Surne Bilbao arrived undefeated and led 80-86 with three minutes remaining, seemingly on course for a fifth summer victory. They didn't get it. La Laguna Tenerife mounted a comeback, forced overtime, and claimed the Costa Adeje Tenerife Top Training Trophy 108-99, nine days before the Liga Endesa season begins.
First Quarter Sets the Tone
The visitors started strong (2-4, 4-7), but the home defense began to tighten. Tenerife stacked passing lanes and exploited two-on-one situations near the paint to rack up six steals in the first quarter alone.
With Wes Van Beck hitting from three-point range—3 of 3 to start—and Kyle Guy drawing fouls to punish from the free-throw line, the black-and-golds put together a 10-0 run for a 26-18 lead.
Bilbao Stays in Touch
The response came through Jaume Ponsarnau's team's usual channels: Nate Darling, dangerous both from beyond the arc and in penetration, and the savvy of Margiris Normantas. The Tenerife side maintained their lead thanks to a 14-of-15 free-throw performance at halftime, holding a three-point advantage.
After the break, Bilbao cut into their deficit and gained momentum, first through Darling and then with corner three-pointers from Martin Krampelj. Tenerife answered with connections to Ethan Happ and several baskets from Jaime Fernández, though they left points at the free-throw line.
The Final Stretch
The Basque side took the lead heading into the fourth quarter (69-70). That's when Marcelinho Huertas appeared to guide his team to 75-70, but back-to-back three-pointers from Aleix Font and Krampelj built an 8-0 run that made it 80-86 with three minutes left.
Tenerife showed character, with the crowd fully behind them, and reached overtime tied 93-93. In the extra period, the home team's greater energy made the difference, with standout plays from TJ Bamba and Vince Hunter and Jaime Fernández orchestrating the offense.