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mar 29 2026Monbus Obradoiro secured a solid victory at Son Moix against Fibwi Mallorca (87-63). After an irregular start, the Galician team elevated their defensive intensity, slowed down the home team's pace, and controlled the game, which was essentially decided after the third quarter.
The game started in a complicated context for the home team, still reeling from a turbulent week on the island following the dismissal of their head coach, Pablo Cano. Fibwi came out with intense defensive pressure, very aggressive on passing lanes and making it difficult for Obradoiro to move the ball, as the visitors accumulated turnovers in the opening minutes. That scenario, with constant pressure and an uncomfortable pace, resembles the type of game that Palencia could present next Sunday in Sar.
After some balanced opening minutes came the first blow from the Mallorca team. Their defense forced offensive stagnation for the visitors and, on offense, they strung together three consecutive three-pointers to open a gap to 20-12, forcing Epi to call a timeout. Capalbo, as had happened in the first matchup, again caused damage by penetrating into the paint despite being the shortest player on the court.
Fibwi seemed to have the game under control and maintained their level despite rotations. Obradoiro, however, began to adjust on defense and managed to contain the damage. Two three-pointers—one from Andersson and another from Brito—allowed the Santiago team to close the first quarter still in the game, though trailing on the scoreboard (24-19).
The Galician team was struggling to contain the rival's pace in the early periods, something that had already happened in other games this season. But when they managed to adjust their defense, the dynamics of the matchup began to change. Although outside accuracy wasn't appearing, Kravic found solutions near the basket and sustained the team on offense.
Epi then opted to reinforce the paint by pairing Galán and Etxeguren, a decision that made Fibwi's penetrations much more difficult. Capalbo stopped finding clear paths to the basket and local shooters began to have more difficulty launching comfortably. Additionally, personal fouls began to accumulate for the Balearic team.
With that scenario, Obradoiro managed to turn the scoreboard around. At 32-31, the visiting coach called a timeout and, from that moment until halftime, his team put together a 5-13 run that left the score at 37-44 at the end of the first half.
The game was definitively on track after the halftime break. Monbus Obradoiro started the third quarter with a forceful 2-15 run, sustained by very solid defense that forced several turnovers from the opponent and allowed them to run the floor. On offense, Westermann and Barrueta appeared, especially accurate from three-point range and in transition.
Fibwi tried to react after a timeout from Escalas, taking advantage of the rest for Westermann and Barrueta to put together an 8-0 run. But the reaction lacked continuity. The Galician team regained control and extended the lead to twenty points before entering the final period.
The start of the fourth quarter was somewhat sluggish for Obradoiro. They missed a couple of layups, lost some possessions, and took more than three minutes to score again. However, Fibwi also failed to take advantage of that phase of the game. They managed to cut the difference to fifteen points and had a possession to cut it further, but the Santiago team understood that the key remained on defense.
With that premise, they again took distance and managed the lead comfortably until the end, securing a clear victory in Mallorca.
