GIRONA. BAXI Manresa claimed the Catalan derby in Matchday 31 of the Liga Endesa with a 74-79 victory over Bàsquet Girona in a game that was completely transformed after halftime. Diego Ocampo's team recovered from a poor first half and mounted a comeback led by Ferrán Bassas, who was decisive with 21 points, 15 of them scored in the second half.
The game started with Bàsquet Girona much more comfortable on the court. Moncho Fernández's team found good offensive opportunities and managed to impose their pace against a Manresa side that struggled to score and was too inconsistent on offense.
Gradually, the home team opened up a lead by taking advantage of the visitors' poor shooting percentages and reached halftime with a significant 11-point advantage (43-32).
The picture changed after the break. BAXI Manresa elevated their defensive level and began to find more offensive fluidity.
The emergence of Duke Jr., who finished with 12 points and a rating of 17, and the interior work of Pierre Oriola, who had 11 points and 8 rebounds, allowed the visiting team to cut into the deficit and fully enter the game.
With the game completely open, Ferrán Bassas took center stage in the decisive stretch. The point guard led the Manresa comeback with personality and accuracy, spearheading a final quarter in which BAXI Manresa put together a dominant 19-31 run that proved to be decisive.
Bàsquet Girona, which had controlled the game for much of the night, faded offensively in the second half and could not contain the visiting team's surge in the final minutes.