Unicaja Alhaurín de la Torre Takes on Barris Nord (67-78)

Unicaja Alhaurín de la Torre returns from Lleida with a valuable victory after defeating Amara Lleida 68–79 in a game that went from strength to strength for the Málaga team. The squad coached by Mikel Ereño managed to win every quarter of the game except the first and knew how to capitalize on key moments to secure its first road win of the season.

 

The victory is particularly significant for two reasons. In addition to allowing Mikel Ereño’s team to continue closing in on the spots that qualify for Group A, it also gives them an advantage over a direct rival they will host again next week at the Blas Infante. Nikola Tomic, Dani Sierra, and Leandro Monteiro played standout roles at key moments of the game.

 

Amara Lleida started the game with very high defensive intensity, which disrupted the visitors’ offensive flow. Gerard Villarejo and Leandro Monteiro found occasional solutions to keep their team in the game, but the home team capitalized on their strong start to open up an early lead (21–12). However, the response from the Málaga team was not long in coming. Led by Dani Sierra, the Cajistas put together a strong run that allowed them to close the gap to 25-23 by the end of the first quarter.

 

In the second quarter, Pau Torrens stepped up, once again demonstrating why he was one of the standout players in Liga U last season. Despite this, Amara Lleida was unable to extend its lead thanks to a defensive surge by Mikel Ereño’s team.

 

Unicaja Alhaurín de la Torre’s offensive struggles persisted for several minutes until Leandro Monteiro turned the game around. The shooting guard hit two consecutive three-pointers to tie the game (34–34, min. 16). Borja Comenge called a timeout to stem the visitors’ momentum, but Monteiro remained on fire and hit a third three-pointer, which—combined with contributions from Villarejo and Chorly Cazorla—allowed the Málaga team to take their first lead (36-40). The Ilerda team’s response was immediate, and another scoring run by the home team allowed them to head into halftime with a slim lead (41–40).

 

After halftime, the game remained closely contested. The scoring pace slowed considerably, and both teams struggled to convert their opportunities. Despite several open shots that failed to find the net, Unicaja Alhaurín de la Torre held its ground and was involved in several back-and-forth lead changes. In that back-and-forth battle, Nikola Tomic and Dani Villalba stepped up to take charge of the offense. Both propelled the visitors in the final stretch of the third quarter and allowed Unicaja to enter the final ten minutes with a lead (55-59).

 

That momentum proved decisive. Tomic took over as the team’s offensive leader and scored the Malaga team’s first nine points in the final period, including a spectacular five-point play. Thanks to his accuracy, Unicaja Alhaurín de la Torre extended its lead to 61-69 with six minutes remaining.

 

Borja Comenge then called a timeout in hopes of sparking a reaction from his team, but the Unicaja defense held firm. The Malaga team returned to the court highly focused, limited Pau Torrens’ impact in the decisive minutes, and controlled the pace of the game until the final buzzer.

 

With a great team effort and solid defense in the decisive stretch, Unicaja Alhaurín de la Torre secured an important 67–78 victory—their first of the season away from the Blas Infante.