Cluj started 2025 in impressive fashion with a 104-83 blowout of Hamburg to extend his home winning streak to five games. Cluj took control of the game with a 31-10 run in the third quarter to improve to 7-6 in Group B, including 5-2 at BTarena. 

Cluj crushes Hamburg 104-83 for fifth straight home win

Cluj started 2025 in impressive fashion with a 104-83 blowout of Hamburg to extend his home winning streak to five games. Cluj took control of the game with a 31-10 run in the third quarter to improve to 7-6 in Group B, including 5-2 at BTarena. 

Adam Mokoka paced five Cluj scorers in double figures with 19 points, Gediminas Orelik had 18 points, De’Shawn Stephens 16, DJ Seeley 15 and Mareks Mejeris added 14 points. Cluj didn’t even need Zavier Simpson as the EuroCup’s third-best scorer went scoreless, though he did dish out 7 assists. Hamburg could not build on its surprising win in the last round over Jerusalem, falling to 3-10 and 0-7 on the road. Kur Kuath tallied 14 points, 7 rebounds and 2 blocks, while Kenneth Ogbe scored 12 points.

Game Videos

Mareks Mejeris scored six early points to put Cluj ahead early, 9-5. Hamburg held the hosts scoreless for nearly 3 minutes and pulled ahead, 9-11, with six straight points. That was the first of four lead changes and Cluj held the guests scoreless for more than 2 minutes, with Seeley moving to 7 points for a 25-17 lead. Cluj’s advantage was 30-22 after 10 minutes. 

Camron Reece opened the scoring in the second quarter for Hamburg while Cluj failed to score for nearly 3 minutes. Hamburg could only cut the margin to 6 points and Cluj went on a 9-3 surge over more than 4 minutes for a 41-29 cushion. Stephens added two more baskets and Cluj went into the break up 45-35. 

Game News

Cluj had the lead at 12 points early in the second half but Niklas Wimberg and Ogbe both hit triples for Hamburg to make it 51-45. Mokoka stepped up for Cluj with 11 points, including two three-pointers and a massive dunk in a 25-7 run to lead 76-52. The margin grew to 27 points at 82-55 and Cluj led 82-56 after 30 minutes.

Sasu Salin drained two three-pointers in an 11-0 start to the fourth quarter to lead 93-56 and end any doubts. Hamburg could not get closer than 21 points the rest of the way - and that only because Cluj coach Mihai Silvason finished the game with his youngsters.

The hosts had five players score in double figures in a dominant win

U-BT Cluj-Napoca v Veolia Towers Hamburg (2025-01-03T17:00:00.000Z)

Turk Telekom Ankara continued its momentum by beating Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse 98-89 to notch its fourth straight win in the BKT EuroCup, while the visitors lost for the third game in a row. With this victory, Erdem Can’s men now hold an 8-5 record, with Frederic Fauthoux’s charges dropping to 6-7. After Bourg won the first game between these two by four points, Turk Telekom's nine-point victory gives it the advantage in any potential tiebreaker.

Anthony Brown keeps Turk Telekom rolling against Bourg, 98-89

Turk Telekom Ankara continued its momentum by beating Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse 98-89 to notch its fourth straight win in the BKT EuroCup, while the visitors lost for the third game in a row. With this victory, Erdem Can’s men now hold an 8-5 record, with Frederic Fauthoux’s charges dropping to 6-7. After Bourg won the first game between these two by four points, Turk Telekom's nine-point victory gives it the advantage in any potential tiebreaker.

Anthony Brown was electric for Turk Telekom, finishing with 32 points after going 8 of 9 on three-pointers. Olivier Hanlan scored 23 points, of which 12 came in the fourth quarter, while Kyle Alexander added 13 points, having netted 5 points in the final 36 seconds. For Bourg, Xavier Castaneda had a team-high 18 points, followed by Joel Ayayi and Maksim Salash with 12 apiece, Brandon Paul with 11, and Adrian Nelson with 10.

