Huertas reaches 500 assists in Tenerife win, AEK go 4-0 and Le Mans beat Unicaja in dramatic Week 6 in the BCL
- → Peristeri come away victorious from the Arena Savaria to hold off late comeback by Szombathely.
- → Bursaspor get the win in Bonn to make things interesting in tight Group F.
- → AEK Betsson remain undefeated after win vs King Szczecin.
- → Le Mans defeat Unicaja at the Antarés.
Falco Szombathely-Peristeri bwin 87-90 Game Recap
Peristeri bwin have the last say after a closer-than-intended affair at the Arena Savaria, where they defeated Hungarian champions Falco Szombathely 87-90 after leading for the entirety of the contest.
Peristeri interrupted their 4-game losing streak on the road thanks to a poised early start, where they accrued a lead that became as large as 21 points (51-72 with 3:49 to play in the 3rd quarter). With Joe Ragland orchestrating the Greeks’ offense – his 16 points made him the 15th player to reach the 700-point milestone in the BCL – helped the team coached by Vassilis Spanoulis build a lead that looked insurmountable for Falco Szombathely.
That did not faze Zoltan Perl though, as the instant-impact point guard came off the bench to rally the Hungarian comeback with an incredible 30-point performance in 32 minutes on 33 efficiency rating. The Szombathely native becomes the first European to rack 30 points from the bench, and with Boris Barac’s 17 points, sparked a 12-0 run that brought the Hungarians within touching distance.
Peristeri head coach Vassilis Spanoulis got ejected with six minutes left on the clock, and his team suddenly found their lead eroded to a mere possession (87-90) with the ball in Szombathely’s hands. With the chance to become the hero, Marcell Pongó pulls up with the sixth three-pointer of his night, but it’s only an airball for the Hungarian, and a sigh of relief for Peristeri.
Peristeri, now 2-2, face a decisive game for 2nd place at the Andreas Papandreou on Wednesday December 6, as they host 2-2 Le Mans. Falco Szombathely will travel to Malaga to face Unicaja in a bid to keep their hopes alive.
Falco Szombathely - Peristeri bwin Game Highlights
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VEF Riga-Cholet Basket 70-63 Game Recap
VEF Riga are still alive after a close win at the Arena Riga at the expense of Cholet Basket. Successfully tightening their grip on defense (they only conceded nine points in the first quarter, a historic BCL low for VEF), the Latvians limited Cholet to 37% from inside the area and 25% from distance in a closely contested game.
Crucially, Riga managed to contain Cholet’s fast breaks, with 10 points only, a season low, for the French side coming on the break. Isaiah Pineiro led VEF with 15 points, as Alex Madsen contributed with a vital 13 points and a team-leading +/- of 17 for the Latvians.
The visitors, with Ayayi scoring 19 points, took a maximum lead of six points in the third quarter, but VEF were not ready to let go: the hosts gained the lead between the third and fourth, as the teams started the last period on a perfect 48-48 equilibrium.
Riga outscored the French outfit, forcing them to 2-2 and keeping their progress hopes alive with a crucial home win.
VEF Riga - Cholet Basket Game Highlights
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Telekom Baskets Bonn-Bursaspor Info Yatirim 82-92 Game Recap
With their backs against the wall, Jure Zdovc’s players inflicted current holders Telekom Baskets Bonn their 2nd BCL defeat, making things in Group F even more interesting, with the concrete possibility of a four-team 2-2 tie.
The Germans started on the front foot, building their biggest lead (30-21) at the start of the 2nd quarter. Brian Fobbs came off the bench to score a game-leading 22 points on 7/10 from the field. The visitors responded with a 13-0 run that allowed them to take the lead (33-36) with three minutes remaining in the 2nd.
Bursaspor were led by their “big three” in this game, with former Gran Canaria Mutaf, Anthony Brown, and David Michineau combining for 55 of the 92 points scored by Bursaspor. Forcing 13 turnovers and securing 7 steals, Bursaspor ran, outscoring Bonn 5-15 on fast breaks and generating 20 points from turnovers.
Despite Bonn’s bench scoring 61 points to Bursaspor’s 14, the Turkish side secured the victory, shaking up Group F standings and setting the stage for potentially dramatic final games.
Telekom Baskets Bonn - Bursaspor Info Yatirim Game Highlights
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Lenovo Tenerife - Darüşşafaka Lassa 72-63 Game Recap
On a night where Lenovo Tenerife equalled AS Monaco’s record for consecutive home wins in the Basketball Champions League (18, per Opta), Marcelinho Huertas became the first player to reach the 500-assist milestone in the competition.
During a close contest that went down the stretch, Darüşşafaka seemed to be running away with the game with a commanding 19-4 run to start the game. Kyle Allman and Jānis Timma struggled from the field combining for 8/25, leaving an opening for the Canarios’ comeback in San Cristobal de La Laguna.
