It was a rollercoaster ride, but Minicidelice JL Bourg en Bresse finished on top with an 89-98 road win over U-BT Cluj-Napoca on Tuesday night.

Historic start catapulted Bourg to 10th win

Even though Bourg eventually needed to fight off a big comeback by the hosts, it was a massive first quarter in which Bourg set several club records and flirted with a competition record that paved the way to victory.

Bourg scored 37 first-quarter points, setting a club scoring record for the first quarter, which is also the third-highest scoring first quarter in EuroCup history. Bourg was 8-of-11 on two-pointers and 5-of-8 on threes in the opening 10 minutes. It was such dominance that Bourg still managed to pull down 5 offensive rebounds.

Isiaha Mike and Jequan Lewis combined for 27 points in the first quarter and it resulted in a 20-point lead after 10 minutes, which turned out to be another club record as the highest margin Bourg ever built in the first quarter of a EuroCup game.

Game Videos

Bourg dominated until midway through the third quarter when it led 40-67 before Cluj mounted a comeback that got the hosts within 78-83, but never closer.

"That's a team with that kind of an identity, they'll never give up", Mike complimented Cluj. "We knew that at some point they will give us their best shot, but we weathered the storm."

Weather the storm they did, registering their sixth straight win and improving to 10-2, tied for the best in Group B with Dreamland Gran Canaria, which Bourg hosts next week. It turned out that a historic first quarter has put Bourg in control of the group.

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U-BT Cluj-Napoca v Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse (2023-12-19T17:00:00.000Z)

Dolomiti Energia Trento shocked Dreamland Gran Canaria, the reigning BKT EuroCup champion, 76-98 for an important win in the fight for the playoffs.

Trento fight and desire provided ‘good night’ against Gran Canaria 

Dolomiti Energia Trento came into its game at Dreamland Gran Canaria in poor form. Maybe it was the island feeling that changed its fortunes, but the Italian club shocked the reigning BKT EuroCup champion 76-98 for an important win in the fight for the playoffs.

Trento had suffered an 86-78 loss at Treviso Basket in the Italian League over the weekend after losing at Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse in the EuroCup for its fourth defeat in the last five games.

### A side transformed

Then came the inspiring fight Paolo Galbiati’s team showed against Gran Canaria.

“We competed and fought all night long. That was the key,” said Galbiati afterward. “We were very solid on defense and we shared the ball on offense. We had some very good performances, but everybody did their part.”

“Winning is always good. We had some problems in the previous weeks, so it was a good feeling to win again. We played a great game. I am more happy about the way we played than anything else,” added Andrejs Grazulis, who led the way with 23 points.

Game News

The team’s effort, energy and desire on defense really made the difference. Trento had given up an average of 90 points in its last four EuroCup losses while it won its only game in the last five 69-67. And Gran Canaria was ranked fourth in scoring at 90.5 points while leading the competition in assists at 23.6 per game and two-point shooting at 60.7%. It was fifth in three-pointers at 38.0%, too.

Gran Canaria scored a season-low 76 points while shooting 51.2% on two-pointers and 26.1% on three-pointers, in addition to dishing out 20 assists.

Perhaps even more surprising was Trento scoring 98 points, given that it had averaged only 78.9 points per game for the 15th-ranked team in scoring and was the second-worst three-point shooting team at 30.9%.

In addition, Gran Canaria was the second stingiest defense in the league, giving up just 75.3 points per game – and the Spanish side ranked second in three-point defense at just 31.7%. For the game, Trento nailed 12-of-28 triples for 42.9%.

Trento was very balanced with five players scoring in double figures and the team dished out 23 assists.

“The most important number for me was 23 assists. It was a good night for us,” Galbiati said.

A night for Trento to remember, that’s for sure.

Myles Stephens of Dolomiti Energia Trento in action against Dreamland Gran Canaria in Round 12 of the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season.

Paolo Galbiati’s team downed the reigning EuroCup champion, despite the odds.