Brown got Turk Telekom off the mark with a three-pointer, which would prove to be the theme of the first quarter. Adrian Nelson’s activity on the offensive glass was paying dividends for Bourg, with the forward scoring 5 points and Castaneda knocking down a triple as the visitors went 6-10 ahead. But a 10-0 Turk Telekom run that featured a couple of threes by Speedy Smith helped the visitors take a 16-10 lead. Bourg kept it tight, but when Brown struck from three-point land for the third time to make it 6 for 7 from deep for Turk Telekom, the hosts led 24-19. Hugo Benitez’s three made it tight at 26-25, but Hanlan’s two free throws ensured it was 28-25 after 10 minutes.

Maksim Salash had 5 points in the final 2:30 minutes of the first quarter, then converted a three-point play to tie things up at 28-28. Brandon Jefferson hit a couple of free throws to restore Bourg’s advantage at 28-30, but Hanlan, Ismet Akpinar and Brown all netted jumpers to make it 34-30. A Brandon Paul three and a perfect trip to the line from Kevin Kokila gave Bourg a 34-35 edge, before Castaneda responded to an Akpinar steal and layup to set a 36-37 score. Brown’s corner three, a big alley-oop slam from Makoundou, and a Javon Bess triple swelled the lead to 44-37. Bourg got as close as 44-42 thanks to 5 points by Joel Ayayi, and again at 46-44 following two made free throws by Castaneda, but Hanlan’s 5-0 personal run made it 51-44 before Castaneda split free throws to set a 51-45 halftime score.

Ayayi got Bourg going in the second half with 5 straight points, which cut the score to 51-50, but Brown’s three-pointer – his fifth on the night from five attempts – looked as though it was going to get the hosts going at 54-50. However, Castaneda scored 7 points in a 9-0 Bourg run that saw the visitors go 54-59 ahead, with the last two coming after an unsportsmanlike foul by Speedy Smith – his second of the game, which saw him head for an early shower. Alexander hit back for Turk Telekom by scoring 5 straight points to tie it at 59-59, and Brown later appeared with 5 points in a row to give the hosts a 67-64 edge. Nelson’s triple pushed Bourg back ahead at 67-69, but Brown scored from mid-range to make it 69-69 heading into the final frame.  

Bourg had the better start to the fourth after scores by Paul and Brandon Jefferson opened a 69-74 score, and despite a response from Turk Telekom, Nelson’s offensive rebound and finish gave the visitors a six-point margin at 72-78. Hanlan, who drained a three earlier in the period, netted another to make things tight at 75-78, then had a three-point play to make it 78-80. Turk Telekom youngster Melih Tunca had not played through the first three quarters, but he saw some fourth-quarter action and made a big impact with a three-pointer that restored the hosts’ lead, 81-80, before seeing another triple bounce four times before dropping, 84-80. Jordan Usher got his first points of the night, but Brown’s deep three – his seventh – made it 87-82. Brown then reappeared by hitting a contested three – his eighth – to give Turk Telekom a 90-84 edge. In the final 36 seconds, Alexander stepped up with offensive rebounds and points, netting 5 to help guide the hosts to a 98-89 win.

The Turkish outfit is comfortably in the playoff places while the French side is looking over its shoulder

Turk Telekom Ankara v Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse (2025-01-03T16:30:00.000Z)

Following the suspension of the Round 13 game between 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys and Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana, the game has been rescheduled to be played on the following date: Thursday, January 16, 2025 at 19:30 local time.

Euroleague Basketball announces rescheduled game

7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys v Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (2025-01-02T18:00:00.000Z)

On Thursday night, Umana Reyer Venice downed the first-place and a playoff-bound Valencia Basket 81-74. The final score might not reveal how impressive of a Reyer's performance it was, especially in the first half.

Reyer kept victories coming even against 11-win Valencia

[Umana Reyer Venice](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/umana-reyer-venice/vnc/) continued its climb up the standings, but its latest win - its first in 2025 - might be the most impressive of them all.

On Thursday night, [Reyer downed first-place and playoff-bound Valencia Basket 81-74](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/reyer-downs-valencia-climbs-to-winning-record/). The final score might not reveal how impressive of a performance it was, especially in the first half, before Valencia attempted a rally while Reyer slowed down the tempo, making sure Valencia could not go on a big run.

"Congrats to our players for an amazing effort", Reyer coach [Neven Spahija](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/umana-reyer-venice/vnc/spahija-neven/?season=U2024) praised his players. "We cannot ask for more than this."

Reyer's first half was probably a blueprint of how Spahija would like his team to play every time.

