After a horrendous start to the game for Bahcesehir College Istanbul, Marko Simonovic helped his team get back on track to help them defeat KK Cedevita Olimpija and lock up a place in the EuroCup Semifinals.

Marko Simonovic instrumental as Bahcesehir reached semifinals

Things were not looking too good for [Bahcesehir College Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/bahcesehir-college-istanbul/bah/) 10 minutes into its quarterfinal bout [against Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/bahcesehir-rallies-past-cedevita-85-81/) in the BKT EuroCup Playoffs, with Dejan Radonjic's side trailing 7-24 on their home floor, but [Marko Simonovic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/marko-simonovic/012711/) made sure it turned out to be a happy night at Sinan Erdem Sports Hall.

Bahcesehir ended up securing an 85-81 win to book its place in the EuroCup Semifinals in just its second season in the competition, but that first quarter was nothing short of horrendous. After [CJ Massinburg](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/cj-massinburg/011821/) drained a three-pointer with Bahcesehir's first shot of the game, the next 16 offenses until the end of the first quarter saw the hosts miss 10 shots, pick up 4 turnovers and draw a couple of shooting fouls, hitting all 4 free throws to trail 7-24.

When Aleksej Nikolic and DJ Stewart each struck from downtown, Bahcesehir was forced to call a timeout at 11-30. Simonovic had come off the bench late in the first quarter in what was a special game for him. 

Born in Montenegro, Simonovic joined Olimpija Ljubljana before the start of the 2018-19 season. He took the opportunity to play against his former team to rescue Bahcesehir when his team was on the verge of elimination.

Simonovic found his rhythm by drawing a couple of shooting fouls, hitting all 4 free-throw attempts. He soon added a three-pointer from the top of the key and scored twice in the paint to single-handedly bring Bahcesehir within single digits, 26-35. In those four minutes, he outscored Cedevita 11-5.

He remained a solid force in the paint, balancing his team's offense on an off night for fellow big man [Tai Odiase](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/tai-odiase/011823/). Simonovic also hit a pair of key free throws with 21.9 seconds remaining which allowed Bahcesehir to seal the outcome, 83-77. He finished the game with a personal-best 20 points on 4 of 6 two-pointers, also hitting his only three-point attempts and 9 of his 10 foul shots. Simonovic also had 4 rebounds, 1 assists, 3 steals and 6 fouls drawn for a career-high PIR of 27.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tr" dir="ltr">🗓️ 11.03.2025 Ataköy Hatırası<br><br>BİZ BÜYÜK BİR AİLEYİZ 🙌<br><br>❤️💙 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FlyHighTogether?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FlyHighTogether</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HayalDe%C4%9FilHedef?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HayalDeğilHedef</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroCup?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroCup</a> <a href="https://t.co/wSOqTMXVBh">pic.twitter.com/wSOqTMXVBh</a></p>&mdash; Bahçeşehir Koleji Spor Kulübü (@BKBasketbol) <a href="https://twitter.com/BKBasketbol/status/1899569620547457254?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 11, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

After the game, Simonovic highlighted his team's effort, as a unit, to rally past Cedevita and reach the next round.

"We were supposed to change the game. We didn't start the right way. We changed the game, especially in the fourth quarter," Simonovic said. "We played well in the third quarter but again, they played better than us. But our fourth quarter was crucial. I'm really happy and proud of this team, of these guys, of those people who are working in this club. 

"So now \[we go to the\] semifinals, we have to prepare all the games and go forward as much as we can. I just want to say this. This is a team win. We play good like a team: one game it's me, another game it's some other player. From the beginning, we show everyone that we are playing like a team."

This is Simonovic's second EuroCup semifinal in as many seasons in the competition. Last season, he joined Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul late in the regular season, helping his team qualify to the playoffs and eliminate both Dreamland Gran Canaria and Hapoel Tel Aviv before losing in the best-of-three semifinals against Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse. 

Simonovic now hopes to take Bahcesehir even higher at the end of the 2024-25 EuroCup season.

