Unicaja Málaga Crushes Andorra 91-79 with 31-16 Fourth-Quarter Surge

Žan Tabak's MoraBanc Andorra fell 91-79 to Unicaja Málaga at the Martín Carpena arena on Sunday, undone by a crushing 31-16 fourth-quarter run after leading by 10 points (43-53) in the third. The defeat marks Andorra's 14th loss, leaving them just one victory above the relegation zone following Burgos's narrow win over Tenerife.

Andorra competed fiercely for three quarters, leveraging strong defense and transition scoring from Stan Okoye and Artem Pustovyi to build an early cushion. They surged to a 16-7 first-quarter lead, prompting a Unicaja timeout, though Justin Cobbs's three sparked a 14-4 reply for a slim 23-22 edge at the break.

Aaron Best extended the momentum in the second with back-to-back threes, joined by Jermaine McKoy and Shannon Evans for an 11-point gap (29-38). Unicaja clawed back via Kalinoski, Tyson Pérez, and Tyson Perry, but Andorra held a narrow 39-42 halftime lead thanks to solid defensive rebounding and late contributions from Evans and Oriol Pons.

Post-break, Pustovyi's interior presence set up Evans and Pons, pushing the margin to 10 and forcing another Navarro stoppage. Quick fouls hurt Andorra, allowing Aleksa Balcerowski and Cobbs to narrow it to 60-63 entering the final frame amid roaring home support.

Unicaja then erupted: Adnane Sulejmanovic tied it early, followed by Dylan Ennis Rubit's free throw and Nemanja Djedovic's drive for a 67-65 lead with 7:30 left. Perry's three and Sulejmanovic's follow-up stretched it to 72-65. Best's 2+1 rallied Andorra briefly, but Chris Duarte's triple responded. Pustovyi fouled out after Rubit's offensive rebound, paving the way for Duarte's late three to seal the outcome as Andorra's energy faded.

Best topped Andorra with 17 points (3/6 two-pointers, 2/3 threes, 5/5 frees), Evans added 12 on 2/8 threes, and Pustovyi scored 10 before exiting. Okoye chipped in 9 on 1/7 threes. Duarte led Unicaja with 18 points and high efficiency, backed by Cobbs's 17.

Tabak praised the three-quarter effort and execution but pointed to "three or four naive possessions" that erased the 10-point lead, enabling Unicaja's physical surge. He called for sharper execution, fewer turnovers, and a broader rotation despite limited preparation time, noting the hosts' European-caliber depth showed in the finish.

Andorra, missing injured Kyle Kuric, host Valencia Basket next Sunday at 12:30 in Pavelló Toni Martí, with Jean Montero returning. Tabak continues seeking a versatile playmaking guard. Burgos faces UCAM Murcia on Saturday, potentially tightening the relegation fight further.

**Match stats** **Unicaja 91**: T. Pérez (2), Audige (3), Balcerowski (2), Webb (1), Kalinoski (9), Perry (14), Cobbs (17), Djedovic (8), Sulejmanovic (5), Rubit (12), Duarte (18). **MoraBanc Andorra 79**: Evans (12), Udeze (4), Best (17), Luz (6), Okoye (9), Ortega (7), McKoy (8), Pons (6), Pustovyi (10). **Partials**: 23-22, 16-20, 21-21, 31-16. **Officials**: Fernando Calatrava, Rafael Serrano, David Sánchez. **Attendance**: 8,390.