BAXI Manresa closes a successful 2023 by winning the derby against Joventut
The Bages team broke the game in the 3Q and enjoyed a full Congost to add the 9th victory. Robinson, García and Badio, the most prominent. Balance sheet 2023: 18 w and 15 d.
102 BAXI Manresa I Dani Pérez 7, Badio 20, Sagnia 7, Robinson 26 and Geben 2; Travanté 2, Dani García 12, Taylor 11, Steinbergs 9, Valtonen and Oriola 6
89 Joventut Badalona I Feliz 6, Andrews 19, Busquets 3, Cook 7 and Tomic 19; Kraag 7, Ribas 13, Brodziansky 6, Rodríguez 3 and Ruzic 6
Partials: 21-23, 24-20, 34-18, 23-28
BAXI Manresa closed a successful 2023 in the best way: with a clear victory, the ninth of the season, in the derby against Joventut Badalona and with a Nou Congost that looked great. After a first half with alternatives, Bages' team broke the game in the third quarter and kept the rival at bay in the final minutes. Between the second round of last season and the first round of the current Liga Endesa, the team's balance is 18 wins and 15 losses.
In the first moments the reds dominated the scoreboard, but the green-blacks did not take long to react and, with a great success from the triple, they were eight points ahead (12-20). Immediately afterwards, Pedro Martínez's men raised their defensive level and closed the first quarter only two points behind on the scoreboard (21-23).
In the second the tone was very similar to the previous period. At the beginning, the locals, sharp from long distance, turned the score around, then the visitors scored nine consecutive points (eight of them from Ribas) and finally the Manresans reacted in the final stretch and reached half-time ahead thanks to a partial of 11 -3 (45-43).
In the second half, Bages' team made a great start, with Badio as the leader, and nailed a run of 24-8 to open a hole of up to eighteen points, a difference that they were able to maintain at the end of the third quarter (79-61). In addition, both Feliz (one technique and one unsportsmanlike) and Ribas (two techniques) were disqualified. Therefore, a very difficult match for the reds.
In the last ten minutes, Joventut scored five points in a row, but the people from Manresa did not let themselves be intimidated, they kept the rival at bay at all times and made a Congost full to the brim enjoy themselves. As a cherry on top, a Robinson, acclaimed by the fans, scored the 100th point.
BAXI Manresa will open 2024 with the last match of the first round of the Liga Endesa, which will be on the complicated Surne Bilbao Basket court next Sunday, January 7, starting at 12:30.