The matchup between the two bottom teams of Liga Endesa went to Kids&Us Manresa. Diego Ocampo's squad won at Barris Nord (92-98) and secured their second consecutive victory after debuting against Obradoiro. Lleida, coached by Gerard Encuentra, remains with just one win and seven straight losses.
Manresa Strikes in the First Quarter
Manresa arrived with the return of Timmy Allen, and the power forward's impact was felt from the start. With him on the court and JD Notae playing well, the Manresa squad posted 32 points in the first quarter (25-32) and took the lead. Lleida led on the scoreboard for just over a minute throughout the entire game, and never by more than two points.
Lleida Stays Close with Three-Pointers
Lleida didn't fall behind thanks to three-point accuracy, hitting 14 of 31. Dererk McGhee, with five three-pointers, and Mike Hughes, with five of six, kept his team in the game. Manresa responded with an 11-0 run, the longest of the game, and built a 13-point lead. At halftime, the advantage was eight (46-54).
Manresa Doesn't Let Lleida Catch Up
The third quarter (25-23) and fourth quarter (21-21) were tightly contested. Lleida pressed, but never managed to flip the scoreboard. Manresa lost 19 turnovers, but compensated with more rebounds (36-23) and free throw shooting: they attempted 27 and made 23, compared to Lleida's 15 attempts.
Allen finished with 24 points, three three-pointers, and a perfect 3 of 3 from the free throw line. Notae was the team's leading rater with 15 points, 8 rebounds, 3 steals, and 2 blocks. Nick Ongenda and Isaiah Mobley added 11 points each, and Hugo Benítez distributed 6 assists. For Lleida, McGhee scored 25 points and Hughes 21.