Game News

The Montenegrin big man came up big for the Turkish team

Bahcesehir College Istanbul v Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (2025-03-11T17:00:00.000Z)

Dreamland Gran Canaria ground out a gritty 89-92 win over Hapoel Yahav Bank Jerusalem on the back of its muscle in the paint, having won the battle of the boards 33-21 and crucially collecting 11 offensive rebounds to Hapoel’s 4. 

Dominating the boards helped Gran Canaria squeeze past Hapoel 

[Dreamland Gran Canaria](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/dreamland-gran-canaria/roster/can/?season=2024-25) kept alive its dream of winning the BKT EuroCup for the second time by advancing to the best-of-three semifinal series thanks to [a gritty 89-92 win](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/gran-canaria-beats-hapoel-89-92-to-advance-to-semifinals/) over [Hapoel Yahav Bank Jerusalem](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/hapoel-jerusalem/roster/jer/?season=2024-25).

Gran Canaria ground out the win on the back of its muscle in the paint, having won the battle of the boards 33-21 and crucially collecting 11 offensive rebounds to Hapoel’s 4.

Big man [Mike Tobey](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/mike-tobey/008966/) had a field day in the second half as he racked up 14 points and 8 boards, complementing [Caleb Homesley](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/caleb-homesley/011251/) who led the Gran Canaria charge with 21 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists.

Homesley was only 1 of 7 from downtown but what a vital three-pointer it turned out to be, as it came in a nail-biting finish to stretch Gran Canaria’s lead to 79-84 when Hapoel was on the verge of turning the game on its head, having trailed by 12 points.

Game Videos

It was a second successive tight postseason win for Gran Canaria after the Spanish side edged out [Umana Reyer Venice](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/umana-reyer-venice/roster/vnc/?season=2024-25) [84-80 in the eighthfinals ](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/gran-canaria-outlasts-reyer-84-80/)and next up is a mouth-watering clash with [Bahcesehir College Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/bahcesehir-college-istanbul/roster/bah/?season=2024-25), which rallied from a massive deficit to beat [Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/cedevita-olimpija-ljubljana/roster/lju/?season=2024-25) [85-81 in Tuesday’s other quarterfinal](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/bahcesehir-rallies-past-cedevita-85-81/).

Homesley made it clear that it took a monumental effort for Gran Canaria to overcome battling Hapoel, which shot a superb 11 of 22 from deep but the Israeli side was undone in the paint, conceding a flurry of second-chance points.  

“We really wanted this win and we really put everything we had on the line,” Homesley said in his postgame comments. “We talked about it, we knew this was the only game and we did a good job executing our game plan.

“We came together at halftime and talked about the adjustments we needed to make. Bahcesehir are a good team, they beat us once and we beat them once so it’s going to be tough because we’re on the road first. If we put in the effort and the energy, it’ll be good.”

Coach Jaka Lakovic, who was in charge in 2023 when Gran Canaria ripped through the regular season with a 15-3 record and went on to beat Turk Telkom Ankara 71-67 in [a fiercely competitive championship game](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/ec2223-final-report-grancanaria-turktelekom/), acknowledged that getting past Bahcesehir would be a stern test of his team’s credentials.

Lakovic also praised Hapoel’s valiant late effort to overturn a 12-point deficit which fell just short as Gran Canaria was ice cold from the foul line in the dying minutes.

“We broke the game open late in the third quarter and early in the fourth, but Hapoel fought back like they always do,” the Slovenian tactician said.  “We were focused enough to make some huge three-pointers in the end and got some important stops on defense.

“Bahcesehir is a very strong team, talented and experienced. They invested a lot of money to play this season with big expectations but we’ll be ready for the semifinal series.”

The Spanish side made the most of superior rebounding as it held on in a frantic finale 

Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem v Dreamland Gran Canaria (2025-03-11T19:00:00.000Z)

Dreamland Grand Canaria booked a BKT EuroCup Semifinals berth and a best-out-of-three clash with Bahcesehir College Istanbul after ice-cold free throw shooting in a dramatic climax that saw the Spanish side edge Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem 89-92. 

