Universidad de Concepción kept their unbeaten record intact on Friday night, beating Español de Talca 103-80 in the Chilean LNB. The visitors had won all twelve games they had played so far and showed no signs of easing up. To be fair, the gap between the sides was never in doubt once the first quarter finished.
Concepción outshot their hosts in nearly every category. They made thirteen of their twenty-seven three-point attempts while Español managed only six from twenty-three. The visitors also won the rebound battle 40-34 and committed fewer turnovers, twelve to fourteen. By then the result was already decided.
What stood out was how Concepción moved the ball. They recorded twenty-four assists compared to eighteen for the home side, and their twenty-seven field-goal attempts from beyond the arc came from a team that had nothing to prove. Español pressed hard in the opening period but could not sustain it. The away end never stopped singing even when the scoreline suggested otherwise.
The statistics tell the story without embellishment. Concepción shot 38 of 73 from the field, a better percentage than Español's 33 of 70. Their free throws were also more reliable: fourteen of twenty-two against eight of fourteen. The visitors picked up ten steals to eight and blocked just one shot, which tells you they preferred to attack rather than defend.
For Español the result leaves them seventh with one win from twelve games. They have lost eleven straight matches and the table does not lie. Their recent form has been uneven: a win against Colo-Colo on August 2nd was followed by defeats to Puente Alto twice and Universidad Católica. The gap to the top is now eight points.
Concepción remain top of the table with twelve wins and zero defeats. Their last five results read: a 97-76 win over Leones Kilpué, 79-54 against Universidad Católica, 93-72 over Colo-Colo, a 74-86 loss to Leones Kilpué, and 97-89 versus Puente Alto. They have held their nerve in every game they have played so far.