Valencia Basket secured the second ticket to the final of the Liga Femenina Endesa by just one point after a 73-73 draw against Spar Girona at Fontajau on Sunday, following a 67-66 win in the first leg. Coulibaly and Holm led Roberto Íñiguez’s team with 23 and 22 points, respectively, and had a combined valuation of 32 and 25. However, Rubén Burgos’ side won the series and will now face Casademont Zaragoza for the title. Fam and Fiebich were the standout visiting players with 17 points each.
The early minutes were tightly contested, but Girona pulled away with a 13-0 run against an opponent that was too erratic in shooting (19-7). Coulibaly, the regular-season MVP, already had nine points and three rebounds. Valencia responded as the game progressed, but the local side remained solid and closed the first quarter 28-20, also dominating in assists and rebounds.
The visitors opened the second quarter with a 0-5 run and turned the score around with a 6-18 burst, fueled by three-pointers from Fiebich and one from Ouviña (34-38), taking their first lead since the start. Coulibaly and Holm kept the local hopes alive, but Valencia went into halftime ahead (45-46) thanks to Fiebich’s outside shooting, key in the first half. Girona dominated in the paint (13/18 on two-point shots), but the visitors made a difference from beyond the arc (7/12 on threes), one of the key factors of the match.
The game entered a constant exchange of leads, with Girona opening the second half better with a 7-1 run that forced Valencia to call a timeout (52-47). Fam led the Valencia response (54-52), but a loss of outside accuracy allowed Girona to close the third quarter ahead (60-56), with an omnipresent Holm already on 17 points and seven rebounds. The visitors, who scored only 10 points in that period, began the final quarter with a three-pointer from Casas that restored equality in the series aggregate.
Holm’s exhibition continued, forcing Burgos to call a timeout as the score stood at 66-59 in a critical moment. Coulibaly matched Holm’s 21 points and extended the lead (70-61), but Valencia reacted when they seemed most beaten with a 0-11 run, led by Anderson, Carrera, and Fam (70-72).
Holm and Coulibaly then tied the series again (73-72), but Anderson decided the tie with a free throw with five seconds left, while Coulibaly missed a shot under the basket that would have sent her team to the final.