La Laguna Tenerife - Maxima Roma: an important European test in a tightly contested Group B
La Laguna Tenerife and Maxima Roma meet on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, in the third round of the EuroCup, with tip-off scheduled for 20:00 Canary Islands local time. The venue is Pabellón Insular Santiago Martín in San Cristóbal de La Laguna, on the Spanish island of Tenerife. This is the first EuroCup season for both clubs, but their encounter already carries considerable competitive significance. After two rounds, all eight teams in Group B have one win and one loss, meaning that a single result could significantly change the standings.
Tenerife will be looking to build on its opening home victory and make amends for the defeat in London. Maxima Roma arrives with a different experience: it recorded a convincing victory in its debut but then surrendered a lead in the final quarter in Ankara. Both teams have enough attacking options to produce a high-tempo game, although the outcome could ultimately be decided by interior defense, rebounding control and offensive organization in the closing minutes.
Ticket sales for this encounter began on October 7. Spectators planning to watch the game at the arena are advised to secure their seats in advance, particularly given the limited capacity of Santiago Martín.
Group B: identical records but very different starts to the season
The EuroCup in the 2026/2027 season features 32 participants divided into four groups of eight clubs. Each team plays 14 games in the group stage, seven at home and seven away, with the top four teams from each group advancing to the Round of 16. The knockout stage consists of best-of-three series. This makes the direct encounter between Tenerife and Roma important not only in terms of points but also because of the potential head-to-head record used in subsequent tiebreakers.
After the second round, Umana Reyer Venezia leads Group B with a point differential of +26, while Maxima Roma is second at +19. London Lions and Türk Telekom Ankara follow, with Tenerife occupying fifth place with a point differential of -5. Šiauliai Basketball has the same point differential as Tenerife. The current differences in the standings result from scores and additional ranking criteria, as no team in the group has a better win-loss record than the others.
European results of the two opponents so far:
- La Laguna Tenerife - Türk Telekom Ankara 82:75, first round, September 30.
- London Lions - La Laguna Tenerife 89:77, second round, October 6.
- Maxima Roma - U-BT Cluj-Napoca 89:55, first round, September 30.
- Türk Telekom Ankara - Maxima Roma 92:77, second round, October 6.
At first glance, Roma has a considerably better point differential, but its advantage primarily comes from the 34-point victory over Cluj-Napoca. Tenerife faced a more demanding opening schedule, with a home game against Türk Telekom and an away game against London Lions. Ankara is the common link between their performances so far: the Spanish club defeated the Turkish opponent, while Roma lost there. These results do not point to a clear favorite, but they demonstrate that maintaining concentration throughout all four quarters will be crucial.
La Laguna Tenerife: Huertas' experience, Guy's shooting and depth in the paint
At the beginning of the 2026/2027 season, coach Jaka Lakovic has a roster combining the experience of established European players with new offensive options. Marcelinho Huertas and Bruno Fitipaldo direct the offense, Kyle Guy provides outside shooting, while Giorgi Shermadini, Vince Hunter and Ethan Happ offer different ways to attack from the paint. They are joined by Jaime Fernández, Xabi López-Arostegui, Tim Abromaitis and Aaron Doornekamp, players who give the coach several options for adjusting the tempo and defensive lineups.
In its European debut against Türk Telekom, Tenerife won 82:75. Vince Hunter scored 14 points and grabbed five rebounds, while Huertas added 13 points. It was an opening performance in which the home team successfully combined composed offensive organization with toughness in the closing stages. In London, however, the defense had no answer for Thomas Kennedy, who scored 26 points and collected eight rebounds. Keenan Evans contributed 21 points, and London Lions won 89:77.
Tenerife's performance in the Spanish league against Unicaja on October 3 is particularly interesting. Jaka Lakovic's team won 80:75 in Málaga, with Kyle Guy scoring 18 points and Marcelinho Huertas contributing 17 points and seven assists. Tenerife made 13 of its 26 three-point attempts, converting exactly half of its shots from beyond the arc. It was a clear demonstration of how dangerous the team can become when its perimeter players find their rhythm while the opposing defense must simultaneously deal with the threat posed by its inside players.