Dreamland Gran Canaria v Dolomiti Energia Trento (2023-12-19T20:00:00.000Z)

Dolomiti Energia Trento pulled off a major upset in Group B as it blew out reigning EuroCup champion Dreamland Gran Canaria 76-98 to give itself life in the race for the playoffs. 

Trento shocks Gran Canaria with 22-point win, 76-98

Dolomiti Energia Trento pulled off a major upset in Group B as it blew out reigning BKT EuroCup champion Dreamland Gran Canaria 76-98 to give itself life in the race for the playoffs. After giving up 31 points in the first quarter, Trento conceded just 45 points the rest of the game as it improved to 5-7. Gran Canaria has now suffered two straight losses for a 10-2 record.

Andrejs Grazulis poured in 23 points to pace five Trento players in double figures, with Kamar Baldwin scoring 17 points and Paul Biligha, Toto Forray and Quinn Ellis all chipping in 10 points apiece. For Gran Canaria, Nicolas Brussino tallied 17 points and Roko Prkacin added 11 points in a losing effort.

Brussino put on a show early on with 4 assists and 2 three-pointers in the first 5 minutes. Trento was not impressed, though, as Grazulis hit 2 triples and Biligha scored 6 points to give the guests a 17-18 lead. A three-point play from John Shurna gave Gran Canaria the biggest lead so far at 22-18. Baldwin answered with a three-point play and triple, which put Trento back up 22-24. The hosts maintained their high level by scoring the next 9 points, before Ferran Bassas’s three-pointer set a 31-24 score. Forray’s long ball made it a 31-27 ballgame after 10 minutes.

Ben Lammers’s three-point play started the action for Gran Canaria in the second quarter to reestablish a 7-point lead, 34-27. Trento started getting defensive stops and Forray hit another triple, and Derek Cooke and Grazulis both scored 4 points in a 3-13 run to go ahead 37-40. The push continued with a Baldwin three-pointer and another Biligha basket, as Trento went up 39-49. AJ Slaughter knocked down a three-pointer, but the hosts were still down 44-51 at the break.

Trento continued to score early in the second half, including a Prentiss Hubb three-pointer off the glass and a Grazulis put-back and three-pointer, setting the score at 50-63. Gran Canaria punched back with the next 7 points, which included a Jovan Kljajic three-pointer to make it 57-63. Trento responded in fine fashion with Mattia Udom connecting on a triple and Ellis making it a 57-76 cushion. Trento had the perfect finish to the third quarter with an Ellis three-pointer, as the margin was 20 points, 59-79.

Trento just kept going in the fourth quarter, with Udom getting a flashy basket and then a three-pointer as the lead swelled to 62-86 with 8 minutes to play. The game was all Trento as Ellis hit a three-pointer and Cooke scored after an offensive rebound, which made the gap 66-93 with 4 minutes remaining. Gran Canaria did some final result cosmetics at the end to make it a little close, but Trento was comfortable in the final stages en route to a very impressive 76-98 win.

Kamar Bladwin of Dolomiti Energia Trento in action against Dreamland Gran Canaria in Round 12 of the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season.

The reigning EuroCup has now lost back-to-back games after previously winning 18 straight.

Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul snatched 14 offensive rebounds and committed only 9 turnovers in beating Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana 83-88 on the road to snap a three-game losing streak.  

 Offensive boards, few turnovers got Besiktas back in win column  

Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul stayed true to its strengths of offensive rebounding and limiting turnovers to fight past Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana and return to its winning ways. 

Besiktas snatched 14 offensive rebounds and committed only 9 turnovers in beating Cedevita [83-88](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/cedevita-olimpija-ljubljana-besiktas-emlakjet-istanbul/U2023/115/) on the road to snap a three-game losing streak.  

“This was not the most beautiful game from our side but the win was important," Besiktas head coach Dusan Alimpijevic said. "In the end, the desire to grab the ball, the desire to go for one more offensive rebound, it was something that decided this match."

### Delgado ruled on the glass

[Angel Delgado](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/angel-delgado/012647/) not only led Besiktas in scoring with 19 points but he also grabbed 12 rebounds, 5 of them coming from the offensive glass. And a pair of them came on one trip down the floor in the final 34 seconds. 

