MoraBanc Andorra Edges Zaragoza 113-111 in OT Thriller for Sixth ACB Win

MoraBanc Andorra claimed a dramatic 113-111 overtime victory over Casademont Zaragoza on Friday at Pavelló Toni Martí, securing their sixth ACB win of the season and matching their rivals' tally to distance both from relegation-threatened San Pablo Burgos, which won elsewhere.

The match ended a 21-day league break for Andorra and pitted coach Žan Tabak against his former mentor Joan Plaza in the Aragonese side's dugout—little more than a month after Plaza's dismissal from Andorra. A near-capacity crowd of 3,608, swelled by a members' day promotion offering free tickets, greeted Plaza with a mix of applause and boos. Shannon Evans missed the game through injury, opening minutes for debutant Sir'Jabari Rice, who delivered 19 points and 21 valuation in a standout performance.

Andorra took a 24-19 first-quarter edge, sparked by Artem Pustovyi's opening five points—after just two practices following Ukraine duty—and Rice's debut three-pointer. Zaragoza hit back in the second with back-to-back triples from Santi Yusta and a Devin Robinson dunk, plus five points from an unsportsmanlike foul on Rice, to level at 44-44 by halftime.

A dominant third saw Andorra pull to 76-64 on Rafa Luz penetration, a Kostadinov dunk, and Luz's buzzer-beater three. Zaragoza rallied late in the fourth with threes from Marko Spissu, Bojan Dubljević, and Ariel Umude Washington, plus Yusta free throws for a 92-87 lead. Rice scored inside to close the gap, but Dubljević fouled out amid rising crowd tension. Spissu's three made it 96-93 before Kyle Kuric drew a three-shot foul on a triple with 7.3 seconds left, converting all to tie at 96-96 after DJ Stephens missed Zaragoza's final shot.

Overtime opened with Pustovyi's paint work and a Luz three for 101-98, stretched by Yves Pons's triple to 106-100. Johnathan Wright-Foreman and Yusta fought back as fouls sidelined Rice and Pustovyi. Kuric steadied matters, but Yusta's corner three tied it 111-111 with 3.3 seconds left. Kuric drew another three-shot foul, sinking the first two and missing the third intentionally as time expired.

Post-game, Tabak urged calm, calling it "one more victory" and stressing the need to "keep our feet on the ground." He praised the collective effort amid errors, the team's fighting spirit, and the crowd's support, which turned the arena into a "hell" for opponents. Tabak highlighted Rice as a strong addition but noted the need for more players to boost offense.

**Scoring summary** **MoraBanc Andorra (113):** Best 10, Luz 5, Rice 19, Okoye 7, Kostadinov 5, McKoy 13, Kuric 16, Guerrero 4, Pons 19, Pustovyi 15. Coach: Žan Tabak. **Casademont Zaragoza (111):** Spissu 14, Robinson 13, Wright-Foreman 19, Yusta 28, Washington 11, Dubljević 17, DJ Stephens 6. Coach: Joan Plaza. **Quarter scores:** 24-19, 20-25, 32-20, 20-32, 17-15 (OT). **Referees:** Jordi Aliaga, Martín Caballero, Carlos Merino. **Fouled out:** Rice, Pustovyi (Andorra). **Attendance:** 3,608.