The Blas Infante returns to the spotlight with a visit from Euskaltax Bilbao Basket

This Saturday, Club fans will be treated to a double dose of basketball. At 7:30 p.m., everyone is invited to the Carpena for the game between Unicaja and Morabanc Andorra, but during the morning session, they’ll be able to enjoy a Liga U matchup between Unicaja Alhaurín de la Torre and Euskaltax Bilbao Basket. The warm-up game for the main event will take place at 12:30 p.m. at the Blas Infante; admission is free until capacity is reached, and the game can also be watched on the league’s YouTube channel.

 

Mikel Ereño will welcome back Alonso de la Iglesia to the roster after the injury he suffered on the first game day against Obradoiro U22. This means he regains one of his best playmakers and one of the players expected to be a team leader. On the downside, the Bilbao coach isn’t sure if Hugo Méndez will be able to play due to some ankle discomfort.

 

The Basque team returns to the Costa del Sol nearly eight months later with as many as nine players who were part of that previous matchup. That is one of the hallmarks of this Euskaltax Bilbao Basket team: the continuity of a large portion of its roster. Urko Madariaga, the team’s guiding light last season, remains the Bilbao squad’s go-to player in the paint, while Bignen Errasti has emerged as the offensive leader. The point guard has put together two standout performances to start the season, particularly in the victory over Amara Lleida, where he recorded 23 points, 10 assists, and 6 steals. On the bench, everything remains the same, with Mikel Torre at the helm and Íñigo Sainz-Trápaga as his assistant.

 

Among the new arrivals, two stand out above the juniors as they join the team’s dynamic: Iván Montero and Oier Ibarrola. The former arrives in Bilbao after completing his youth development at Movistar Estudiantes. With the student team, the small forward played several games in the FEB Third Division. His strong performance caught the attention of the Spanish national team, and this summer he represented the U18 national squad. For his part, the shooting guard from Navarre has spent the last two seasons with Baskonia, where he played a key role on a team that finished second in its group and competed in the preliminary round for promotion to the FEB Second Division.

 

Euskaltax Bilbao Basket has had a mixed start to the U League, with two games yielding very different results. On the first game day, they traveled to Murcia, where they suffered a decisive 95-66 loss. On UCAM Murcia Juver’s home court, they were outplayed; on offense, they finished with a 30% field goal percentage, and on defense, they sent the university team to the free-throw line as many as 40 times.

 

On the second game of the year, held at the Artxanda Sports Complex, they broke loose and came out on top in an offensive slugfest between Mikel Torres’s team and Amara Lleida, with the home team winning 104-97. That was when Errasti put up the impressive performance we mentioned earlier—30 efficiency points—with a stellar Julen Gascón in a supporting role, scoring 21 points.

 

Statistical Leaders

Euskaltax Bilbao Basket’s playing philosophy is quite similar to the one followed during the 2025–26 season. The volume of shots is comparable—76 this year compared to 70 attempts last season. This difference is primarily due to the nearly imperceptible decline in free-throw attempts. The balance between three-pointers and two-pointers is also quite similar. About 40% of their shots come from beyond the 6.75-meter line, making them the second-most frequent three-point attempters in the league this year (32).

 

For yet another season, the Basque team ranks sixth in assists per game. In this category, the leading playmaker is Bingen Errasti, who, with an average of 7.5 assists per game, ranks second in the Liga U. Ball handling is something they pay close attention to—so much so that they’ve forced the most turnovers from their opponents in these first two rounds, with a total of 35 possessions recovered.

 

In addition to the already standout Errasti, who leads the team in scoring (18.5) and efficiency rating (20.5), Gascón is the team’s sharpshooter, attempting 5.5 three-pointers per game with a 63.6% success rate, allowing him to average 15.5 points. Inside, Madariaga remains the top rim protector on the Euskaltax Bilbao Basket roster, grabbing 15 rebounds.

A Tight Rivalry

Unicaja Alhaurín de la Torre and Euskaltax Bilbao Basket have faced off twice, both times in Phase 2 of last season’s Liga U. Each team claimed one victory. Both wins came at home, but the team then coached by Manolo Trujillo came closer to winning on the road. The Malaga team won 88-68 at the Blas Infante Arena, led by a stellar performance from Alonso de la Iglesia, who scored 18 points without missing a shot and posted a player rating of 28.

 

Meanwhile, in the matchup at the Artxanda Sports Complex, they fell 76-73 after cutting into a 16-point home lead. Wilmer Mejía had a shot to send the game into overtime, but he missed, and Javi Valero grabbed the offensive rebound but was unable to get off another three-point attempt. So, whoever wins next Saturday at 12:30 p.m. at the Blas Infante will tip the scales in their favor.