BAXI Manresa dominates Benfica and remains unbeaten in the BCL

78 Benfica I Douglas 11, Broussard 13, Almeida 18, Gomes 8 and Carter 6; Barbosa, Ben Romdhane 1, Ellisor 15 and Zirbes 6

97 BAXI Manresa I Dani Pérez 5, Sagnia 2, Valtonen, Vaulet 19 and Lee 11; Badio 22, Waczyński 9, Harding 17, Tyson Pérez 8 and Steinbergs 4

Partials: 26-32, 23-26, 16-18, 13-21

BAXI Manresa remains unbeaten in the Basketball Champions League, and added the third victory in three games on the court of a Benfica that had also prevailed in the two previous engagements (78-97). The Bages team took control of the duel at the end of the first quarter and did not let it go until the end.

The match began with a frenetic pace and baskets exchanged by both teams. Subsequently, the Reds suffered difficulties in attack, and the home team took advantage of this to open a gap of six points (18-12). Pedro Martínez called a time-out, and soon after Waczyński made his debut with BAXI Manresa by converting a three-pointer. The attacks dominated the defenses, and the visitors rallied to close the first quarter six points ahead thanks to a spectacular three-pointer by Badio from beyond the middle of the field (26-32).

In the second, the Manresa team, led by Harding and Badio, did not slow down the scoring. They were very successful from the three-point line and widened the difference to the nine points with which the half of the match was reached (49-58).

In the second half, the tone was not very different, and, in a crazy game, the Bages team continued to command without much problem in the electronic. The maximum visiting income was 19 points, but the lack of success in front of the zonal defense raised by the rival caused the Portuguese to get closer at the end of the third quarter (65-76).

In the last ten minutes, the Reds did not have too many problems to keep at bay an opponent who was starting to lose his papers. And it is that Carter starred in a very ugly play, with an aggression with a headbutt on Steinbergs that caused his disqualification. With a final three-pointer from Dani Pérez, the Manresa team reached a final margin of 19 points which can be important in the possible final draws between the two teams.

On Saturday, from 18:00, BAXI Manresa will try to make use of the Congost factor to add the second victory of the season in the Endesa League. The rival will be Río Breogán, with old acquaintances like Sergi Garcia or Marko Lukovic.