Gran Canaria beats Hapoel, 89-92, to advance to semifinals 

Dreamland Grand Canaria booked a BKT EuroCup Semifinals berth and a best-out-of-three clash with Bahcesehir College Istanbul after ice-cold free throw shooting in a dramatic climax that saw the Spanish side edge Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem 89-92.

Caleb Homesley paced Gran Canaria with 21 points, while Joe Thomasson chipped in 16 after scoring the opening 10 points for his team. Mike Tobey racked up 14 points and 8 boards and Nicolas Brussino netted 10 points to go with 4 assists.

At the other end, Jared Harper led Hapoel on a game-high 24 points and Khadeen Carrington amassed 20 and 5 rebounds. Yovel Zoosman added 13 points for the Israeli side while Justin Smith and Jeremy Morgan netted 10 each.

Both sides made jittery starts on offense, but once they settled in, Thomasson ran the show as he caught fire in the first quarter and propelled Gran Canaria into a 21-25 lead at the end of the opening period.

The see-saw battle continued in the second as Gran Canaria carved out a 31-36 advantage, only for Hapoel to rally with a 12-3 run late in the first half and engineer a 44-42 lead at the interval, with the hosts shooting 6 of 10 from deep in the opening two quarters.

With Hapoel nosing ahead 56-54 early in the third, Gran Canaria conjured a massive 2-16 run on the back of sound offensive rebounding, as Toby played an instrumental part in the home team’s paint. The visitors were able to score a barrage of second-chance points as well as easy buckets in transition, carving out a 58-70 lead heading into the final 10 minutes.

Hapoel refused to roll over and played catch-up to good effect, but Andrew Albicy and Homesley made clutch threes when the Israeli team closed in and threatened to turn the tide. Ultimately, Tobey also grabbed a crucial offensive board which allowed Homesley to sink a pair of free throws before Carrington came up short with a long three on the buzzer.

The Spanish side held its nerve in a tense finish to come out on top 

It was a rough night for Jaleen Smith until he bounced back with flying colors. 


Jaleen Smith stepped up for Bahcesehir when it mattered 

[Bahcesehir College Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/bahcesehir-college-istanbul/roster/bah/?season=2024-25) advanced to the BKT EuroCup Semifinals for the first time in club history thanks to [an 85-81 come-from-behind win](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/bahcesehir-rallies-past-cedevita-85-81/) over [Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/cedevita-olimpija-ljubljana/roster/lju/?season=2024-25) in the single-game quarterfinals. It wasn't easy by any means, as Cedevita led most of the way. The visitors had managed to stop some of Bahcesehir's main pillars: [Tai Odiase](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/tai-odiase/011823/), [Mateusz Ponitka](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/mateusz-ponitka/004172/), [Axel Bouteille](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/axel-bouteille/003840/) and above all, [Jaleen Smith](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/jaleen-smith/011192/) were having a difficult night against Coach [Zvezdan Mitrovic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/cedevita-olimpija-ljubljana/lju/mitrovic-zvezdan?season=U2024)'s team. Smith had averaged 12.9 points and 5.6 assists in the regular season, starting all 18 games. At the end of the third quarter, he was scoreless.

Cedevita led 59-68 early in the fourth quarter when Smith took matters into his own hands. He found Odiase for a wide open dunk, made a pair of free throws and found [Furkan Korkmaz](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/furkan-korkmaz/005763/) for a layup that tied it at 69-69. Smith went on to bury a rainbow jumper and soon added a driving layup, putting Bahcesehir ahead for good. He had 6 points and 2 assists in a critical 16-1 run that allowed the hosts to take full control of the game. Smith still had time to hit a three-pointer that gave Bahcesehir 79-73 lead with 2 minutes remaining.

Jaleen Smith of Bahcesehir College Istanbul had all of his 9 points in the final quarter of his team's 85-81 quarterfinals wins over Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana.

