An array of players came to the fore in an impressive Round 2 win
Gran Canaria showed in Podgorica why it is a EuroCup contender
If it wasn’t for the first-half heroics of Caleb Homesley, Dreamland Gran Canaria would have been in serious trouble on the road at Buducnost VOLI Podgorica on Wednesday night. The 27-year-old American ended up scoring 10 points in the first quarter before adding a further 5 in the second, taking his total to 15, yet Jaka Lakovic’s men trailed 25-20 and then 44-38. Not an unassailable margin, but a deficit nonetheless.
Homesley kept charging in the third and added a further 5 points, but he appeared to twist his ankle after bumping into a referee, meaning his scoring output of 20 points had to be put on hold. For Gran Canaria, which trailed 52-49 with 4:41 minutes to go in the third when Homesley went out, it was a matter of sink or swim.
Game Videos
Ultimately, Gran Canaria’s players chose to swim. The likes of George Conditt, Andrew Albicy, Nico Brussino and Joe Thomasson all stepped up in Homesley’s absence, helping their team take a 58-62 advantage into the final frame of regulation. The first half of the fourth quarter couldn’t have gone better for Coach Lakovic and his troops, either, as back-to-back three-pointers by Carlos Alocen and Brussino opened a game-high 12-point lead (63-75).
From there, though, Buducnost regrouped and went on to force overtime after some heroics by Fletcher Magee and three made free throws by Yogi Ferrell with two seconds remaining. That must have been a big frustration for the visiting team, yet Homesley moved to 23 points with a wing three as Gran Canaria struck first, then Mike Tobey made the most of a mismatch before scoring off the glass (81-86). Buducnost made Gran Canaria sweat when Ferrell hit a corner three (86-86) with 41.3 seconds left, but John Shurna – the 2023 EuroCup Finals MVP – appeared with a timely three-pointer in the corner, his first points of the game, in what proved to be the final score of the night.
Watching Gran Canaria, it is clear that Lakovic is still working the new players into the rotation, but the signs are good. After all, managing to win a game in which the team suffered at various points is the sign of a group that can go far. Gran Canaria now finds itself with a perfect 2-0 record, and it knows it has more levels to reach.
Last year’s eighthfinals exit to Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul was a big blow, especially after winning the whole thing in 2023, but this squad has what it takes to lift the trophy once again. If the only way is up for Gran Canaria, it should spell bad news for the rest of the teams in Group B.