Evergreen point-guard Marcelinho Huertas, 40 years young, scored 13 of his 21 points, combined with 11 assists, in a decisive fourth quarter to get Tenerife back in the lead (62-60) with 4 minutes to go. The home team pulled away with an 8-0 run to close the game and celebrate the Brazilian playmaker’s historic night.
Lenovo Tenerife - Darüşşafaka Lassa Game Highlights
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AEK Betsson BC-King Szczecin 86-64 Game Recap
For the first time in their Basketball Champions League history, AEK ensured a 4-0 start to their campaign, putting 84 past King Szczecin with a convincing win, and virtually securing a first-place ticket in Group D.
King Szczecin tried to stay in the game for as long as they could, with an impressive 17-16 first quarter. The Queen tried to pull away in the 2nd quarter, securing a 13-point margin with 8 minutes to go in the third. With Jordan McRae and Mfiondu Kabengele running the Greeks’ offense with a combined 25, AEK seemed poised for an easy job.
The Polish champions had other ideas: a 10-0 run in the closing stages of the 2nd quarter behind Andrej Mazurczak and Tony Meier (10 and 13 points respectively) saw the visitors tie the game at 47 points midway through the 3rd quarter.
Kuzminskas and Tillman, coming off the bench for 14 points and 15 points respectively, answered with a 12-0 run that put the game back in AEK’s control. The Athens side never let go and built the 20-point lead that secured their biggest win since 2020 (per Opta) when they beat Minsk 95-69. AEK reached the 9000-point milestone in the BCL, as the second team to score 9000 points after Lenovo Tenerife.
AEK Betsson BC-King Szczecin Game Highlights
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Le Mans Sarthe Basket-Unicaja 85-78 Game Recap
Unicaja suffered their first defeat at the Antarés, as the French outfit bounced back after a two-game losing streak.
With a lead spanning across 34 minutes, the French side were dominant throughout the first three quarters. The hosts led by 15 points with 8 minutes to go in the fourth quarter (71-56) behind an inspired DeVante’ Jones and Trevor Hudgins duo – with the former providing 18 points and 6 assists and the latter 13.
A late 9-0 run by Ibon Navarro’s players, led by a combined 30-points from Kendrick Perry and Dylan Osetkowski from the bench, enabled the Andalusians to tie the game at 78 with just over two minutes to go.
Le Mans kept their composure and answered with a 7-0 run to close the game and snap Unicaja’s nine-game winning streak in all competitions.
Le Mans Sarthe - Unicaja Game Highlights
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Dinamo Banco di Sardegna Sassari-MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg 80-97 Game Recap
Ludwigsburg and Sassari trade road wins in the Basketball Champions League as the Germans come away victorious from the Palaserradimigni.
A completely different beast from the stuttering Ludwigsburg that started the BCL, Joshua King’s team dominated the game for 39 minutes, imposing themselves over the Sardinians and making it two wins in Group D.
Jayvon Graves racked 20 points for the third BCL game in a row (first player this season per Opta) en route to a decisive win, with Ludwigsburg managing to force 15 turnovers – 10 of which steals – converted in 24 points.
Sassari was not able to protect the boards and let Ludwigsburg score 40 in the paint and 21 second chance points from 17 offensive rebounds.
Despite Tyree’s 18 points, Piero Bucchi's outfit is now 1-3 in the Group and will need to win their home game against King Szczecin to keep third place and play-ins qualification.
Dinamo Banco di Sardegna Sassari - MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg Game Highlights
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Rio Breogan – Hapoel Holon 82-72 Game Recap
Rio Breogan set the record straight after last week’s defeat in Riga, with an 82-72 win that brings them level with Telekom Baskets Bonn and opens the door for a 2-2 four-team tie in Group F of the Basketball Champions League.
The Galicians have now won all their home games while losing their road games, while Hapoel Holon keep struggling on Spanish soil with a 1-5 record.
Veljko Mrsic’s side set the tone early after a close start, with the visitors leading by a maximum of 5 points. The 11-0 run to start the 2nd quarter, led by former NBA journeyman Justin Anderson and Lithuanian Matas Jogėla led the Galician side to a double-digit lead (30-20) midway through the 2nd quarter.
Leading 11 with 2 minutes left in the third quarter, Rio Breogan seemed hopeful to close the game easily, but they know things aren’t simple when Hapoel Holon are on the court. 12 unanswered points by the visitors, rallying behind Justin Smith’s 15 points on 7/9 and Drew Crawford’s 17 with 5/5 from behind the arc propelled the kings of comebacks in the lead (60-61) with 8 minutes to go.
Diouf and Juan Fernandez immediately led a 7-0 run to get the Galicians in a comfortable position to close the game. Hapoel Holon are now 2-1 with a game in hand, while Breogan have 2 wins and 2 losses.
Rio Breogan - Hapoel Holon Game Highlights
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The BCL comes bask in a week with 8 games. Don't miss the action, watch Basketball Champions League live on Courtside 1891 (blackout restrictions may apply).