Smith gives Bahcesehir final push

When the dust settled, Bahcesehir had punched its semifinals ticket with the home-court advantage for its next series and Smith had played a key role with 9 points, 3 rebounds and 7 assists.

Smith has been outstanding all season long, reading games really well to find out how to be useful for his team. In Round 7, Bahcesehir topped Hapoel Tel Aviv 90-82. Smith was held to just 2 points but dished a career-high 15 assists. He reached the 20-point mark three times this season and also had a double-double (11 points and 11 assists) against Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul in Round 11. His free throw accuracy makes him even more valuable in all important games going forward. Smith has hit 43 of 44 free throws so far this season, with a league-leading percentage of 97.7%.

Smith made the difference in crunch time against Cedevita, giving Bahcesehir plenty of reasons to celebrate a truly historic victory.

It was a rough night for Jaleen Smith until he bounced back with flying colors


The hosts rallied from a 19-point deficit to advance to the semifinals


Bahcesehir rallies past Cedevita, 85-81!

Bahcesehir College Istanbul advanced to the BKT EuroCup Semifinals by downing Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana 85-81 at Sinan Erdem Dome on Tuesday. Bahcesehir reached this stage for the first time in the competition, denying Cedevita the chance to play its first semifinals. The visitors led by as many as 19 and went into the fourth quarter up 9 before Bahcesehir came racing back. 

Marko Simonovic led the winners with 20 points. Tyler Cavanaugh added 14 while Furkan Korkmaz had 10 for Bahcesehir. Danilo Tasic paced Cedevita with 14 points, Devante Jones added 12, DJ Stewart and Devin Robinson each scored 11 and Aleksej Nikolic had 10 for the visitors.

CJ Massinburg got Bahcesehir going with a three-pointer. Nikolic answered with a backdoor layup and Robinson added an off-balance three-point play for a 3-5 Cedevita lead. Stewart followed a driving layup with a fastbreak basket as the hosts called a timeout. Andrija Stipanovic scored down low, Nikolic added a driving layup and Gregor Glas's three-pointer capped a 0-17 Cedevita run. Bahcesehir was held scoreless for over 7 minutes until Tai Odiase made free throws. Glas buried a highly-contested triple before Korkmaz got his team within 7-20. Tasic scored in the paint and Jones's buzzer-beating layup boosted the visitors' lead to 7-24 after 10 minutes.

Korkmaz followed a jump hook with a tip-in early in the second quarter. Nikolic and Stewart each struck from downtown, which prompted Bahcesehir to call timeout at 11-30. Mateusz Ponitka buried a baseline jumper and got help from Simonovic to trim the gap. Robinson stepped up with a layup in transition, but Korkmaz and Simonovic got Bahcesehir closer, 22-32. An unstoppable Simonovic scored twice in the paint but Cedevita regrouped. Nikolic stepped up with a three-point play and Tasic followed a triple with a layup-plus-foul for a 26-41 score. Cavanaugh found his first points and Axel Bouteille struck twice from downtown to bring Bahcesehir within 33-43. Stipanovic and Bouteille traded baskets before Massinburg's three-pointer brought Bahcesehir within 38-46 at halftime.

Bahcesehir found a new go-to guy in Kenan Sipahi, who brought the hosts even closer, 42-48, soon after the break. Lemar buried a step-back jumper before Bouteille and Simonovic made it a 4-point game. Cavanaugh erased Tasic's jump hook and soon brought his team within 51-52. After Jones stepped up with a three-point play, Simonovic answered with a put-back layup. Lemar came through for Cedevita and Dasic kept pushing the visitors with another layup-plus-foul. When Stewart buried a jumper, Bahcesehir stopped the game at 55-61. Rok Radovic and Stipanovic each dunked to boost the lead to 56-65 after three quarters.