Why Marcelinho Huertas is important for this game
Huertas is a player capable of slowing the game when the opponent wants to run, but also of accelerating an offense with a precise first pass. His cooperation with the big men allows Tenerife to create opportunities through the pick-and-roll, either for finishes at the rim or kick-out passes to shooters. Against Roma, it will be particularly interesting to see how Aaron Holiday and the other visiting perimeter players respond to his changes of pace.
Kyle Guy presents a different threat. He does not necessarily need an elaborate offensive possession: it is enough for him to get free after a screen and find a moment to shoot. When the defense closes out more aggressively on him, space opens up for a drive by Jaime Fernández or a pass to the center. On the other hand, Tenerife cannot afford to let its offense depend exclusively on individual attempts from the perimeter. Such an approach would make Roma's defensive task easier.
Under the basket, Lakovic will have to find the right combination of strength and mobility. Hunter can be valuable when switching defensive assignments and maintaining defensive activity, Shermadini when finishing plays close to the rim, and Happ when playing with his back to the basket and passing from interior positions. The distribution of minutes will be important because Tenerife also has commitments in the Spanish league alongside the EuroCup. An away game against UCAM Murcia is scheduled before the encounter with Roma, so the team's actual condition after that game will influence decisions regarding the rotation.
Maxima Roma: a new project built around experienced key players
Maxima Roma enters this season as a new basketball organization established following the transfer of competition rights from Brescia to Rome. Coach Matteo Cotelli has taken on the demanding task of shaping a team competing simultaneously in the Italian league and the EuroCup. Among his most important players are Aaron Holiday, Xavier Moon, Miro Bilan, John Brown III, Matt Ryan, Brynton Lemar, Carl Wheatle and Mirza Alibegovic.
The central figure in the inside game is Miro Bilan, who was named the Most Valuable Player of the Italian league's regular season in the previous campaign. His value is not limited to scoring points. Bilan can receive the ball close to the basket, force the defense to send help and find an open teammate. Against Tenerife, his cooperation with Holiday could become one of Roma's main offensive options.
Roma turned its European debut into a convincing 89:55 victory over U-BT Cluj-Napoca. Matt Ryan was the home team's leading scorer with 16 points, including four successful three-pointers, while Holiday distributed seven assists. The result demonstrated the variety of attacking solutions, as the defense could not concentrate on just one player. Particularly dangerous are situations in which Holiday penetrates the first defensive line and draws help, allowing the ball to reach the perimeter shooters.
The encounter in Ankara also revealed weaknesses. Maxima Roma led 65:60 after the third quarter, but Türk Telekom won the final ten minutes 32:12 and turned the game around for a 92:77 victory. The Turkish team applied more aggressive pressure on the ball, forced turnovers and converted them into easy points. For Cotelli's team, this is an important warning ahead of an away game in an arena where home supporters can further intensify the pressure during opposing offensive possessions.
The start of the Italian league season has not been straightforward either. Maxima Roma lost 75:94 to Napoli Basketball and 89:98 to Virtus Bologna, leaving it without a victory after the first two league rounds. On Sunday, October 11, the schedule brings a city derby against BC Rome. Consequently, the final assessment of the team's form and any potential player fitness issues ahead of the trip to Tenerife must be based on information available after that encounter.
Tactical battle: tempo control against pressure on the ball
Tenerife and Roma could produce several very different scenarios. If the home team manages to organize its offense through Huertas without turnovers, Lakovic will have the opportunity to involve his centers systematically and look for open shots for Guy and the other perimeter players. If Roma imposes more aggressive perimeter defense, Tenerife will have to move the ball more quickly and exploit the spaces left open.
The first important question concerns defending against Miro Bilan. Tenerife has several big men who can take turns facing him in direct matchups, but merely stopping his initial attempt toward the basket will not be enough. When Bilan draws help from a second defender, Roma gets the opportunity for an open shot. That is where Matt Ryan and Brynton Lemar come into play. For the home team, the speed with which its perimeter players can close down passing lanes after providing defensive help will be decisive.