Mfiondu Kebengele scored 9 of his 15 points in the first quarter against Valencia Basket.

Kabengele gave Reyer first-quarter spark.

Up 52-30 after two quarters, Reyer outscored the team with the best record in all of the BKT EuroCup 31-12 in the second quarter. Before halftime, Reyer's defense forced 12 turnovers and held Valencia to 41.6% shooting on two-pointers and 33.3% on three-pointers.

"They played better than us, especially in the first half, with more energy and a better defense", Valencia head coach [Pedro Martinez](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/valencia-basket/pam/martinez-pedro/?season=U2024) admitted to the EuroLeague TV cameras after the loss.

Reyer grabbed most of the loose balls, and protected the glass by allowing 5 offensive rebounds on 18 opportunities.

"We played a great game, solid from the first minute to the end", said shooting guard [Davide Moretti](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/davide-moretti/005404/), who was one of two main facilitators of all the good things Reyer did in the opening two quarters.

The first one was [Mfiondu Kabengele](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/mfiondu-kabengele/012796/), who opened the game by making all 3 of his two-point shots, and his only three-point attempts, all in the first quarter, to jump-start Reyer's offense. Then it was Moretti's turn in the second quarter. His back-to-back threes opened the first double-digit lead of the game, 31-21, and sparked a 14-1 run that had Reyer pull away and never look back.

And while Kabengele is a usual suspect when it comes to production, for Moretti this was his best game of the season as he netted 15 points, 11 of which came in the second quarter, as he shot 4-of-6 from downtown.

"We had a lot of difficulties in the last period, but the last two games we showed character and that's how we want to be the rest of the season", Moretti said, referring to a big number of injuries that have hit Reyer in the first part of the season.

But the team shook that off, and has now won five of its last six games, all after starting the season with a 2-5 record.

"We have a great team, full of talented guys", Moretti added. "We just got to stay focused, keep going, keep working together, and stay strong mentally."

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Reyer chemistry 🦾<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RoadToGreatness?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RoadToGreatness</a> <a href="https://t.co/0Oj88BBqJh">pic.twitter.com/0Oj88BBqJh</a></p>&mdash; Reyer Venezia (@REYER1872) <a href="https://twitter.com/REYER1872/status/1875112955228139540?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

That mentality will certainly be tested the rest of the regular season, as Reyer is in a dogfight for a spot in the playoffs. Valencia has all but locked up the first place, but Reyer is one of the teams fighting for the remaining five spots.

The last five rounds of the regular season, Reyer will have three home games, including those against direct playoff-chasing rivals U-BT Cluj Napoca and Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem, while two remaining road games take Reyer to Hamburg next week, and then to Ankara to face Turk Telekom in the penultimate round.

On a winning run while sporting a healthier roster full of players capable of step up, like Moretti did on this night, Reyer is in a great position to secure playing postseason basketball once again.

The Italian side had a 2-5 record in early November, but with five wins in the last six games, it has a winning record for the first time since the season opener

Umana Reyer Venice v Valencia Basket (2025-01-02T19:00:00.000Z)

Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv has been known this season as an offensive machine, but the Israeli team cranked up its defense to grab an important 64-87 statement win over Dreamland Gran Canaria in the fight for a top-two spot in Group B.

Hapoel's defense caught up with offense in important statement win 

[Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/hapoel-shlomo-tel-aviv/roster/hta/?season=2024-25) has been known this season as an offensive machine, but the Israeli team cranked up its defense to grab an important statement win over [Dreamland Gran Canaria](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/dreamland-gran-canaria/roster/can/?season=2024-25) in the fight for a top-two spot in Group B.

Hapoel used a dominant first-half performance in collecting [a 64-87 victory at Gran Canaria](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/hapoel-cruises-past-gran-canaria-64-87-thanks-to-big-first-half/) to improve to 8-5 in the group - just one win behind Gran Canaria with the tiebreak advantage thanks to two wins. 

Hapoel took the first half 25-51 thanks to shooting a blistering 82.6% on two-pointers - a result which also was Gran Canaria’s worst-ever halftime deficit, topping the club’s 49-24 first half against ALBA Berlin during the 2015-16 season. 