Cavanaugh and Radovic each struck from beyond the arc early in the fourth quarter. Odiase dunked and Cavanaugh's driving layup made it 63-69 with 7 minutes left. Jaleen Smith scored his first points and Simonovic scored around the basket. Korkmaz ignited the crowd with a backdoor basket and Smith's rainbow jumper completed Bahcesehir's comeback, 71-69. Smith kept pushing the hosts with a driving layup and Cavanaugh capped a 16-1 run with a power basket. Jones made free throws and Stewart scored off the baseline, bringing Cedevita within 76-73 with 3 minutes left. Smith sank a critical triple and Sipahi added a floater, but Robinson got Cedevita within 81-77 with 1:09 left. Simonovic hit free throws to seal the outcome with 21.9 seconds remaining.

Bahcesehir rallies past Cedevita, 85-81

The BKT EuroCup quarterfinals will see the eight remaining teams continue their quest for glory in winner-takes-all battles. Here's your overview of the action.

## Wednesday, March 12

### [Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv 67-61 Turk Telekom Ankara](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/game-center/2024-25/hapoel-shlomo-tel-aviv-turk-telekom-ankara/U2024/188/#boxscore)

Hapoel reached the semifinals for the first time after a hard-fought win over Turk Telekom at Samokov Arena in Bulgaria. After getting stopped at the quarterfinal stage in each of the last two seasons, Hapoel is final through to the best-of-three semis where it will play Valencia Basket. Hapoel led for most of the night and took the lead for good midway through the third quarter. The margin reached 12 points in the fourth, before Hapoel held off Turk Telekom’s rally. Marcus Foster led Hapoel with 21 points plus 8 rebounds. Olivier Hanlan scored 17 points in defeat.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="iw" dir="rtl">הפועל בחצי גמר היורוקאפ 👹👹👹 <a href="https://t.co/JxUK8yNqsc">pic.twitter.com/JxUK8yNqsc</a></p>&mdash; Hapoel Tel Aviv BC (@HapoelTLVBC) <a href="https://twitter.com/HapoelTLVBC/status/1899909273313784310?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 12, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### [Valencia Basket 98-74 U-BT Cluj-Napoca](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/game-center/2024-25/valencia-basket-u-bt-cluj-napoca/U2024/187/#boxscore)

Valencia held its home court in emphatic fashion for a victory over Cluj that sent the Spanish team into a semifinal meeting with Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv. Valencia quickly found its offensive rhythm to take a double-digit first-quarter lead, and raced into a 53-36 advantage by halftime. Cluj fought but never got within single digits, as the host cruised to a victory that was safe long before the final buzzer. Chris Jones orchestrated Valencia with 14 points and 9 assists, while Semi Ojeleye added 13 points. Zavier Simpson led Cluj with 12 points and 10 assists.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">VAMOOOOOOOOOOOS 🧡<br><br>¡¡Estamos en semis EuroCup!! ¡¡Victoria pre Fallas!🔥<br><br>🟠 <a href="https://twitter.com/valenciabasket?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@valenciabasket</a> 98<br>⚪ <a href="https://twitter.com/UBTCluj?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UBTCluj</a> 74<br><br>🏆 1/4 <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroCup?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroCup</a> <br>🤝 Vitaldin Sport<br><br>Nos mediremos en semis al <a href="https://twitter.com/HapoelTLVBC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HapoelTLVBC</a> al mejor de 3 con formato 🏠✈️🏠<br><br>🏠 Partido 1️⃣<br>⌚ Martes 25 de marzo, hora por confirmar <a href="https://t.co/lkNaBvZ62o">pic.twitter.com/lkNaBvZ62o</a></p>&mdash; Valencia Basket Club (@valenciabasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/valenciabasket/status/1899933620548030504?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 12, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

## Tuesday, March 11

### [Bahcesehir College Istanbul 85-81 Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/game-center/2024-25/bahcesehir-college-istanbul-cedevita-olimpija-ljubljana/U2024/185/)

Bahcesehir advanced to the semifinals by downing Cedevita at Sinan Erdem Dome on Tuesday. Bahcesehir reached this stage for the first time in the competition, denying Cedevita the chance to play its first semifinals. The visitors led by as many as 19 and went into the fourth quarter up 9 before Bahcesehir came racing back. Marko Simonovic led the winners with 20 points and Tyler Cavanaugh added 14. Danilo Tasic paced Cedevita with 14 points.

