BAXI Manresa struggles but takes the victory against Bilbao Basket
The Reds edged out the Men in Black 79-77 in a thrilling game that went down to the wire. Hugo Benitez was the standout player for the home team.
79 BAXI Manresa I Benitez 18, Obasohan 4, Reyes 8, Olinde 10 and Izaw-Bolavie 2; Akobundu-Ehiogu 10, Ubal 10, Steinbergs 5, Knudsen 4, Golden 6 and Dani Pérez 2
77 Surne Bilbao Basket I Pantzar 6, Jaworski 13, Lazarevic 4, Krampelj 3 and Hlinason 11; Normantas 8, Frey 5, Hilliard 18, Bagayoko 1, Petrasek 8 and Font
Partials: 16-19, 23-11, 19-30, 21-17
BAXI Manresa won a hard-fought victory at the Nou Congost against Surne Bilbao Basket, in a match that was decided in the last seconds (79-77).
The game started evenly, with both teams trading the lead. At the end of the first quarter, the Basque team was more accurate and gained a three-point advantage (16-19).
In the second quarter, the players coached by Diego Ocampo took control of the scoreboard and built a lead of up to ten points (37-27). At halftime, they extended their lead to nine points thanks to a basket by Dani Pérez (39-30).
Coming out of the locker room, the visitors, led by Hilliard, looked sharp, allowing them to mount a comeback and reach a maximum lead of four points (55-59). At the end of the third quarter, Bilbao was ahead by two points (58-60). Therefore, everything had to be decided in the final ten minutes.
In those final ten minutes, Jaume Ponsarnau's men pulled ahead by seven points (58-65). However, the Reds rallied and managed to reach a close finish. In the final moments, the home team was more accurate, Frey missed the final three-pointer, and the Nou Congost erupted in joy.
On Wednesday at 6:00 PM, BAXI Manresa will play another Eurocup game away against Lithuanian side Neptunas Klaipeda.