Trevion Williams grabbed 16 rebounds for ratiopharm Ulm in its 80-70 win against Dolomiti Energia Trento in Round 1 of the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season.

Round 1 individual highs: Trevion Williams of Ulm, 16 rebounds

[Donte Grantham](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/donte-grantham/012586/) of London Lions was Round 1's top scorer, scoring 23 points to lead his team to a 76-69 home victory against Umana Reyer Venice. It was Grantham's first-ever game in the BKT EuroCup. 

Another EuroCup newcomer, [Trevion Williams](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/trevion-lamon-williams-/012604/) of ratiopharm ulm, pulled down 16 rebounds in an 80-70 winning effort against Dolomiti Energia Trento. It is the second-best mark by an Ulm player in the EuroCup; John Bryant had 17 rebounds in a 91-70 home victory against Galatasaray Medical Park Istanbul on January 30, 2013. 

[T.J. Shorts](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/tj-shorts/012608/) of Paris Basketball dished 9 assists, more than anybody else in Round 1, in his team’s 105-78 victory over Wolves Vilnius. 

[Andrew Albicy](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/andrew-albicy/003425/) of Dreamland Gran Canaria collected 5 steals, matching a club record, in a 66-82 road victory against Aris Midea Thessaloniki. Albicy has collected 5 steals for the second time in his career, having previously done so with Gran Canaria against Veolia Hamburg Towers last season. Albicy has collected 149 steals in his EuroCup career, ranking fourth all-time, and needs two more to go past third-ranked Andre Riddick (150). 

Three players had 3 blocks in Round 1: [Karlo Matkovic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/karlo-matkovic/009395/) of Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana, [Paul Biligha](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/paul-biligha/009903/) of Trento and [James Palmer](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/james-palmer-jr-/011834/) of Turk Telekom Ankara. 

Williams, [Berkan Durmaz](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/berkan-durmaz/007917/) of Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul and [Dusan Miletic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/dusan-miletic/009896/) of Slask Wroclaw registered a double-double in this season's opening round.

Here are the leaders in the main statistical categories after Round 1 of the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season. 

EuroCup Fantasy Challenge offers weekly prizes to the top team manager, so get in the game and go for the gold!

EuroCup Fantasy Challenge: Round 1 winner

Congratulations to Gokhan Turan, who is the [EuroCup Fantasy Challenge, powered by Ardu Prime](https://eurocupfantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/home) first winner for 2023-24! Andrea's team Primavera posted a score of 228.40.

The team featured the following lineup: team captain T.J. Shorts of Paris Basketball, Jaylen Hoard of Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv, Karel Guzman of U-BT Cluj-Napoca, Eigirdas Zukuaskas of the Vilnius Wolves and Karlo Matkovic of Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana as starters; Donte Grantham of the London Towers as the sixth man; Maksim Salash of Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse, Dusan Miletic of Slask Wroclaw, Issuf Sanon of Prometey Slobozhanske and Vassilis Toliopoulos of Aris Midea Thessaloniki as bench players; and Iisalo Tuomas of Paris as head coach. The prize for finishing first in Round 1 is a free subscription to Euroleague TV for the 2023-24 season!

Of course, Gokhan is the first leader atop the overall standings. His team Primavera is ahead of everyone else with 228.40 fantasy points.

Trades are now open for Round 2. Remember, three trades are allowed before each round until the end of the regular season, and you can also trade your head coach.

The first game in Round 2, 7bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys vs. Aris Midea Thessaloniki, is scheduled to tip off on Tuesday, October 10 at 18:00 CEST, and thus marks the next round's deadline.

Make new teams now or improve your existing ones and try to become [EuroCup Fantasy Challenge's](https://eurocupfantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/home) next winner!

Zaccharie Risacher of Bourg looks ready to continue the long line of future stars coming through the BKT EuroCup.

 Risacher aced his EuroCup debut with Bourg 

The BKT EuroCup has always been an incubator for future stars, and one name to mark down at the beginning of this season is [Zaccharie Risacher](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/zaccharie-risacher/010718/) of Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse.

A smooth, 2.06-meter forward with basketball pedigree courtesy of his father, former EuroLeague star Stephane, Risacher made the move to Bourg from LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne over the summer in search of playing time. 

In his first EuroCup game, he got that, coming off the bench for 20 minutes in which his poise belied the fact that Risacher is still just 18 years old. 

Risacher let the game come to him, completing Bourg's comeback from early deficits with the final 4 points of the first quarter, which supplied the home team's first lead. He was there at the end of the second quarter, too, assisting Mike Isiaha for a 46-42 halftime lead, after which Bourg never trailed again en route to a [90-74 victory](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/news/bourg-stops-slask-90-74-in-home-opener/).

