MoraBanc Andorra Falls 98-102 in OT to Surne Bilbao, Stays in ACB Relegation Zone

MoraBanc Andorra lost 98-102 in overtime to Surne Bilbao Basket at Pavelló Toni Martí, drawing 3,593 spectators and marking their third extra-time defeat this season and 17th overall. The result keeps the Tricolors in the ACB relegation zone with six wins and 11 games left, despite a strong chance to escape as rivals Casademont Zaragoza and San Pablo Burgos played each other later that day.

Andorra started poorly, trailing 6-15 after early errors and defensive gaps that forced coach Žan Tabak's timeout. They fought back but ended the first quarter down 15-25. Sir'Jabari Rice topped scoring with 23 points for the third straight game, often handling point guard duties amid shortages, while Aaron Best added 21 before fouling out, Artem Pustovyi scored 19, Justin McKoy 11, Oriol Pons 10, Chumi Ortega 4, Rubén Guerrero 4, and Kostadinov 3. Shannon Evans returned for 15 minutes off the bench—three points, one rebound, two assists—despite a bandaged right foot sole.

The teams traded leads through a tight second half. Bilbao pulled ahead at times, but Andorra tied it at 87-87 on Best's late basket. Bilbao's final possession went out of bounds with 1.8 seconds left, and Rice's buzzer-beater three missed, sending the game to OT. There, Justin Jaworski's three triples and free throws in his 36-point performance proved decisive, with Bilbao holding off late Andorra pushes from McKoy and Best. Bilbao got 18 from Darun Hilliard II, 17 from Axel Pantzar, 10 each from Tryggvi Hlinason and Ondrej Petrasek, four from Bagayoko and Normantas, and three from ex-Andorra center Martin Krampelj. Partials: 15-25, 42-45, 61-63, 87-87, 98-102 (OT). Officials: Fernando Calatrava, Juan de Dios Oyón, Fabio Fernández.

Injuries overshadowed the loss, with Rafa Luz out due to muscle issues, Xavier Castañeda still recovering from a January hamstring tear, and Stan Okoye plus Kyle Kuric picking up knocks during play. Tabak praised the team's competitiveness and Evans' effort but highlighted free-throw misses, key turnovers, and rebounding woes tied to conditioning. "I'm happy with how we competed, but not the execution," he said post-game, adding lessons must be learned to fight like that every match. He stressed injuries as the biggest issue, hoping to recover "the maximum number of players possible" before hosting Baskonia next Sunday at 5pm, with no season-ending concerns expected.

Pre-game, Tabak had urged everyone, including himself, to do more, noting rebound problems from day one stem from physical capacity. He emphasized home strength at the compact, intense Pavelló and praised Rice's impact. Bilbao, on a strong run under Jaume Ponsarnau and chasing playoffs, had beaten Andorra 81-71 earlier this season but lost their prior two visits there. Players like Kostadinov admitted a slow start, while Ortega called for fan support: "Don't get off the ship because we need you more than ever."