MoraBanc Andorra Falls 89-86 in Heartbreaking Overtime Loss to Covirán Granada

MoraBanc Andorra suffered a heartbreaking 89-86 defeat to Covirán Granada on Sunday in a pivotal 28th-round Liga Endesa relegation clash at Palacio de los Deportes, drawing 5,994 spectators. The loss leaves Andorra with seven wins from 28 games, level on points with Gran Canaria and San Pablo Burgos but trailing on tiebreakers, and now three victories ahead of bottom-placed Granada with six rounds remaining.

Aaron Best led Andorra with a career-high 27 points on six-of-12 three-pointers, but Sir'Jabari Rice's desperate overtime-forcing triple at the buzzer rimmed out. The game saw relentless momentum swings, including 14 lead changes and constant pressure on both benches.

Andorra struck first as Yves Pons drained back-to-back threes for a 3-8 edge, with Artem Pustovyi dominating rebounds early. Granada's zone defence sparked a response, including a 6-0 run capped by Wade-Rouse Rouselle's pair of triples to lead 33-24. Best and Rice rallied Andorra to trail 41-35 at halftime.

Granada pushed to a 47-35 third-quarter lead, but Andorra countered with six threes, crisp passing, and a 2-11 surge from Best, Pons, and Shannon Evans to seize a 55-59 advantage. They carried a 62-65 edge into the fourth, where turnovers allowed Granada to reclaim a 75-71 lead.

Best levelled at 82-82 with 44 seconds left. Rice's layup edged Andorra ahead 85-84 at 10 seconds, but Luka Božić's free throws followed Rice's miss, sealing the outcome.

Granada's scoring came from Lluís Costa (16), Božić (15), Rouselle (12), Mehdy Ngouama (11), and Babatunde Olumuyiwa (8). Andorra had 14 from Evans, 12 from Pons, eight from Xavier Castañeda, seven from Rice, five from Rafa Luz, and two from Kyle Kuric off the bench. Best and Pustovyi fouled out. Officials: Emilio Pérez Pizarro, Carlos Cortés, Raúl Zamorano.

Pre-match, Andorra coach Žan Tabak downplayed stakes, insisting all wins and losses carry equal weight. A victory wouldn't secure safety, nor would defeat doom them. He warned of Granada's revival under Arturo Ruiz since January, with three home wins in four—including over Manresa, Lleida, and an 83-71 upset of Unicaja Málaga—fuelled by a raucous crowd. "They're a completely different team from the first leg," when Andorra won 86-81 at home.

Tabak stressed shutting down Božić, the league's top-rated player, curbing turnovers, and bolstering defence despite offensive gains and slight rebound improvements. Kuric was recovering from niggles; Stan Okoye, showing progress, did not travel. Granada's Olumuyiwa, an Andorra alumnus from their last relegation four years ago, anticipated high intensity, emphasising perimeter defence, rebounds, home energy, and transition plays. He expressed reluctance to see his former club struggling but prioritised Granada's survival fight.

Andorra next face Tenerife away on Saturday evening, kicking off six final survival battles.