The second question concerns rebounding. With Bilan and John Brown, Roma has players capable of creating additional possessions, while Tenerife has different types of centers in Hunter, Happ and Shermadini. The team that secures the ball after a good defensive sequence will avoid giving its opponent unnecessary second chances. This is particularly important when the opponent shoots from outside: missed three-pointers often produce long rebounds that guards must also track down.
The third question is the closing stage. In London, Tenerife failed to contain the home team's offense long enough to overturn the result, while Roma lost a five-point advantage after the third quarter against Türk Telekom. Both teams will therefore want to avoid sequences of turnovers and offensive possessions without a clear solution. In a game expected to feature numerous high-quality individuals, disciplined defense and several successful possessions in succession could prove more valuable than spectacular but inconsistent shooting.
Head-to-head meetings and squad availability
Tenerife and Maxima Roma have no previous head-to-head history in the EuroCup, as both clubs made their debuts in the competition during the 2026/2027 season. Their next group-stage meeting is scheduled for December 16 in Rome. This means the result of the game in Tenerife will become the first reference point for their head-to-head record.
At the time this guide was prepared, there was insufficient confirmed information to compile a reliable list of injured or suspended players from either team specifically for October 14. The ACB's current Tenerife roster overview does not list any absences, but that does not guarantee that every player will appear against Roma. As both clubs have domestic league commitments on October 11, the lists of available players should be checked again closer to tip-off.
Pabellón Insular Santiago Martín: basketball up close to the stands
Pabellón Insular Santiago Martín is located in the Los Majuelos neighborhood, at Calle Mercedes s/n, 38108 San Cristóbal de La Laguna. Its capacity for basketball games is approximately 5,100 spectators, and the arena features a 2,000-square-meter playing floor. It has been the long-standing home of La Laguna Tenerife, a club whose home games are known for the yellow-and-black colors in the stands and the passionate support of its fans.
Because of the arena's size, spectators in different sections can clearly follow defensive adjustments, communication between players and the coaches' work on the sidelines. Particularly exciting moments may include runs of home-team three-pointers, defensive rebounds that launch fast breaks and the closing stages of quarters. For Roma supporters, the away game is an opportunity to see their new club in an environment significantly different from large multipurpose arenas.
Santiago Martín is also undergoing gradual modernization. At the beginning of October 2026, work related to air conditioning in the playing area continued, with completion planned during 2027. According to information from the facility's management, the improvements are being organized so that sporting activities can continue. Visitors should nevertheless be prepared for possible temporary adjustments around certain parts of the venue.
Tickets for the game against Roma have already gone on sale, and the home club has recorded sold-out league matches in previous seasons. This does not confirm that the upcoming game will sell out, but it is a good reason not to leave travel arrangements until the last moment.
How to reach the arena, where to park and when to head for the entrance
The arena is situated in an urban area between San Cristóbal de La Laguna and Santa Cruz de Tenerife. For first-time visitors, the most important distinction is between Los Majuelos, where the game will be played, and the historic center of La Laguna. Distances and journey times depend on the departure point, traffic conditions and the chosen means of transport.
Practical information for spectators:
- Address: Pabellón Insular Santiago Martín, Calle Mercedes s/n, Los Majuelos, 38108 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife.
- Tram: the recommended stop is Hospital Universitario, served by lines L1 and L2 according to information provided by the arena. A marked pedestrian route leads from the stop to the venue.
- Bus: numerous routes stop at Hospital Universitario, including 15, 20, 102, 103, 104 and 231. Routes 217 and 231 are also listed for the Los Majuelos area.
- Parking: the arena has its own car park with 515 spaces. Given the limited number of spaces and traffic regulations, arriving early is advisable.
- Entrances: doors for basketball games usually open approximately one hour before tip-off, which would mean around 19:00. The exact opening time for this encounter should be checked in the event information.