"Cedevita played really good. But we needed offensive rebounds and that's what we did. That is something they can't do well and we knew that. So we attacked that,” said Delgado, who came into the game ranked fourth in the EuroCup with 8.3 total rebounds and second in offensive rebounds with 3.4 per game.Delgado’s excellence under the basket is a big reason Besiktas was ranked fifth in the league in offensive rebounds with 11.9 per game. And winless Cedevita, ranked 17th in offensive rebounds allowed at 12.2 per game, is the worst rebounding team in the competition. 

Besiktas also limits offensive rebounds to its opponents, allowing just 9.0 per game – ranked second fewest. As such, Coach Alimpijevic’s side gave up just 7 boards to the Cedevita offense. 

### Besiktas protected the ball

Another major key for Besiktas was losing the ball just 9 times. The Turkish side had committed only 11.5 turnovers a contest – third-fewest in the league  entering the game.

It was a good matchup in that regard for Besiktas, as Cedevita ranked last in turnovers forced with just 10.5 per game.

Excelling in those two areas helped Besiktas snap a losing skid.

Needing a win to stay strong in the Group A race, the visitors made it happen late.

Offensive boards, few turnovers got Besiktas back in win column 

Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana v Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul (2023-12-19T17:30:00.000Z)

Aris Midea Thessaloniki took an important step forwards to reach the playoffs in Grpup B, downing Turk Telekom Ankara 85-95 in the Turkish capital on Tuesday. Aris has a 2-0 record and a two-win gap over Turk Telekom. 


Stark, Blumbergs give Aris spark 

Aris Midea Thessaloniki took an important step forwards to reach the playoffs in Group B, downing Turk Telekom Ankara 85-95 in the Turkish capital on Tuesday. Aris now has a 5-7 record and a 2-0 sweep over one of its pursuers in Turk Telekom. 

Vassilis Toliopoulos was once again Aris's floor general, getting 20 points, 6 rebounds and 9 assists, but an inspired newcomer and a teammate posting career-best numbers had to do a lot with this win.

### What a EuroCup debut by Stark!

It was [Jonathan Stark](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/jonathan-stark/012792/)'s first EuroCup game ever, and he made sure it was one that Aris fans will remember. Stark stepped up big late in the third quarter, when Turk Telekom rallied to get within 53-56. He scored around the basket, buried a jumper and added a three-pointer to give Aris plenty of fresh air, 59-66, after 30 minutes.

Stark kept it going, too, ultimately getting 17 of his 19 points in the final 12 minutes. He buried 5 of 6 two-pointers, 2 of 3 three-pointers and 3 of 4 free throws, drawing 4 fouls to amass a PIR of 20.

Roberts Blumbergs and Jonathan Stark helped Aris Midea Thessaloniki get a 85-95 road win against Turk Telekom Ankara.

Blumbergs, Stark are Aris's X-factors in Ankara

### Blumbergs came back strong

Additionally, [Roberts Blumbergs](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/roberts-blumbergs/012717/) had been battling with injuries this season, missing eight games. In five previous appearances, he had averaged 3.6 points, 2.4 rebounds and a PIR of 2.4, hitting 18.2% of his shots from beyond the arc.

This time, Blumbergs was very active from the very beginning of the game. He needed just 4 seconds to become the first player to score, on a two-handed dunk. Blumbergs soon added a layup-plus-free throw that helped Aris build an early 5-13 lead.

He finished with a career-high 12 points with no shots missed, going 3-for-3 on two pointers, 1-for-1 behind the arc and 3-for-3 from the foul lines. Blumbergs added 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals and 3 fouls drawn for a PIR of 20. In five previous games, Blumbergs has amassed a combined PIR of 12.

Turk Telekom Ankara v Aris Midea Thessaloniki (2023-12-19T17:00:00.000Z)

Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul returned to its winning ways as it fought off Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana 83-88 to snap a three-game losing streak. Angel Delgado came up with a big double-double of 19 points and 12 rebounds to help Besiktas improve to 7-5 and solidify itself in the playoffs ranks of Group A. 