Zaccharie Risacher (13 points) Highlights vs. Slask Wroclaw, 10/05/2023

Zaccharie Risacher's EuroCup highights vs. Slask Wroclaw

Risacher finished with 13 points on 4-for-5 two-point and 2-for-2 free throw shooting while also posting 5 rebounds, 2 steals and 1 assist. His 15 PIR was third on the team and his plus/minus of +16 second for the winners.

He mixed up his offense with a three-pointer and a dunk, but most impressive was how Risacher seemed to fit right in, not forcing anything. His most eye-catching play probably came while spinning as he received a lob pass to lose his defender and score fading away inside. 

His physique is still slim, befitting his age, but except for getting pushed away from loose balls a couple of times, Risacher held his own. His footwork along the baseline freed him up for open shots while his ballhandling and passing kept him involved in the offensive action even when he wasn't shooting. On defense, he got one steal and broke up another lob while playing heads-up help defense.

Risacher is no secret, of course. But getting to watch him grow on EuroCup game nights will be a pleasure for more than just Bourg fans this season.

Game News

Game Videos

Zaccharie Risacher of Bourg looks ready to continue the long line of future stars coming through the BKT EuroCup.



Risacher aced his EuroCup debut with Bourg

Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse v Slask Wroclaw (2023-10-05T19:00:00.000Z)

Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse turned back visiting Slask Wroclaw to win their BKT EuroCup Group B opening game by 90-74 on Thursday. Hugo Benitez led the winners with 19 points and Zaccharie Risacher added 13.

Bourg stops Slask 90-74 in home opener

Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse turned back visiting Slask Wroclaw to win their Group B opening game by 90-74 on Thursday. Slask held the lead until the final minute of the first quarter and tied again near halftime, but after that it was all Bourg.

Hugo Benitez led the winners with 19 points and 5 assists, including a personal 9-0 run that kept Bourg in the game early. Jeremy Morgan added 14 points, Zaccharie Risacher 13 and Bryce Bown 12 for Bourg. Slask got 19 points and 13 rebounds from Dusan Miletic. Jakub Niziol added 13 points and Saulius Kulvietis 11.

### Benitez, Risacher sparked Bourg's takeover

Slask rolled in front 0-5 on a three-point play by Dusan Miletic. Hugo Benitez scored 9 points in a row to get Bourg within 12-14. Bryce Brown tied it up from deep, 20-20, for the hosts before Zaccharie Risacher finally pushed Bourg in front, 24-22, after 10 minutes. Bourg stretched the difference to 32-26 early in the second but Hassani Gravett's pair of triples led Slask back into a 37-37 tie. It stayed that way until Kevin Kokila and Isiaha Mike put Bourg back up, 46-42, at halftime. 

Jeremy Morgan's back-to-back threes, another by Brown, and a layup by Benitez pushed Bourg ahead 57-47 early in the third quarter. The lead hit a high of 67-49 on Axel Julien's triple and baskets by Risacher as Bourg took a 67-53 after 30 minutes. Risacher and Maksim Salash kept Bourg up big despite Miletic getting free to score for Slask. Nothing much changed the rest of the way as Bourg protected its home court untl the finish and joined the Group B win column.

Bourg showed resilience in winning the last game of the first round of the new season against visiting Slask.

Round 1 in the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup season resumes this Wednesday night, with six games taking place. 

Game Center: Round 1 rolls on with six Thursday games

[**Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse 90-74 Slask Wroclaw**](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/mincidelice-jl-bourg-en-bresse-slask-wroclaw/U2023/6/)

Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse turned back visiting Slask Wroclaw to win their Group B opening game by 90-74 on Thursday. Slask held the lead until the final minute of the first quarter and tied again near halftime, but after that it was all Bourg. Hugo Benitez led the winners with 19 points and 5 assists, including a personal 9-0 run that kept Bourg in the game early. Jeremy Morgan added 14 points, Zaccharie Risacher 13 and Bryce Bown 12 for Bourg. Slask got 19 points and 13 rebounds from Dusan Miletic. Jakub Niziol added 13 points and Saulius Kulvietis 11.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">WHAT A SLAM from Omenaka😤<a href="https://twitter.com/JLBourgBasket?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JLBourgBasket</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MagicMoment?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MagicMoment</a> <a href="https://t.co/WWcFFLS3J5">pic.twitter.com/WWcFFLS3J5</a></p>&mdash; BKT EuroCup (@EuroCup) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroCup/status/1710016330269626803?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 5, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 