The municipal administration of San Cristóbal de La Laguna has indicated that events at Santiago Martín during 2026 may involve temporary closures of sections of Calle las Mercedes and neighboring streets. Depending on the event, restrictions may begin two hours before the game and remain in effect while spectators are leaving. Special measures may also apply to on-street parking, taxi ranks and spaces for people with reduced mobility. Visitors arriving by car should therefore allow extra time, while the tram may be a simpler option.
The arena has specially designated spaces and accessible entrances for people with reduced mobility. For basketball games, access is provided through green doors number 2 and 7. Tickets can also be presented on a mobile phone, while bags and backpacks are subject to security checks on entry. Under the general rules, the arena's ticket office opens one hour before the event, but purchasing tickets on match day depends on whether seats are still available.
Visitors arriving from another time zone should pay attention to the game's starting time. The 20:00 tip-off refers to Canary Islands local time, which in October is one hour behind the time used in mainland Spain and Italy.
San Cristóbal de La Laguna: a city worth discovering before the game
San Cristóbal de La Laguna is located in the northeast of the island of Tenerife and is one of the most important historic cities in the Canary Islands. Its historic center is included on the UNESCO World Heritage List because of its urban layout and preserved historic buildings. This makes it a good choice for visitors planning to combine a basketball game with a short tour of the city.
The center of La Laguna is characterized by pedestrian streets, traditional Canarian architecture, inner courtyards and squares. It offers a different environment from Tenerife's coastal tourist areas. For fans arriving early, a walk around the city can be an enjoyable part of the day, but transportation to Los Majuelos should be planned in advance. The historic center and the arena are not in the same location.
Wednesday also brings the usual pace of a working day, which may affect traffic in the evening hours. Anyone wishing to avoid rushing can arrange their schedule so that sightseeing finishes early enough to reach the tram or parking area. Arriving before the doors open provides additional time to find the correct section and watch the teams warm up.
What comes after the game against Roma
Following this encounter, Tenerife continues its European schedule with an away game against Skyliners Frankfurt on October 21, before hosting Umana Reyer Venezia on October 28. Roma will host Venezia in the fourth round on October 21. This schedule further increases the importance of the third round, as both clubs will soon face direct competitors for the top four places again.
For Tenerife, the game against Roma is an opportunity to maintain its success in front of the home crowd and show that the defeat in London has not disrupted the team's rhythm. Roma wants to prove that its convincing European debut was not an isolated result and that it can respond effectively to a demanding away challenge. Spectators can look forward to a clash between Huertas' offensive organization, Guy's perimeter shooting, Bilan's inside game and Holiday's ability to penetrate defenses. Tickets for this encounter are already available, and planning the journey in advance is particularly useful because of traffic and access to the arena.
Sources:
- CB Canarias (cbcanarias.net) - match schedule, Canary Islands local tip-off times, Tenerife results and information about the start of ticket sales.
- Euroleague Basketball Media Centre (mediacentre.euroleague.net) - first-round results and confirmation of both teams' European debuts.
- Sky Sport (sport.sky.it) - the 2026/2027 EuroCup format, Group B standings after the second round, schedule and information about the Maxima Roma coach.
- London Lions (thelondonlions.com) - result and statistics from the game against Tenerife on October 6.
- Anadolu Agency (aa.com.tr) - result and course of the Türk Telekom Ankara - Maxima Roma game.
- Unicaja Baloncesto (unicajabaloncesto.com) - result and statistics from the encounter against Tenerife, including Guy's and Huertas' performances and three-point shooting.
- acb.com - La Laguna Tenerife roster, coach Jaka Lakovic and arena capacity.
- Lega Basket Serie A and Sportando (legabasket.it, sportando.basketball) - coach, roster and information about the new Maxima Roma project.
- Pabellón Santiago Martín / IDECO (pabellonsantiagomartin.net) - address, parking capacity, public transport, entry rules, ticket office and accessibility.
- Ayuntamiento de La Laguna (lalaguna.es) - traffic restrictions around Santiago Martín during events in 2026.
- Deportes Tenerife (deportestenerife.es) - current work on the arena's air conditioning.
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre (whc.unesco.org) - historical and cultural significance of San Cristóbal de La Laguna.