The Spanish side battled back from 17 points down and sealed the win in the final seconds to punch their ticket to the next round
Manresa survives Cluj to clinch playoff berth
Game Report
3 Mins read
Regular Season
Round 16 of 18
Regular Season
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BAXI ManresaMAN
10199
U-BT Cluj-NapocaUBT
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Overview
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BAXI Manresa had to dig deep on Wednesday night, overturning a disastrous start and a 17-point first-quarter deficit to secure a dramatic 101–99 home victory over U-BT Cluj-Napoca — and with it, a berth in the BKT EuroCup playoffs. The game slipped from their hands more than once, but the Catalans found a way when it mattered most.
“We didn't manage to finish the game. We had it in our hands, but we didn't manage to finish. We could have made better decisions, obviously, but it is what it is. This is basketball,” said Cluj head coach Mihai Silvășan, summing up his team’s heartbreak perfectly.
With just 33 seconds remaining, the Romanian side led 97–99 after Mitchell Creek completed a four-point play and Fatts Russell sank 2 free throws. But Manresa still had one final punch to throw.
From an inbounds play, Ferran Bassas found Louis Olinde, who drew an unsportsmanlike foul and converted 1 of his 2 attempts. That set the stage for Retin Obasohan, who had been carrying Manresa all night after a scoreless opening quarter in which Cluj raced ahead 7–24.
Obasohan, unstoppable from that point on, closed the game with 29 points and 14 fouls drawn. With 32 seconds to go, he attacked Jeffery Taylor — already in foul trouble — and finished a spinning bank shot to give Manresa a 100–99 lead. And when Russell’s final three-point attempt missed, the Nou Congost erupted.
“Yeah, man, I guess we like to make it exciting for the fans,” he laughed on the TV broadcast right after the game. “We gotta give a lot of credit to them, man. They came in here and played with a lot of energy, they played really well.”
Manresa not only celebrated its seventh home win, but also its qualification for the EuroCup Playoffs — something that looked highly unlikely early on.
“Our team was able to play for 40 minutes. We didn't have the greatest start, but we were able to fight back and get the win,” Obasohan reflected. His season-best performance — 29 points, 32 PIR — was capped by the decisive shot, a fitting reward for his relentless energy.
“At the end of the day, you know me, I just want to come out here and compete every single second I’m on the court and off the court,” he added. “I think we do a really great job as a team just stepping up. There are a lot of people who stepped up today in a variety of ways, and that’s what makes us special.”
With playoff qualification now secured, Manresa can turn its focus to fighting for a coveted top-2 finish that would grant direct access to the quarterfinals. Head coach Diego Ocampo, however, preferred to keep his players grounded.
“It’s just about going day by day and not thinking too much,” he insisted. “Just think about tomorrow’s practice and our next game. This is our life, and we need to do it the same way. We have to keep improving, practice, watch video, and stay focused. It’s only about improvement for me.”
