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oct 27 2026Kids&Us Manresa continues finding in Europe the oxygen it lacks in the Liga Endesa. Diego Ocampo's team won on the road against Balkan Botevgrad, the only team in Group D without a victory, and notches its third win in five games. It wasn't easy: the Bulgarians took the lead in the third quarter and the game wasn't decided until the final ten minutes.
A strong start that fades
Manresa got off to a good start, with Lucas Beaufort's second unit contributing from the opening tip and Lukasz Kolenda's three-pointers opening up space. A permissive home defense helped Manresa close the first quarter with an eight-point lead (17-25).
The second quarter told a different story. Balkan became more physical, with former Barcelona prospect Gael Bonilla punishing in the post, and Manresa could only stay afloat thanks to Pierre Oriola. Ocampo's team scored just 14 points in the entire quarter and went into halftime with a minimal advantage (36-39).
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Scare in the third quarter
After the break, Manresa's slump continued and Balkan took the lead on a transition bucket by Ulrich Chomche (45-44). It was the most delicate moment of the game for Manresa, which got back on track thanks to Eric Vila's work in the paint. The center regained control for his team (47-48) and the third quarter ended with a slim lead (50-54).
Notae, on his birthday
The game was decided in the fourth quarter, and JD Notae decided it. The shooting guard, celebrating his birthday, found his stroke from three-point range and put Manresa up nine (55-64). Balkan had no answer, and Oriola sealed it under the basket with the game's largest lead (59-76) with two minutes remaining. Notae finished with 22 points, Vila added 13 and Beaufort 10. For Balkan, Lamont McCoy led the way with 21 points.
