BAXI Manresa conquers the Palau Blaugrana again
A game in which the team once again demonstrated its good form and had an imperial Derrick Alston.
92 Barça I Satoransky 7, Brizuela 16, Parra 7, Parker 20 and Fall 5; Punter 8, Metu 21, Hernangómez 2, Núñez 5 and Abrines 1
103 BAXI Manresa I Dani Pérez 12, Obasohan 9, Sagnia 3, Alston Jr. 29 and Cate 10; Vescovi 12, Reyes 5, Massa 7, Steinbergs 7, Saint-Supéry and Hunt 9
Partials: 20-20, 24-26, 17-32, 31-25
Once again, BAXI Manresa was able to spring a surprise and take on one of the most difficult courts in Europe, the Palau Blaugrana, in a match that was decided after the break (92-103).
The Blaugrana team had a better start and, led by Brizuela and Parker, they scored an initial run of 16-8. However, the visitors reacted with the help of Alston Jr. and Hunt and tied the score at 20 at the end of the first quarter.
In the second quarter there were many changes in the scoreboard. Brizuela continued to hurt the team from Manresa, who held out against their powerful rival thanks mainly to their success in the triple. They scored six, and the last one by Musa Sagnia meant that they went into the break ahead (44-46).
Coming back from the changing rooms, the team from Bages took control and, with Alston Jr. as their reference, they opened up a bigger and bigger gap on the scoreboard at the Palau Blaugrana. At the end of the third quarter, Diego Ocampo's players had the match well underway (61-78).
In the last ten minutes, Joan Peñarroya's men came out with the intention of getting back into the game and were only nine points behind with just under four minutes to go (84-93). But the visitors did not get nervous, they knew how to resist the rival attacks and they reached the last stretch of the match with the victory in the bag.
On Wednesday from 20:45 BAXI Manresa will play the second day of the Top16 of the Basketball Champions League. It will also be at the Nou Congost and the rival will be known: La Laguna Tenerife.