By Alex Molina/ info@eurohoops.net
In a historic all-Spanish clash at the Palau Municipal d’Esports de Badalona, Unicaja secured a hard-fought 85–80 victory over La Laguna Tenerife to claim third place in Basketball Champions League Season X, powered by Ameresco SUNEL.
In a contest defined by its razor-thin margins, the game featured 17 lead changes and 13 ties, ultimately ensuring that Ibon Navarro’s side leaves the season-ending tournament with the €100,000 prize. By reaching the podium, the Malaga outfit becomes only the second team in league history, joining their opponents today, to win a medal in three consecutive seasons following their 2024 and 2025 titles.
The result marks a significant turnaround from the 2023 bronze-medal game, which was the only other time two teams from the same country faced off for third place. In that meeting, the Canarians emerged victorious, but Unicaja reversed the trend on Saturday.
Despite entering the game on a two-game losing streak across all competitions and trailing by four points at the break, Unicaja defied the historical odds. While the team leading at halftime had won eight of the previous nine BCL bronze-medal games, they mirrored AEK’s comeback opposite Tenerife from last year’s Final Four to snatch the win.
Ibon Navarro’s squad demonstrated remarkable resilience while shorthanded, competing without the suspended Chris Duarte, as well as Nihad Djedovic, Augustine Rubit, and Emir Sulejmanovic, who was sidelined with Achilles tendinitis, and Tyson Perez was forced to an early exit due to a left calf injury. Txus Vidorreta’s Tenerife side was also missing injured Rokas Giedraitis and rested veteran Marcelinho Huertas.
Unicaja’s offense was powered by Chase Audige and Killian Tillie, who contributed 15 and 13 points, respectively, while Aleksander Balcerowski, packing 11 points, notched his seventh BCL game with at least ten points, a perfect omen for Malaga, who have won every time in which he reached that mark. A collective effort in the third-place game overcame a game-high 23 points from Tenerife’s Patty Mills.