"Our performance in the first half was really dominant at both ends. Defensively we were able to keep them really low and we were scoring 82% on twos and in general, we had a good flow to the game. We tried to follow the game plan and try to take advantage of their weaknesses,” Hapoel coach [Dimitris Itoudis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/hapoel-shlomo-tel-aviv/hta/itoudis-dimitris/?season=U2024) said. 

"This is a team that has a good half-court offense but they get a lot in their open court. The fact that we did not allow easy points gave us a boost. In the second half, we had our problems. It was evident they were trying to come back. But overall, we were good in this road game.”

Tel Aviv came into the game ranked second in index rating (105.6) and third in scoring (89.0 ppg) as well as second in assists (21.3) and first in two-point shooting (62.3%). The road team was close in all those stats against Gran Canaria: 113 PIR, 87 points, 19 assists and 67.6% on two-pointers.

That fact was impressive considering Gran Canaria ranked second defensively in PIR (73.4) and scoring (73.1 ppg) as well as first in fewest assists (15.0) and lowest two-point shooting (50.5%). 

But Hapoel’s defensive stance was a welcome sight, considering the team had given up 104 and 101 points in its last two games. The team came into the game ranked sixth in defensive scoring at 81.4 ppg. 

Itoudis said the game provided numerous good points as the team builds toward the title contender it hopes to be. He liked the fact that his players remained locked in throughout. One player he singled out was [Antonio Blakeney](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/antonio-blakeney/013402/). 

After scoring 27 points [against Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/hapoel-goes-to-ot-to-beat-besiktas-109-101/), Blakeney did not enter the game until there were 9 minutes remaining. He proceeded to pour in 13 points to go with 4 rebounds. 

Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv carried a strong first half to a clear victory over Gran Canaria.

Dreamland Gran Canaria v Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv (2025-01-02T20:00:00.000Z)

Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem head coach Yonatan Alon warned his team that its EuroCup hopes can be forgotten if it plays another game like it did against Aris Thessaloniki

Jerusalem's Coach Alon warned his team: 'This can never happen again'

[Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/hapoel-jerusalem/roster/jer/?season=2024-25) has big aspirations this season but head coach [Yonatan Alon](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/hapoel-bank-yahav-jerusalem/jer/alon-yonatan/?season=U2024) warned his team that those hopes can be forgotten if it plays another game like it did against [Aris Midea Thessaloniki](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/aris-thessaloniki/roster/ari/?season=2024-25). 

Jerusalem needed to rally from 15 points down in the third quarter to grab [a 90-85 victory](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/jerusalem-fights-back-to-down-aris-90-85-and-snap-skid/) over an Aris team that is nearly eliminated from the playoffs. 

"I am happy about the win, but if Hapoel Jerusalem wants to go somewhere this season, everybody needs to take a good look in the mirror and it can never happen again," the Jerusalem coach said after the game. "We are better than this and we should perform better than this. We won but we need to learn from this."

Jerusalem’s defense - ranked fourth in the EuroCup - allowed 71 points through three quarters and finally shut down the [worst offense in the league](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/stats/key-stats-teams/?size=1000&misc=&seasonCode=U2024&category=Score&seasonMode=Single&sortDirection=descending&aggregate=perGame) in the final frame for a 23-14 score. 

"We shouldn’t start games like this. We have shown that we can start games better. I am happy that we managed to get over it, but let’s not make it a habit," Alon added.

One of the main reasons Jerusalem was able to come back was another outstanding performance from MVP candidate [Jared Harper](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/jared-harper/011970/). The superstar guard scored 29 points on 5-of-8 shooting and 16-of-17 free throws to go with 2 rebounds, 5 assists and 10 fouls drawn for a performance index rating of 38. 

"In the first couple quarters, we didn’t play as well and we knew that. We knew that we could play a lot better as a team both offensively and defensively," Harper said. "Being able to get back into the game and being able to stay together as a team ultimately helped us in the end. That is a big win for us."

Jerusalem didn’t shoot the ball poorly, making 50.0% on two-pointers and 42.1% on three-pointers while also making 36 of 49 free throws (73.5%). But the main issue for the home side was ball-handling. The Israelis committed 20 turnovers. Harper believes the final stat is one of the biggest for his team’s hopes for the season.

"We know that every game is not going to be our best game. We want to control what we can control. I think we can control our turnovers. I think we can control our effort and our energy and how we play defense. As long as we can control those things, I think we will be in a good position to win. The offense will come eventually," he said. 

Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem needs to learn from big comeback 

Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem v Aris Midea Thessaloniki (2025-01-02T18:00:00.000Z)

Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv showed its strongest collective effort under head coach Dimitris Itoudis with a dominant 64-87 victory at Dreamland Gran Canaria

Hapoel cruises past Gran Canaria 64-87 thanks to big first half

Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv showed its strongest collective effort under head coach Dimitris Itoudis with a dominant 64-87 victory at Dreamland Gran Canaria. The Israeli side took the first half 25-51 and never was challenged the rest of the way for an 8-5 record - including 3-2 since Itoudis’ arrival as playcaller. The defensive showing was a major welcome as Hapoel had given up 104 and 101 points in its last two games.

Johnathan Motley and Bar Timor both scored 14 points while Antonio Blakeney tallied 13 points and Bruno Caboclo had 10 points for the winners. Gran Canaria, which suffered its worst halftime margin ever, dropped its second straight game for a 9-4 record, also falling to 5-2 at home. Joe Thomasson had 13 points to lead Gran Canaria and Carlos Alocen picked up 10 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists.

Alocen scored Gran Canaria’s first two baskets and it was 4-6 early. But Hapoel started to take control with Motley scoring 9 points to surge ahead 8-20. The visitors did not let up and led 12-26 after 10 minutes. 

Caleb Homesley netted the first 5 points of the second quarter to get the hosts within 17-26. But the Hapoel roll continued with a 4-17 run to take a 21-43 advantage. Gran Canaria just could not get anything going at either end and Caboclo had two baskets and the cushion was 25-51 at the break. The 26-point differential was the worst in a half for Gran Canaria, topping the 25-point gap against ALBA Berlin (49-24) during the 2015-16 season. 

Alocen tried to get the hosts back into the game with two scores, an assist and a steal while two more Gran Canaria baskets cut the deficit to 37-55. Hapoel was not impressed with 2 Timor triples bookending a 4-12 answer to lead 41-67. The score was 43-67 after 30 minutes.

Miquel Salvo hit a three-pointer and converted a three-point play as Gran Canaria was again within 20 points at 52-72. But Blakeney took over with 10 straight points for the visitors for a 56-82 cushion with 5 minutes to play. The game had already long been decided and Hapoel finished strong.

Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv grabs its third win in five games under new head coach Dimitris Itoudis 

Umana Reyer Venice took control early en route to downing the first-place Valencia Basket 81-74 on Thursday night. Reyer improved to 7-6 with its fifth win in the last six games, while Valencia, already qualified for the playoffs, dropped its second straight and now had has an 11-2 record.

Reyer downs Valencia, climbs to winning record

Umana Reyer Venice took control early en route to downing first-place Valencia Basket 81-74 on Thursday night. Reyer improved to 7-6 with its fifth win in the last six games, while Valencia, which already qualified for the playoffs, dropped its second straight and now had has an 11-2 record.

Reyer broke the game open with a 14-1 second-quarter run, led by 22 at halftime, and then kept the lead safe in the second half as the visitors attempted a rally. Davide Moretti and Mfiondu Kebengele had 15 points apiece, Tyler Ennis had 12 points and 6 assists, while Aamir Simms scored 10 in the victory. Xavi Lopez-Arostegui had 17, and Matt Costello collected 14 points and 7 rebounds in defeat.

Brancou Badio scored inside and Nate Reuvers from the outside in the early going, but Kabengele had a dunk and Ennis a short jumper to help the hosts to an early 8-5 advantage. Costello hit a three-pointer for Valencia, but Kabengele took one to the rim and then nailed a corner triple, only to follow it up with a tough turnaround jumper to help open a 19-12 lead. However, Badio and Semi Ojeleye each had a three-pointer to cut it to 21-18 after 10 minutes.

Reuvers made a tough layup early in the second for the visitors, but that was in between two baskets from Simms. Moretti followed it with back-to-back triples that opened a 31-21 lead. The run did not end there, even after a Valencia timeout, with Moretti, Simms and Ennis extending it to 37-21. Valencia was held without a field goal for full 5 minutes before Lopez-Arostegui nailed a triple, but Alessandro Lever and Simms extended the margin to 43-26 with buckets from close range. The hosts continued with their relentless defense, then running it the other way, as Kyle Wiltjer and Kabengele made it 49-28 in the final minute behind a 10-1 run. Moretti's triple, his third, put 52-30 on the scoreboard at halftime.

