Aleksander Sekulic's Barcelona got off to a winning start with a hard-fought victory. They defeated MoraBanc Andorra 96-101 in overtime in the first preseason friendly, closing out the training camp in Encamp. The game provided the first look at many of the team's new additions in action.
The game plan already visible
From the opening possessions, the Slovenian coach's vision became clear: quick possessions, fast-break pace, and complete freedom from three-point range. Stanley Umude opened the scoring with a corner three-pointer, and the team quickly went up 11-21, closing the first quarter at 21-26.
Tyrese Martin was the standout name of the first half: 16 points and four three-pointers before halftime, sustaining Barcelona's offense. Olek Balcerowski, tasked with containing Artem Pustovyi, made a good impression with offensive rebounding and close-range accuracy.
But turnovers began to mount. The entry of Luka Bottiroli sparked a 13-3 Andorra run that flipped the scoreboard and sent the teams to halftime with the hosts leading 48-46.
A third quarter to forget and a timely reaction
Barcelona came out more aggressive on defense, with a three-pointer and layup from Joel Parra that forced Zan Tabak to call timeout twice, but they lost their accuracy and fluidity. Back-to-back three-pointers from Kuric gave Andorra control, and they opened up a gap (71-63) by capitalizing on turnovers and missed free throws.
The comeback arrived with Darío Brizuela, who strung together nine consecutive points at the start of the fourth quarter, played point guard at times, and energized the team. Accompanied by Umude, Barcelona recovered their fast-break attack and took the lead again, facing an Andorra side sustained by James Akinjo.
The finish was thrilling. A heavily forced three-pointer from Kassius Robertson tied it at 86 with 29 seconds remaining, Olivier Nkamhoua answered, and Robertson himself scored off the glass at the buzzer to force overtime. In the extra period, Umoja Gibson emerged to lead Barcelona to their first victory of the season.
What the new players showed
The scoring distribution from the debut provides a first snapshot. Martin finished with 16 points, Umude and Nkamhoua 14 each, Joel Parra 13, Brizuela 9, and Balcerowski another 9. Justin Minaya, whose signing was made official this same week, added 3 points in his Barcelona debut.
On the Andorra side, Robertson and Bottiroli each scored 13 points, Kuric 12, Pustovyi and Best 10, and Leon Radosevic, another of the Principality club's summer signings, contributed 8.