Unión lose again to Instituto, remain stuck in the drop zone | OneFootball

Unión had a very good first half, with moments of high collective level and effectiveness from the perimeter, but Gloria adjusted their defense after the break, leveled the game, and ended up tipping the scales in an intense and physical match.

Unión 80-87 Instituto

The game started with Unión trying to impose their play through the pick and roll, taking advantage of Balbi's intelligence and creativity, who used all his resources to create spaces and quick shots. In the first few minutes, the Balbi-Guerra duo shared the points and led the home team to a solid start, with quick possessions and a lot of movement in the paint.

The good start by the Santa Fe team led to the first timeout requested by Instituto's coach, with the scoreboard showing 17 to 9 in favor of Unión. This dominance continued until the end of the first quarter: Unión, with good rotation and finding good performance from the bench, managed to maintain the lead and close ahead by 27 to 16.

The second quarter began with a more organized Instituto, where Whelan started to create imbalance in one-on-one situations, while Copello contributed with scoring, leading a 13 to 5 run that forced Castellazzi to call a timeout. From there, Instituto strengthened their defense and Unión struggled with their offenses. Forced to attack five on five and without fluidity, the home team suffered each quick transition from the Córdoba team.

The reaction came with a long three-pointer from Cabrera, providing the usual spark from the Córdoba point guard, and the close was excellent: Federico Elías nailed an exquisite three-pointer (3 of 4) to seal the 46 to 39 with which Unión went into halftime.

The second half started with a lot of physical play, tight marking, and a physical game that quickly loaded both teams' backcourts with fouls. Copello appeared with two consecutive three-pointers to put Instituto ahead, but Elías responded immediately and both teams took turns leading. The game remained close until the end of the third quarter, with Instituto up 61 to 60.

The last period began with the same parity. Hill made a three-pointer for Instituto and Cabrera responded instantly. The first clear advantage came for the visitors with an inspired Monacchi, who nailed two crucial bombs to take a six-point lead. Unión responded with a three-pointer from Hure, but in the next play, Whelan scored again from the perimeter and then had to leave the game due to five fouls.

A few minutes before the end, Instituto was winning 80 to 76, managing the lead and controlling the final actions of the game. The close, as expected, was led by Monacchi: with 20 points and 7 rebounds, he scored a dagger from the corner that sealed the 80 to 87 final in favor of the visitors, leaving Unión with a sense of disappointment after a promising first half.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.