Besiktas snaps losing skid, keeps Cedevita winless 

Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul returned to its winning ways as it fought off Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana 83-88 to snap a three-game losing streak. Angel Delgado came up with a big double-double of 19 points and 12 rebounds to help Besiktas improve to 7-5 and solidify itself in the playoffs ranks of Group A. Jonah Mathews added 18 points, Derek Needham had 15 and Yigit Arslan chipped in 13 for the winners. Cedevita, now 0-12, remains the only EuroCup team without a victory despite Karlo Matkovic scoring 22 points while Justin Cobbs had 19 points and 8 assists in the loss. 

### Besiktas started strong

Needham drained 2 three-pointers and Mathews added a triple as Besiktas raced out to a 5-13 lead. Cedevita closed the gap to 10-15 only to see Needham to connect from long range again as the visitors' cushion grew to 11-22. The hosts temporarily trimmed it to 18-24, but Egehan Arna joined the Besiktas three-point barrage and the Turkish side led 22-29 after 10 minutes. Cedevita had the first 4 points of the second quarter before Kyle Allman tallied 4 for Besiktas. Gregor Glas answered with 5, however, to put Cedevita ahead 36-35.  Cobbs showed his veteran presence with 4 perfect free throws in keeping the hosts up 40-37 as he had 12 points already. Arslan scored 4of the next 6 points as Besiktas reclaimed the lead and went into the locker room with a 42-43 advantage.

 

### Besiktas finally took control

Needham continued his strong play early in the second half with his fourth three-pointer and Delgado’s inside score made it 42-48. Another 4 points by Delgado increased the Besiktas advantage to 47-55. Matkovic and DJ Stewart responded by filling a 10-0 run to put Cedevita back in front, 57-55. Cedevita still led 61-60 before failing to score in the final 2:25 minutes of the third quarter while Egehan Arna and Kerem Konan both grabbed steals for dunks in a 0-7 finish that left Besiktas back in charge, 61-67. 

A three-pointer and 2 free throws from Arslan extended the visitors' cushion to 63-72 early in the final quarter. Cedevita tried to stay close but Arslan scored 4 more points and Delgado converted a three-point play to make it 69-81 with under 5 minutes left. Cedevita was not ready to give up with Matkovic scoring 5 points to open a 9-0 spurt to get within 78-81. Mathews hit a big fadeaway jumper with 52 seconds remaining to push the lead out to 78-84. After 2 Matkovic free throws, Jaka Blazic grabbed a steal but turned it right back over with 36 seconds left. Besiktas ended up going to the foul line three times in the next possession thanks to a pair of offensive rebounds by Delgado and Needham’s foul shot made it 80-86 with 21 seconds left, ending the suspense.

7bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys boosted its playoffs chances with an exciting comeback victory, 94-90, over ratiopharm Ulm on Tuesday. Lietkebelis improves to 4-7 in Group B while Ulm drops to 8-4.

Lietkabelis battles back, downs Ulm for crucial win 

7bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys boosted its playoffs chances with an exciting comeback victory, 94-90, over ratiopharm Ulm on Tuesday. Lietkebelis improves to 4-7 in Group B while Ulm drops to 8-4. After a closely contested first half, Ulm pulled ahead early in the third, but a double technical foul against point guard Juan Nunez proved costly and Lietkabelis grabbed the momentum to take the lead and seal a big win. Paulius Valinskas led the winning team with 24 points and 10 assists on his return from injury, while Gediminas Orelik scored 17 and Deivydas Sirvydas added 16. The outstanding Karim Jallow pushed Ulm's challenge with 24 points and 4 steals. 

### Back and forth first the first two quarters

Martynas Varnas capped a 5-0 run to give Lietkabelis an early lead, and Sirvydas protected the lead with the game’s first triple. Two inside scores from Jallow kept Ulm close, but Sirvydis netted another three-pointer to make it 16-10. Georginho De Paula struck from deep as Ulm fought back, and Tobias Jensen’s deep strike made it 18-19 after 10 minutes. 

