb III (10), Tyson Pérez (17), Balcerowski (12) – starting five; Audige (-), Cobbs (5), Duarte (7), Sulejmanovic (9), Kravish (2), Kalinoski (-), Barreiro (3).

Dreamland Gran Canaria (101): Albicy (-), Robertson (5), Brussino (9), Metu (17), Tobey (7) – starting five; Wong (29), Maniema (-), Samar (-), Alocón (8), Pelos (24), Kuath (2).

Referees: Fernando Calatrava, Rafael Serrano and Guillermo Ríos. Ejected: Pierre Pelos and Mike Tobey (Gran Canaria) on fouls.

Attendance: 6,886 at the Palacio de los Deportes José María Martín Carpena for Matchday 30 of the Liga Endesa.

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