The teams traded buckets for much of the third quarter. Lopez-Arostegui made a triple for the visitors, Jaime Pradila scored on the fast break and Costello nailed a long jumper, but Jordan Parks, Carl Wheatle and Kabengele kept the margin at 60-37. Costello scored twice more from close range and Nate Sestina hit a transition triple to help cut it to 62-46. Moretti knocked down his fourth three-pointer, but three-point-plays from Sergio De Larrea and Sestina got Valencia within 15 points and the hosts led 68-52 going into the fourth quarter.

Lever and Pradilla traded close-range baskets and, after Lopez-Arostegui took one to the rim, Simms made a hook shot to keep Valencia at bay, 73-57. However, the visitors went to the free throw line on the next three possessions, making all 6 foul shots to get the margin to 10 points midway through the fourth quarter. But Ennis scored 6 points, a driving layup, a pair of free throws and a pull-up jumper, not allowing Valencia to get the margin into single digits, 79-67. Badio did cut it to single digits and Costello's triple made it 79-74, but with just 29 seconds left, it was too late for a comeback.

Coach Neven Spahija's team led by as many as 24 points en route to an important win

Reyer downs Valencia 81-74, climbs to winning record

Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem started 2025 by coming back from 15 points to beat Aris Midea Thessaloniki 90-85 at Samokov Arena in Bulgaria and snap a three-game losing skid. 

Jerusalem fights back to down Aris, 90-85, and snap skid

Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem started 2025 by coming back from 15 points to beat Aris Midea Thessaloniki 90-85 at Samokov Arena in Bulgaria and snap a three-game losing skid. Jerusalem trailed 44-59 in the third quarter, but fought back to improve to 8-5 in Group B.

Jared Harper poured in 29 points on 16-of-17 free-throw shooting plus 5 assists for a performance index rating of 38 in the win. Khadeen Carrington scored 15 points and Justin Smith and Tarik Phillip both added 14 points for the victors. Aris faces a real uphill battle to reach the playoffs after falling to 3-10 with its sixth loss in the last seven games. Sharife Cooper and Trey Woodbury both had 17 points, Darral Willis collected 16 points and 10 rebounds and new addition LJ Figueroa also tallied 16 points in the loss.

The game started with a real back and forth with eight lead changes in the first 4 minutes as Joshua Roberts scored 6 points - the last basket starting a 0-6 spurt to send Aris ahead 9-14. The visitors' offense dried up for nearly 3 minutes and Jerusalem reclaimed the lead, 16-14. There were three more lead changes with Willis scoring all 5 points for an 18-19 Aris lead after 10 minutes. 

Woodbury started taking advantage of his size difference by going to the basket for Aris’s next 6 points, re-establishing a 5-point lead at 20-25. Yovel Zoosman and Harper drained triples and 5 Carrington free throws put Jerusalem back up 33-32. Two three-pointers in the final 38 seconds of the first half had Aris up 37-41 at the break.

Aris drained 3 straight triples as part of a 0-11 run early in the second half as the advantage grew to 15 points. Five points from Cooper had the visitors up 44-59 only to have Jerusalem fight back to within single digits at 51-59. Harper’s three-point play made it 57-64. Aris was holding strong and was ahead 63-71 after three quarters.

Jerusalem continued its surge in the final frame with the first 7 points to cut the gap to 70-71 after nearly 3 minutes. Jerusalem finally evened the game at 75-75 on a Harper triple, but Aris did not break initially despite being held scoreless for 4 minutes. Willis free throws had Aris up 80-83. Zoosman answered with a three-pointer to tie it again and Carrington’s free throws made it 85-84 with 38 seconds to play. Harper followed with a great defensive play with 25 seconds left, drawing a charge on Cooper for the latter's fifth foul and then burying 2 more free throws to give Jerusalem the lead 87-84 with 23 seconds to go. Vassilis Toliopoulos managed just one of three foul shots for the visitors and then Zoosman converted 3 free throws with 13 seconds remaining to finish the game.

A great performance by Jared Harper rallied Jerusalem from a 15-point third-quarter deficit