BC MoraBanc Andorra Falls 89-95 to UCAM Murcia, Stuck in ACB Relegation Zone

BC MoraBanc Andorra lost 89-95 at home to third-placed UCAM Murcia on Saturday, staying tied with Dreamland Gran Canaria and Recoletas Salud San Pablo Burgos at 7-20 after matchday 27, with seven rounds remaining in the ACB League. The defeat leaves Andorra in the relegation zone alongside its rivals, while Coviran Granada pulled three wins clear with an 83-71 victory over Unicaja Málaga.

At Pavelló Toni Martí, 3,356 fans watched Andorra build a nine-point lead early in the third quarter (49-40). Murcia coach Sito Alonso switched to a 2-3 zone defense that sparked a comeback, fueled by David DeJulius's 22 points and Kelan Martin's 20 points, including crucial threes. Andorra hung tough until late turnovers and a nine-attempt free-throw edge for Murcia decided the game. Partial scores: 22-28, 43-38, 66-66, 89-95. Murcia's Cacok fouled out.

Andorra's top performers were Trae Evans (19 points), Oriol Pons (16), Artem Pustovyi (16 points, seven rebounds, 24 efficiency), Aaron Best (15), and Justin Robinson Rice (10). Kyle Kuric managed zero points with a -4 rating, and the bench added limited output from players like Castañeda (8) and McKoy (5). Pustovyi stood out as the lone reliable center, with Rubén Guerrero and Kostas Kostadinov falling short. Coach Žan Tabak lauded the full roster—minus Stan Okoye—for added depth but pointed to recurring basic errors. "We have moments of basic errors in every game, and today they cost us," he said. "We're not giving up."

Gran Canaria fell 74-78 at Casademont Zaragoza, which climbed to nine wins despite an extra game played. Burgos lost 94-99 at home to Río Breogán Lugo, where Gonzalo Corbalán scored 23 but Francis Alonso's 25 points proved decisive.

Andorra faces a critical matchup Sunday at 12:30 against Granada at Palacio de los Deportes. The hosts, coached by Arturo Ruiz, boast ACB's top performer in Croatian forward Luka Božić, averaging 22.22 efficiency (15.3 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists) in 28:54 minutes. Božić, who notched 24 points, 10 rebounds, and 30 efficiency against Andorra earlier this season, earned six MVP awards and March's monthly honor despite Granada's struggles. Ruiz praised his intangibles: "His quality is indubtable... The last month and a half, he's stepped up in things that don't show in the stats." Granada will miss guard Jovan Kljajić and Beqa Burjanadze (ex-Andorra), likely filling out with U22 Luca Medal and ex-Andorran center Babatunde Olumuyiwa.

Gran Canaria, meanwhile, is negotiating to sign 23-year-old Senegalese center Ibou Badji (2.13m) from the NBA G League's Windy City Bulls to bolster its frontcourt.

Separately, BC Andorra's second team, led by Cristian Vegas, clinched Copa Catalunya promotion with a 74-61 road win over UB Sant Adrià B, ending 22-1. Alexis Bartolomé scored 16, Bruno Bartolomé 13, and Cinto Gabriel (Toi) 11. Vegas hailed the group's unity: "We're a family, a tight unit, especially in tough moments," ahead of Primera Catalana's Final Four.