Spar Girona suffered an 82-73 defeat against BC Montana 2003 on Wednesday, October 22, 2026, during the second round of the EuroCup Women group stage, capping off a 24-hour stretch marked by travel delays, a short roster, and a fourth-quarter power outage in Botevgrad, Bulgaria, according to reports from basquetgirona.com and diaridegirona.com.
A Nine-Hour Transit Ordeal Before Botevgrad Tip-Off
The Catalan club’s troubles began before departure when their flight from Barcelona to Sofia incurred a three-hour and eleven-minute delay. Originally scheduled to leave at 5:20 PM local time on Wednesday, the aircraft did not take off until 8:31 PM, landing in the Bulgarian capital shortly after midnight, diaridegirona.com reported. From Sofia, the team faced a bus journey exceeding one hundred kilometers to Botevgrad. Expedition members finally reached their hotel at 1:30 AM local time—nine and a half hours after arriving at El Prat Airport, not including the initial transit from Girona. Despite the grueling schedule and a depleted rotation featuring only seven available first-team players due to injuries, head coach Roberto Íñiguez led a morning walkthrough between 11:00 AM and 12:00 PM, giving the squad less than ten hours of rest before tip-off.
Slow Defensive Start Exposes Depleted Rotation
BC Montana 2003 capitalized immediately on the visitors’ fatigue, overwhelming Spar Girona’s defense to rack up 12 points in the opening four minutes. The Bulgarian side closed the first quarter ahead 25-17 following a buzzer-beating three-pointer, extending their lead to a game-high ten points at 27-17 in the second period, as noted by basquetgirona.com. Led by Daniela Wallen and outside shooting from Dimitrova and Kane, the hosts exploited a rotation limited to just seven active players. Tilbe Şenyürek and Queralt Casas spearheaded an initial response for Girona, while Carolina Guerrero contributed a crucial basket to level the score at 34-34. Montana answered with a 7-0 run before another three-pointer from Guerrero narrowed the halftime deficit to 41-37.
Third-Quarter Lulls Met With Late Resilience
A disjointed start to the second half allowed Montana to rebuild a comfortable cushion at 54-41 following unforced turnovers, prompting an immediate timeout from Íñiguez. Refusing to fold, Spar Girona mounted a 7-18 run to close the third period within two points at 61-59, powered by scoring contributions from Şenyürek, Casas, and Juana Camilión, according to diaridegirona.com.
Pavilion Blackout Disrupts the Final Stretch
Şenyürek opened the final quarter with a three-pointer that brought Girona within a single point at 63-62, at which point an unexpected arena blackout forced a stoppage with under eight minutes remaining, basquetgirona.com reported. When play resumed without television transmission, the visitors briefly claimed a 63-64 advantage. However, Montana regained composure down the stretch, utilizing a decisive surge led by Kane, Dimitrova, and Wallen to secure the 82-73 victory.
Tilbe Şenyürek Leads Spar Girona Scoring
Tilbe Şenyürek finished as the standout performer for Spar Girona with 27 points, including five three-pointers, alongside six rebounds. Queralt Casas added 14 points, while Juana Camilión chipped in with nine.
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