Valinskas started and finished an 11-2 run, also featuring a triple from Stefan Bircevic, as Lietkabelis surged ahead, 29-22. A three-point play from Philipp Herkenhoff restarted Ulm, and a layup from Trevion Williams pulled it back to 32-32. Orelik netted from deep as Lietkabelis rallied, but Jallow scored consecutive baskets before Nunez and LJ Figueroa hit triples to make it 43-47 at the break.  

### Lietkabelis made its move and held on

The second half started with three scores from Jallow bettering another triple from Orelik, making it 49-54. Jallow stayed hot with another three-ball, but Nunez was ejected for consecutive technical fouls. Nicolas Bretzel scored inside to protect Ulm’s lead, but Liutauras Lelevicius and Valinskas struck from deep to tie it, 62-62, and 4 points from Nikola Popovic made it 68-65 through three quarters. 

Three-pointers from Dziugas Slavinskas and Bircevic stretched the host’s lead , 74-67. Sirvydas also scored from deep, before Jallow gave Ulm hope with a three-point play. Another three-ball, this time from Valinskas, gave Lietkabelis the game’s first double-digit lead, 82-72. Three-pointers from Thomas Klepeisz and Jansen sparked Ulm, and the visitors kept pushing as Jallow scored twice, making it 87-86. But Popovic and Sivrydas netted from close-range, and the host held on in a tight finish. 

Down slightly after each of the first two quarters, the hosts delighted the home crowd by coming back to beat a higher-placed Group B visitor.

Lietkabelis battles back, downs Ulm 94-90 for crucial win 

7bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys v ratiopharm Ulm (2023-12-19T17:00:00.000Z)

JL Mincidelice Bourg en Bresse extended its winning streak to a club-record six games and hit 15 three-pointers before holding on to an 89-98 win over U-BT Cluj-Napoca on Tuesday. 

Bourg holds off Cluj's big rally, 89-98

JL Mincidelice Bourg en Bresse extended its winning streak to a club-record six games and hit 15 three-pointers before holding on to an 89-98 win over U-BT Cluj-Napoca on Tuesday. The win gave Bourg a season sweep of Cluj-Napoca and lifted its record to 10-2 while Cluj dropped to 8-4 in a tie for third. Bourg scored a club-record 37 first-quarter points and held 20-point margins at the ends of the first two quarters. The lead grew to 27 points, 40-67, before Cluj made its run behind D.J. Seeley, Bryce Jones and Patrick Richard to get within 78-83 before Bourg replied with a 0-7 run and cruised to the finish. Isiaha Mike scored 14 of his game-high 26 points in the first quarter, and also had 7 rebounds. Jequan Lewis finished with 17 points, 6 assists and 3 steals. Bryce Brown added 12 and Maksim Salash 11 points for Bourg. Seeley scored all of his 20 points in the final 14 minutes of the game. Richard added 16 points, Jones 11 and Emanuel Cate 10 in defeat.

### Bourg busted out after tipoff

Jarell Eddie hit a pair of triples for the hosts, including a four-point play that made it 9-8, before Bourg took over. Mike had a three-pointer and followed it up with a steal and a dunk. After a dunk by Andrija Stipanovic, Bourg scored 12 consecutive points, a run that included 2more threes from Mike and one from Maxime Courby, to open 11-25 lead. Cate snapped the Bourg run, but Mike added a three-point play and Salash strung together 6 points to make it 17-37 after 10 minutes. Cate and Mareks Mejeris scored inside early or Cluj, but there was no stopping Bourg as a triple apiece from Earl Rowland, Axel Julien and Brown opened a 25-50 margin midway through the second. The hosts melted the deficit through Jones, who scored 7 points in a 9-2 run, but Lewis nailed another triple, Bourg's ninth, to make the visitors take a 20-point lead into halftime, 35-55.

