MoraBanc Andorra Blows 18-Point Lead in Buzzer-Beating Loss to Río Breogán

MoraBanc Andorra extended its ACB losing streak to six with a 101-104 defeat to Río Breogán at Pavelló Toni Martí on Saturday, squandering an 18-point third-quarter lead (69-51) before Francis Alonso's dramatic buzzer-beating triple—after kissing the rim three times—sealed the visitors' comeback victory in front of 3,269 fans.

Both sides entered desperate for points in the relegation fight, with Breogán holding a slight edge from two more wins. MoraBanc arrived short-handed: Xavier Castañeda sidelined for three months with a knee injury from the Real Madrid clash, Artem Pons out, Rafa Luz limited off the bench after weeks away, and Aaron Ganal dealing with issues. Shannon Evans shouldered primary point guard duties.

Breogán seized an early 12-19 lead amid MoraBanc's seven turnovers in the opening six minutes, powered by Russell and Brankovic, prompting a quick Joan Plaza timeout. The hosts rallied to tie it at 25-25 after the first quarter, then pulled ahead in the second on Aaron Best's back-to-back threes and Evans' orchestration. An unsportsmanlike foul on Sakho helped forge a 56-44 halftime bulge—the game's peak margin of +12.

McKoy and Best extended the advantage to +18 early in the third with outside shooting and drives. Best (24 points) and McKoy (19)—amid trade rumors—drew Plaza's praise for their professionalism. A pre-game tribute honored former MoraBanc forward Mihajlo Andric.

Breogán responded with a crushing 3-20 run, sparked by Alonso (28 points), Brankovic (18) and Andric (14), drawing level at 80-78 entering the fourth. Leads swapped hands: Pustovyi and McKoy nudged MoraBanc ahead at 87-86, but Alonso's three made it 94-97 with two minutes left. Kuric tied it, Pustovyi sank free throws, yet a reviewed play granted Breogán possession. Andric leveled again, Kuric missed a shot-clock tester, and Alonso delivered at the death.

**Scoring**: MoraBanc—Best 24, McKoy 19, Pustovyi 14, Evans/Kuric 12 each, Ortega/Okoye/Luz 4-6, Udeze/Kostadinov 3 each, Ganal/Guerrero 0. Breogán—Alonso 28, Brankovic 18, Andric 14, Russell 9, Cook 8, Apic/Aranitovic 6 each, Sakho 5, Kurucs/Mavra 4 each, Dibba 2. Partials: 25-25, 56-44, 80-78, 101-104. Officials: Peruga, Torres, Lucas. Ejected: Mavra.

Plaza pinpointed recurring "black holes" of three-to-five minutes with poor choices, 17 turnovers gifting seven extra possessions, rebounding failures, and Breogán's paint dominance on two-point shots. "These moments kill us when ahead by 14 or 15," he said, adding the team must play "with a cooler head and the same hot heart." He dismissed concerns over his resolve—"I have more than enough strength to start over"—and lauded Best and McKoy's commitment despite injuries limiting others. On the final review, he noted it was out of their hands, with the club to assess footage.

A narrow Barcelona win over Burgos kept MoraBanc 15th (4-12), one victory and a better point differential (-136 vs. Burgos' -89) above the drop zone. They visit BAXI Manresa—two wins ahead, featuring ex-MoraBanc guard Ferran Bassas—on Sunday at noon, then host Gran Canaria, while Burgos face Girona. Pursuit of reinforcements like Daryl Macon (blocked by Maroussi) and Kassius Robertson (to Gran Canaria) stalled amid a tough market.

The club's special needs team competed in Valencia's ACB-backed Copa Campeones, beating CB Gran Canaria Proyecto Suma 29-4 but losing to Joventut Badalona-FEDAMAR (3-29) and Atlas Lleida (17-21). Coach Carles Segués hailed the "unique experience."