La Penya Shines Against Jairis and Moves Closer to Safety (69-67)

La Penya claimed a hard-fought victory over C.B. Jairis 69-67. At the Olímpic, we witnessed an excellent basketball game decided in the final moments. The magic of Laia Lamana (14 points) proved decisive after scoring a crucial basket with just two seconds remaining. The resilience shown by the green-and-blacks (just as against Perfumerías Avenida) was remarkable. These two consecutive wins bring Badalona closer to safety.

The start of the game belonged to La Penya. Led by an accurate Inés Santibañez (7 points), the Badalona side took the lead on the scoreboard. A three-pointer from Santibañez gave La Penya their biggest advantage (13-6 at the 6-minute mark). The Murcia team was uncomfortable on the court and was erratic with their shooting.

Past the midpoint of the first quarter, Jairis began to find their rhythm and thanks to three-pointers from Mané and Mataix, they turned the scoreboard around (17-18 at the 9-minute mark). Bernat Canut's team had put together a great 4-14 run that was enough to take the first quarter 17-20.

The return to the court of Laia Lamana brought clarity back to La Penya's offense. With four consecutive points from the Catalan point guard, Badalona regained the lead in the game (21-20 at the 13-minute mark).

The game was beautiful for the spectators, with both teams playing at a magnificent level. The lead changes came one after another. The battle in the paint between Ebo (8 points) and Bertsch (13 points) was worth noting. Inés Santibañez (11 points) continued her hot streak for the home side. At halftime, the score was tied 36-36 with everything wide open heading into the second half.

After the halftime break, the game's dynamics remained unchanged. Both teams gave no quarter and the game was played at a breakneck pace. The excellent minutes from Laia Lamana running the offense delighted the fans at the Olímpic. After a three-pointer from Rachel Howard (7 points), Badalona went up by two (46-44 at the 26-minute mark).

In the final stretch of the third quarter, Jairis was more accurate. Thanks to a three-pointer from Swedish player Ekh, the Murcia team took the initiative (48-51 at the 30-minute mark). Ten minutes remained and the excitement was palpable.

The equality continued with neither team imposing their style. Five minutes remained and everything was as it had been from the start (58-58 at the 35-minute mark). Four straight points from Ajsa Sivka (9 points) gave the green-and-blacks a small advantage (62-58 at the 36-minute mark), which, all things considered, was a respectable lead.

Morgan Bertsch (19 points) was not willing to let victory slip away and compressed the scoreboard again (65-64 at the 37-minute mark). With 11 seconds remaining, the score was tied 67-67 and La Penya had possession to win the game. Fabián Téllez designed a play that worked to perfection. The magic of Laia Lamana (14 points), who converted a crucial basket, gave La Penya the victory 69-67. The green-and-blacks have now won their second consecutive game against top-half teams like Perfumerías Avenida and Jairis, bringing them closer to safety.