Baxi Manresa delivered a commanding performance on Three Kings’ Day at Nou Congost, defeating Aris de Salónica 113-89 to take a major step toward clinching a spot in the Eurocup’s round of 16.
Retin Obasohan led the charge with 18 points and 6 assists, powering the Catalan side’s explosive start. From the opening tip, Manresa pressed hard, especially on offense, where Agustín Ubal became a constant headache for the visiting defense, helping the team to a 14-7 lead by the fifth minute.
The scoring surge continued as Marcis Steinbergs connected on one of his trademark three-pointers, pushing the home side’s advantage to double digits at 24-14 by the eighth minute. Aris struggled to respond, and Manresa capitalized, closing the first quarter with an overwhelming 35-18 lead that set the tone for the rest of the game.
Diego Ocampo’s squad maintained its efficiency in the second quarter. Youngster Gerard Fernández joined the offensive party from the free-throw line to extend the lead past 20 points (45-24, 13th minute). Max Gaspà then took center stage, draining a three-pointer to push the margin beyond 30 points, all before the second period ended (61-29, 18th minute).
Aris showed slight improvement before halftime thanks to Bryce Jones, but still trailed 63-38 at the break. After the restart, Jones continued his efforts for the visitors, but Manresa’s Retin Obasohan and Pierre Oriola stepped up to maintain a comfortable cushion (71-52, 25th minute).
The teams traded baskets in the following minutes, with young Fernández again dazzling the Nou Congost crowd (77-56, 28th minute). Manresa held firm and entered the final quarter with a reassuring 87-66 advantage.
Aris began the last period strongly, with Amine Noua scoring five straight points to cut the deficit to 87-73, prompting an Ocampo timeout. The visitors got as close as 11 points after two more triples from Jones, but Steinbergs and Obasohan answered from long range to cool their comeback hopes (95-81, 35th minute).
Though Aris managed to chip away further, a strong finish from Ferran Bassas sealed the 113-99 victory, moving Manresa one giant step closer to the Eurocup round of 16.
