Jonah Radebaugh, captain of UCAM Murcia, celebrates the victory over Bàsquet Girona at the Palacio. / Juan Carlos Caval
UCAM Murcia CB has turned the Palacio de los Deportes into one of its strongest assets, transforming an already historic season into something unforgettable. The win over Bàsquet Girona not only restored positive momentum in the final stretch of the regular campaign but also set a new club record for victories in a single ACB season (22). More importantly, it confirmed that winning in Murcia has become an extremely difficult task for any Liga Endesa opponent.
Since Real Madrid’s victory on December 30—still part of the first round of the season—no team has managed to leave the capital of the Segura with a win. Sito Alonso’s squad has turned the Palacio into one of the toughest venues in the competition, and with just four games left in the regular season, the goal of securing a top-four finish looks increasingly realistic. Two of those remaining matches will be at home, a place where only Breogán and Real Madrid have emerged victorious so far.
Unicaja Málaga (next Sunday) and Hiopos Lleida (on the final matchday) are the two remaining visitors to Murcia. UCAM could match the 10-2 home record they achieved in the 2023-2024 season, which ultimately saw them reach the championship finals against Real Madrid. That home form has kept them among the league’s elite, and it pairs with their best-ever road record in the regular season: nine wins and six losses, with visits to Baskonia (Thursday) and Casademont Zaragoza still to come.
UCAM Murcia is intent on finishing the regular season inside the top four, securing the highest possible position as they battle neck-and-neck with rivals like Valencia Basket, Baskonia, and Barça. Achieving that would guarantee home-court advantage in the playoffs, marking the best historical finish for UCAM in its 40-year existence. It would also allow them to host a potential decisive third game in the quarterfinals and a possible fifth game in the semifinals.
This scenario stands in stark contrast to two years ago, when the university team finished the regular season in fifth place but pulled off a historic feat by winning every playoff road game—both in the quarterfinals and semifinals—without home-court advantage. Interestingly, despite posting a 10-2 home record that regular season, they failed to win in front of their own fans during the playoffs. They did, however, force a third quarterfinal game at the Palacio against Real Madrid back in 2016.