<center><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/DHEghhvuxKH/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DHEghhvuxKH/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; 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### [Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem 89-92 Dreamland Gran Canaria](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/game-center/2024-25/hapoel-bank-yahav-jerusalem-dreamland-gran-canaria/U2024/186/#boxscore)

Grand Canaria booked a semifinals berth and a best-out-of-three clash with Bahcesehir after ice-cold free throw shooting in a dramatic climax that saw the Spanish side edge Hapoel. Caleb Homesley paced Gran Canaria with 21 points, while Joe Thomasson chipped in 16 after scoring the opening 10 points for his team. At the other end, Jared Harper led Hapoel on a game-high 24 points and Khadeen Carrington amassed 20 and 5 rebounds. 

<center><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/DHEtGv_RP-R/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DHEtGv_RP-R/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; 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overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DHEtGv_RP-R/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Dreamland Gran Canaria (@grancanariacb)</a></p></div></blockquote>
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The EuroCup semifials will pit Hapoel Tel Aviv against Valencia Basket and Gran Canaria against Bahcesehir

Game Center: Valencia, Hapoel advance to semifinals

Valencia Basket v U-BT Cluj-Napoca (2025-03-12T19:30:00.000Z)

Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv v Turk Telekom Ankara (2025-03-12T17:00:00.000Z)

For the third time this season, Valencia Basket and U-BT Cluj-Napoca go head to head in the EuroCup, this time with a spot in the semifinals up for grabs.

Valencia, Cluj, go at it again

A big crowd is expected at La Fonteta when four-time EuroCup champion [Valencia Basket](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/valencia-basket/pam/) hosts [U-BT Cluj-Napoca](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/u-bt-cluj-napoca/clu/) in the last of the quarterfinal showdown on Wednesday at 20:30 CET. It is the only quarterfinal game in which both teams have already played against each other earlier this season.

Indeed, both teams faced each other for the first time on October 9, 2024. Valencia rallied from a 16-point first-half deficit to grab [a 96-105 road victory](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/valencia-stays-perfect-after-storming-comeback-win-at-cluj-96-105/) in front of 9,600 fans at BT-Arena. [Semi Ojeleye](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/semi-ojeleye/011982/) and [Xabi Lopez-Arostegui](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/xabi-lopez-arostegui/005356/) paced the winners that night with 22 points apiece. A couple of months later, [Valencia thrashed Cluj 108-80](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/valencia-thrashes-cluj-at-home-108-80/) at home. Ojeleye, [Jean Montero](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/jean-montero/010042/) and [Josep Puerto](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/josep-puerto/006643/) led eight Valencia players in double digits with 14 points each.

Valencia has posted impressive numbers all season long, opening the regular season with 12 consecutive victories and finishing with a competition-best 16-2 record. It leads all teams in scoring (96.4 ppg.), rebounds (41.0 rpg.), assists (23.2 apg.), three-point shooting (39.0% 3FG) and PIR (115.5). Until now, Paris Basketball holds the record for the best-ever average in points (97.0 ppg.) and PIR (113.6), which it achieved last season. Valencia has reached 100 points or more in 11 of the 18 games it has disputed in this campaign.

Cluj started the 2024-25 season with three consecutive losses and bounced back after that, finishing fifth in Group B with a 10-8 record. It went on to [down Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius 99-100 in a double-overtime classic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/cluj-eliminates-wolves-in-2ot-99-100/) in the EuroCup Eighthfinals behind 26 points and 14 assists from [Zavier Simpson](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/zavier-simpson/013302/). It was the first postseason double-overtime game since 2016 and the club's first-ever EuroCup playoff victory.