### Despite rally, Cluj got no closer than 5

Cluj started the second half with some extra energy, but triples by Mike and Jeremy Morgan kept Bourg in charge, 39-65. After Karel Guzman's steals and a three-point play got Cluj going again, Seeley and Mike exchanged three-pointers before Richard hit his own to make it 57-73. A series of 8 free throws by Richard and Seeley cut the difference it to 65-75, but Salash beat the third-quarter buzzer with a triple and Earl Rowland hit another early in the fourth to make it 67-81. Cluj continued its charge, getting 8 straight second-chance points, including back-to-back triples from Seeley and Adam Mokoka, that made it 78-83. However, that's when Brown nailed a tough corner triple for the visitors and followed it with a jumper before a fastbreak dunk by Mike capped a 0-7 run that restored Bourg's double-digit margin with 4:30 to go. The visitors closed out the game from there.

The visitors set a pair of club records and solidified their hold on second place in Group B.

In an important game in the playoffs race in Group B, Aris Midea Thessaloniki downed Turk Telekom Ankara 85-94 in the Turkish capital on Tuesday. Aris improved to 5-7 and has a 2-0 record against Turk Telekom which dropped to 3-9. 


Aris gets pivotal road win, 85-94! 

In an important game in the Group B playoffs race, Aris Midea Thessaloniki downed Turk Telekom Ankara 85-95 in the Turkish capital on Tuesday. Aris improved to 5-7 and has a 2-0 record against Turk Telekom, which dropped to 3-9. Vassilis Toliopoulos paced the winners with 20 points, 6 rebounds and 9 assists. Jonathan Stark added 18 points, Roberto Gallinat and Roberts Blumbergs 12 each, and Ronnie Harrell 10 for Aris. Tyrone Wallace led Turk Telekom with 30 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists. Okben Ulubay added 15 points, Steven Enoch 12 and James Palmer 10.

### Toliopoulos put Aris ahead

Blumbergs and Toliopoulos got Aris going early with 5 points apiece before Harrell struck from downtown to make Turk Telekom call timeout at 6-13. Kris Bankston followed a dunk with an alley-oop slam for the visitors, then Toliopoulos scored from beyond the arc for a 12-20 Aris lead. Enoch and Ulubay fueled a 9-2 run that got Turk Telekom within 21-22 before Lefteris Bochoridis's layup restored a 21-24 Aris lead after 10 minutes.

### Wallace kept Turk Telekom close

Palmer hit a jumper and Wallace added a triple for Turk Telekom to forge a 26-26 tie early in the second quarter. Gallinat followed a three-pointer with a layup for Aris, but an unstoppable Wallace dunked and hit from deep to complete the hosts' comeback, 33-32. Harrell and Silvio de Sousa helped Aris regain a 35-39 lead. Wallace, Blumbergs and Boran Guler each hit a three-pointer, then Bochoridis hit another late layup to fix the halftime score at 41-46.

### Stark stepped up

Toliopoulos bettered Enoch's layup with a triple for a 43-49 Aris lead soon after the break. He got help from Gallinat and de Sousa to boost the guests' margin to 47-56. Enoch kept pacing Turk Telekom and Wallace's driving basket got the crowd involved at 53-56. Aris found a new go-to guy in Stark, who followed a close basket with a jumper and soon added a three-pointer to keep his team in charge, 59-66, after 30 minutes.

### Aris took off, sealed it

Gallinat's corner triple made it a double-digit game, 59-69, early in the fourth quarter. Wallace tried to change things for Turk Telekom but Stark scored again and Nikos Persidis banked in a three-pointer for a 62-74 Aris lead with 7 minutes left. Toliopoulos followed a jumper with a floater to break the game open, 62-78. Stark and Toliopoulos made sure Aris kept full control of the game until the final buzzer.

With their third road win at a key moment, the visitors kept above the cut-off line for the playoffs in Round 12.

Historic start catapulted Bourg to 10th win

Trento fight and desire provided ‘good night’ against Gran Canaria

Trento shocks Gran Canaria with 22-point win, 76-98

Offensive boards, few turnovers got Besiktas back in win column

Stark, Blumbergs give Aris spark

Besiktas snaps losing skid, keeps Cedevita winless

Lietkabelis battles back, downs Ulm 94-90 for crucial win

Bourg holds off Cluj's big rally, 89-98

Aris gets pivotal road win, 85-95, in Ankara