An erratic BAXI Manresa loses in a tight final against UCAM Murcia
The Bages team have options until the last minute but the turnovers, the poor control of the rebound and the poor success in T3 and TLL ends up condemning them to defeat. Travanté Williams, with 17 points, was the highlight of the home team.
83 BAXI Manresa I Taylor 13, Badio 4, Sagnia 6, Robinson 15 and Geben 10; Travanté 17, Jou 1, Steinbergs 3, Mawugbe 1, Oriola 7 and Dani Pérez 6
88 UCAM Murcia I Caupain 8, Ennis 20, Rodions Kurucs 5, Sleva 10 and Diagne 2; Sant-Roos 14, Radovic 8, Radebaugh 6, Todorovic 15 and Arturs Kurucs
Partials: 24-21, 14-26, 25-21, 20-20
BAXI Manresa could not resume the Endesa League with a win, as it fell to Nou Congost against UCAM Murcia (83-88). Sito Alonso's men dominated for most of the minutes, but the Bages team had options for victory until the last seconds, in which they wasted the opportunity to turn the score around.
The match started with a lot of equality and several alternatives on the scoreboard between two teams that accumulated too many turnovers. An 8-0 run gave the local team, in which Guillem Jou reappeared, a seven-point margin (22-15), which the Murcians cut to just three at the end of the first quarter (24-21) .
In the second, the visitors came out better and nailed a partial 3-10, which forced Pedro Martínez to stop the game (27-31). Then the reds reacted and were back in front, but then UCAM Murcia, led by Sant-Roos, were more successful and scored eleven points in a row before halftime (38-47).
Returning from the changing rooms, the Murcians, now with Ennis as a reference, were solid and did not let the Bagencs get dangerously close to the scoreboard. A three-pointer by Steinbergs at the buzzer put his team five points behind at the end of the third quarter (63-68).
In the last period the locals stayed in the game at all times and came to the last minute with options for victory. However, Taylor missed a three-pointer that would have overturned the electronic. The visitors subsequently missed three of four free throws, but Todorovic captured the offensive rebound and finished off the Bages team options.
Next Saturday from 18:00, BAXI Manresa will play a new Catalan derby, this time on the complicated court of Joventut Badalona.