The 33-year-old forward is set to play a key role going forward
Pierre Oriola becomes Manresa's X-factor in Round 9
Game Report
3 Mins read
Regular Season
Round 9 of 18
Regular Season
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BAXI ManresaMAN
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Veolia Towers HamburgHAM
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Overview
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In a rare BKT EuroCup home game on a Friday night, BAXI Manresa pleased its fans with a comfortable 99-72 home win over bottom-of-the-table Veolia Towers Hamburg at Nou Congost. It was Pierre Oriola's first EuroCup home game of the season and he made sure he was noticed with an all-around performance off the bench.
After a solid season with Hiopos Lleida, Oriola opted to start the 2025-26 campaign overseas, joining Fuerza Regia Monterrey. It was a unconventional move that paid off as Oriola led Monterrey win the Mexican League title, posting solid numbers: 5.5 points and 5.8 rebounds in 27 games. Oriola had 7 points and 10 rebounds in the title clinching game against Diablos Rojos del Mexico. Immediately after lifting the trophy, Oriola quickly reached an agreement with Manresa, which would see him work again with Diego Ocampo, having previously been together as player and assistant coach in Sevilla.
In his first EuroCup home game of the season, Oriola showed what he can bring to the team, especially in the second quarter, in which Manresa took off to get a double-digit lead, 50-39. He returned to the floor midway through the second quarter and made things happen with seven quick points, an offensive rebound and a block. At halftime, Oriola had seven points, three rebounds, two blocks, three fouls drawn and a PIR of 11, offering his trademark intangibles such as character, fighting spirit and experience to get Manresa fans into the game with his hustle.
He was far from done, however. Oriola was all over the place after the break, hustling for rebounds, drawing fouls, getting hard-fought buckets and igniting the crowd with his overall energy and commitment. When he left for the bench late in the third quarter, Oriola had 16 points on 4-of-4 two-pointers and 8-of-8 free throws, seven rebounds, two blocks, six fouls drawn and a PIR of 26, receiving a standing ovation at Nou Congost. Manresa was up by 20, 72-52. He did not return to the game in the fourth quarter.
"I think we grew up and stepped up in the game. We controlled the rebounds and ran to get easy baskets. It was a good victory," Oriola said after the game. "It is a good victory to get another feeling in the team and show that we are here to compete against everybody, especially here at home. I am happy to be here, to help the team, to help the guys. For me, the most important is the win, it doesn't matter if I score or not. I always try to help everybody, that's what's most important for me, but I am happy also for my performance. I was to stay in this line and help the team."
As always, Manresa's backup center Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu provided the fireworks with three huge dunks, especially a one-handed alley-oop slam early in the game and a huge alley-oop throwdown late in the third quarter. All of a sudden, Manresa has great depth at center with three very different players: Oriola, Akobundu-Ehiogu and Grant Golden.
Hugo Benitez gave Manresa a perfect balance with his court sense and outside shooting. He finished the game with 17 points, 10 assists and a career-high PIR of 27. In his sixth EuroCup season and after reaching the 2024 EuroCup Finals with Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse, Benitez has a leading role in Manresa and is making the most of it. This was his third double-double in the last four games.
In short, Oriola has been the perfect addition for Manresa. He knows the club inside out and needs no adjustment, brings in a ton of experience, arrived in shape and with his trademark hustle and great attitude. By downing Hamburg, Manresa broke its four-game losing skid and can now look to the second half of the regular season with renewed optimism.
