Manresa scores 63 points before halftime — its best-ever EuroCup half — to secure a crucial home win
Record-breaking first half powers Manresa past Aris
Game Report
3 Mins read
Regular Season
Round 13 of 18
Regular Season
group a
BAXI ManresaMAN
11399
Aris Thessaloniki BetssonARI
group a
Overview
w
l
w
w
w
l
l
w
w
l
BAXI Manresa overcame Aris Thessaloniki Betsson, in a fast-paced 113-99 victory at Pavello Nou Congost. Scoring as a unit, Coach Diego Ocampo’s side made history in the first half and did enough to stave off a late Aris comeback attempt.
The hosts seized the initiative in the opening seconds of a dynamic first quarter. Although Aris’s offense struggled to find rhythm early, it gradually pushed back as the period wore on. A late scoring surge, however, allowed the Manresa to pull clear, ending the opening quarter with a commanding double-digit advantage.
Building on that momentum, Ocampo’s men produced expansive ball movement and outstanding shooting from deep to tighten their grip on the game. They cruised through the remainder of the first half, heading into the break with a 25-point lead. By reaching 63 points at halftime, Manresa shattered its previous EuroCup single-half scoring record by 10. It also stands as the fourth-highest total across all teams in any half this season.
The locals showed no signs of easing off after the interval, maintaining their intensity in the third quarter and spreading the offensive responsibility across the roster to keep Coach Igor Milicic’s side at arm’s length. Aris finally ignited in the fourth quarter, sparked by Amine Noua, and rattled off a 0-9 run that briefly gave them hope. After trailing by as many as 32, Aris battled back to cut the deficit to just 8 in the final period. Manresa, though, responded decisively, restoring control down the stretch and sealing a deserved 14-point victory when the final buzzer sounded.
Retin Obasohan led the way with 18 points from 7-10 shooting, while also dishing out 6 assists. Ferran Bassas, Agustin Ubal and teenager Gerard Fernandez all finished the game with 14 points, while Marcis Steinbergs and Alex Reyes reached 12 apiece.
Though the crucial win moves his team to 7-6 and separates it from Aris, who fell to 6-7, the standings weren’t at the front of Obasohan’s mind.
“Not at all,” said Obasohan. “Our philosophy is that we want to compete and bring our best every single day, show up every day in games, practice, shootaround and recovery. We feel that if you do the right thing every day, the results will show.”
Manresa certainly did all the right things in the record-breaking first half, moving the ball with fluidity and scoring by committee. A mountain was formed and when asked if his team could climb it, Aris coach Igor Milicic gave an honest answer.
"For pride, we play only for pride,” the coach stated.
His team honored his message in the second half, playing with abundant pride and eventually sparking the respectable comeback attempt down the stretch. Milicic acknowledged that his team had simply fallen too far behind with the substandard first half.
“We didn’t show up with the right mentality. Players have to look at themselves in the mirror and bring in each moment, the best that they have. We didn’t run in the first half, we didn’t box out, we didn’t fight.”
Despite the poor start, Aris will hope to bring the momentum of the fourth quarter into next week's contest against group leader Hapoel Midtown Jerusalem. Manresa, will travel to Bahcesehir College Istanbul in an attempt to climb the table further.