Even when Valencia ranks first in most statistical categories, Cluj has players ranking higher in the individual rankings. Simpson is the competition's leader in assists (7.8 apg.) and ranks third in scoring (18.2 ppg.), way ahead of any Valencia player. Ojeleye is Valencia's leader scorer with 12.8 points per game, while [Zach Hankins](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/zach-hankins/013304/) (6.1 rpg.) and the injured [De'Shawn Stephens](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/de-shawn-stephens/006618/) (5.9 rpg.) are ahead of any Valencia player in the rebounding charts. [Jaime Pradilla](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/jaime-pradilla/010393/) is Valencia's leading rebounder with 5.8 boards per night.

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Cluj also had some experienced players in the competition, which has added value in do-or-die games like this. [Sasu Salin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/sasu-salin/002820/) ranks fifth all-time in three-pointers made (222), [Gediminas Orelik](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/gediminas-orelik/002012/) is sixth (212) and [D.J. Seeley](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/dennis-seeley/004862/) 11th (175). Fun fact: Salin needs two three-pointers to go past Valencia legend [Rafa Martinez](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/martinez-rafa/001351/) (223) in the three-point charts, and can do it at La Fonteta. Seeley ranks seventh all-time in scoring with 1,334 points. Salin and Seeley helped Gran Canaria reach the semifinals in 2016, losing against Galatasaray Istanbul.

Playing at La Fonteta is always good news for Valencia. Valencia has played 126 games in its favorite building, getting 109 wins (86.5%). It has only registered four postseason home losses there: against Virtus Bologna in the 2022 semifinals, Unicaja Malaga in Game 3 of the 2017 Finals, Khimki Moscow Region in the 2015 quarterfinals, Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar in the 2013 semifinals. All four of those teams were champions at the end of the season.

In other words, the game has a little bit of everything: a heavy favorite looking to take a crucial step towards its fifth crown and a fearless Cinderella with experienced players ready to make some more noise in arguably the most historic arena in competition history. My advice? Cancel your plans on Wednesday night and make sure you watch what promises to be a very interesting showdown.

It will their third matchup of the season as Valencia already beat Cluj twice in regular-season action

Check out what the protagonists are saying ahead of the BKT EuroCup Quarterfinals.

Quarterfinals: Pregame quotes

## Tuesday, March 11

### Bahcesehir College Istanbul vs. Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (18:00 CET)

**Zvezdan Mitrovic, Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana head coach**

"My friend and brother, Dejan Radonjic, took over the Bahcesehir team during this past season, when I was also still working in Turkiye. He has put together a serious team with the highest possible goals. Their ambitions are evident, and throughout the EuroCup season, it is clear that they are very focused on performing in this competition. In the challenging Group A, they were extremely dominant. They are well-covered in all playing positions, with a large number of experienced and quality players who have experience from the EuroLeague and even the NBA. It is evident that they are working well and seriously, and that the club has high ambitions."

**Aleksej Nikolic, Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana guard**

"We will prepare for the quarterfinal as we do for every game this season. We are used to a demanding schedule, especially after two hellish weeks in January when the games came one after another. Nothing unusual – good rest after Sunday's game against Crvena Zvezda, recovery, and then back to work."

**Devin Robinson, Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana forward**

"Every game is important, and the upcoming away game against Bahcesehir even more so. We are playing against a good team, which gives us additional motivation, and the last two home victories also help in that regard. We need to rest, focus, and continue in this style."

### Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem vs. Dreamland Gran Canaria (20:00 CET)

**Jaka Lakovic, Dreamland Gran Canaria head coach**

"“We have a difficult game ahead of us, as it should be. We are in the quarterfinals of the BKT EuroCup, where the best eight teams have been selected. We are happy to be there, but our work is not done yet. We have a lot of ambition and enthusiasm to play this game and try to do everything we can to win it and qualify for the semifinals. Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem is a physical, athletic and talented team. The dangers of this team come from \[Jared\] Harper and \[Khadeen\] Carrington. Harper has had an MVP season in the EuroCup. Something that is rarely seen is that he goes to the free-throw line 11 times per game and draws 8 fouls per game. Collective defense on him will be very important. Another creator that stands out is Carrington. These two scorers and team builders are, in my opinion, the best. We don't have to forget about the rest of the players because they all have a lot of quality. That's why I think we have to be prepared and play focused and with intensity from the first minute to the 40th."

