Good defense gives Kids&Us the win

74 MoraBanc Andorra | Luz 1, Robertson 20, Iwundu, McGriff 14, and Pustovyi 19; Mutic 4, Best 4, Ortega, Aquino, Kuric 5, Bottiroli, and Radosevic 7

83 Kids&Us Manresa | Bassas 10, Tamba 10, Allen 11, Vila 5, and Ongenda 4; Notae 5, Benitez 14, Beaufort 3, Agbo 8, Drejer, Oriola 7, and Minchev 6

Quarter scores: 23-12, 7-21, 26-22, 18-28

Kids&Us Manresa opened their Catalan League campaign with a victory over MoraBanc Andorra in Tarragona, in a match decided in the final quarter (74-83).

Zan Tabak’s squad got off to a strong start, quickly establishing an early lead against the Bages-based team, who struggled with their shooting early in the game. By the end of the first quarter, the Andorran side led by eleven points (23-12).

In the second period, Diego Ocampo’s players stepped up—particularly on defense—and stifled their opponent's offense. This shift allowed them to turn the game around and head into halftime with a three-point lead (30-33).

After the break, the game was evenly matched with an exchange of baskets, and neither team was able to pull away on the scoreboard. At the end of the third quarter, MoraBanc Andorra held a slim one-point lead (56-55), leaving everything to be decided in the final ten minutes.

The game remained tight until the closing stretch, when the Manresa team—led by Benitez—managed to build a small cushion that allowed them to enter the final possessions with the victory all but secured.

On Friday, starting at 9:00 PM, Kids&Us Manresa will play in Tarragona again, this time against Barça.