## Wednesday, March 12

### Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv vs. Turk Telekom Ankara (18:00 CET)

**Dimitris Itoudis, Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv head coach**

"We are approaching this game as if it were a final. We need to play aggressively, work together as a team, perform at the highest level, and try to win."

**Bar Timor, Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv forward**

"We are facing a talented team that convincingly defeated Buducnost in the Round of 16. They have eight high-quality foreign players, along with local talented players who bring great energy and add depth to their squad. We expect an intense game, and in order to win, we will need to dictate the pace from the very start."

### Valencia Basket vs. U-BT Cluj-Napoca (20:30 CET)

**Pedro Martinez, Valencia Basket head coach**

"Both teams want to win. We have to do our job. All matches are equally important. We don't have to think that this game is more important than the one we played in Round 1. The consequences of winning or losing, we don't have to give much importance to this or think too much about it. We will play our game, prepare ourselves against a very good team and give our best. This is a team that plays very well on offense. They have a lot of points and a lot of small, skilled players, who score from the outside, who penetrate. It will be complicated, but we know that and we will try to do the best defense possible against these players. Let's see if \[Jean\] Montero can train and in what conditions. And we hope he can help us. It's not an injury that we are afraid he might relapse. But if he is well today and does an important part of the training session, we are counting on him."

Check out what the protagonists are saying ahead of the BKT EuroCup Quarterfinals

U-BT Cluj-Napoca captain Patrick Richard spoke with Eurohoops's Cesare Milanti to reflect on his game-winning shot against BC Wolves and the club's upcoming quarterfinal clash with Valencia Basket.

Patrick Richard talks biggest win in Cluj's history, quarterfinal clash against Valencia

With the clock ticking down in the final minutes of the second overtime period, everybody was biting their nails inside Twinsbet Arena. Zavier Simpson is handling the ball and being covered by Anthony Cowan Jr., with [U-BT Cluj-Napoca](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/u-bt-cluj-napoca/clu/) up by a single point.

This was the matchup of the night as Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius’s leader tried to answer whatever was coming from his main opponent. Two double-doubles – 23 points and 12 assists for Cowan, 26 points and 13 assists for Simpson – had been already registered up to that point.

The home fans feared another penetration towards the basket, maybe concluding with Simpson’s special trick: the hook shot. Karel Guzman points toward his right side just before running to set a screen at the top of the key, freeing up some room.

Jeffery Taylor, who has never been a liability on defense even in his Real Madrid days, loses a millisecond of attention and Cluj’s No. 3 opts for what is likely the quickest two-handed pass of his career, finding [Patrick Richard](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/patrick-richard/011801/) with enough freedom. He just has to let it go and hope for the best outcome.

“When the ball came to me, I didn't second guess or even think twice about it: I just let it fly, shot it with confidence and I was able to knock down a big shot,” Richard tells Eurohoops. The first three-pointer made after two misses and Cluj, importantly, up by four points.

It was *the* shot of the EuroCup Eighthfinals as it secured qualification for another do-or-die game in the quarterfinals, a stage the Romanian side has now reached in back-to-back seasons. “I was super excited, happy to be there, be a part of it, and be able to help the team advance to the next round,” he adds.

Read more [HERE](https://www.eurohoops.net/en/eurocup/1795055/patrick-richard-ubt-cluj-napoca-bkt-eurocup-interview/).

Finding his "home away from home" in Romania, he had the shot to beat Wolves in the eighthfinals

Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius v U-BT Cluj-Napoca (2025-03-04T17:00:00.000Z)