[**U-BT Cluj-Napoca 80-71 Turk Telekom Ankara**](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/u-bt-cluj-napoca-turk-telekom-ankara/U2023/7/)

Cluj opened the season in style by downing last season's finalists Turk Telekom 80-71 at BT-Arena. Bryce Jones and Karel Guzman led the winners with 14 points apiece. Tyrone Wallace paced Turk Telekom with 18 points. Cluj opened the game on a 12-0 run, led 28-14 at the end of the first quarter and 50-26 at halftime. Wallace rescued Turk Telekom after halftime with 10 points in a 0-18 run that brought his team within 53-49. After the deficit was trimmed to 2, Jarell Eddie and Jones sank back-to-back triples, as Cluj regained a double-digit lead and held on the rest of the way.

[**Prometey Slobozhanske 97-77 Veolia Hamburg Towers**](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/prometey-slobozhanske-veolia-towers-hamburg/U2023/1/)

Prometey never trailed in starting the season with an impressive victory over Hamburg at Arena Riga in the Latvian capital. The Ukrainian club was hot from the start and scored 35 first-quarter points. Marcus Keene starred for the winners with 19 points and 6 assists. Eleven different Prometey players scored. Al Durham led the Hamburg attack with 15 points.

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[**Aris Midea Thessaloniki 66-82 Dreamland Gran Canaria**](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/aris-midea-thessaloniki-dreamland-gran-canaria/U2023/9/)

Gran Canaria opened the defense of its EuroCup title with a road victory at Aris. AJ Slaughter poured in 21 points, including 4 three-pointers, and Nicolas Brussino added 16 points in the Group B game. Aris, which has returned to the EuroCup for the first time after seven seasons away, was led by Roberto Galliant’s 22 points. The game was tied late in the third quarter, but the fourth was all Slaughter and Gran Canaria. 

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">New EuroCup atmosphere here💫<br><br>📸 <a href="https://twitter.com/ARISBCgr?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ARISBCgr</a> <a href="https://t.co/VFRCXdnmNB">pic.twitter.com/VFRCXdnmNB</a></p>&mdash; BKT EuroCup (@EuroCup) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroCup/status/1709653704788398202?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[**Buducnost VOLI Podgorica 76-65 7bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys**](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/buducnost-voli-podgorica-7bet-lietkabelis-panevezys/U2023/8/)

Buducnost enjoyed a hard-fought victory over Lietkabelis at Moaraca on Wednesday night. The hosts trailed 35-49 early in the third period, but punished their opponent with a 18-1 run in less than 7 minutes to get back into the game. An offensive exhibition by Jacorey Williams down the stretch made the difference for Buducnost. Williams and McKinley Wright scored 13 points each to led Budcnost. Gabrielius Maldunas paced the visitors with 16 points and 8 rebounds.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="und" dir="ltr">What a comeback! 🔥<br><br>🔷Wright and Williams 13, Mihailović 12, Makoundou 10, Paul 7, Slavković and Jones 6<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KKB?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KKB</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HukMora%C4%8De?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HukMorače</a> <a href="https://t.co/xjOxmxQxXN">pic.twitter.com/xjOxmxQxXN</a></p>&mdash; KK Budućnost VOLI (@KKBuducnostVOLI) <a href="https://twitter.com/KKBuducnostVOLI/status/1709643435236340155?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[**Joventut Badalona 62-63 Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul**](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/joventut-badalona-besiktas-emlakjet-istanbul/U2023/5/)

Besiktas stunned Joventut on Leyton Hammonds's game-winning basket with 2.9 seconds remaining in an entertaining duel at Palau Olimpic De Badalona. Besiktas lost its star, Derek Needham, to a broken nose in the second quarter. Yigit Arslan led Besiktas with 13 points and 8 rebounds and Berkan Durmaz recorded a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds,. Andrew Andrews paced Joventut with 10 points.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Hammonds sinks the game-winning jumper and <a href="https://twitter.com/BJK_Basketbol?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BJK_Basketbol</a> get the W🏹✅<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MagicMoment?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MagicMoment</a> <a href="https://t.co/2rfswPg5WD">pic.twitter.com/2rfswPg5WD</a></p>&mdash; BKT EuroCup (@EuroCup) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroCup/status/1709665776284672174?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[**London Lions 76-69 Umana Reyer Venice**](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/london-lions-umana-reyer-venice/U2023/2/)

London rallied from a double-digit deficit to beat Reyer in the teams' season opener. Donte Grantham led the winners with 23 points and 7 rebounds. Amedeo Tessitori was Reyer's top scorer with 16 points. Tessitori had 11 first-quarter points, getting help from Marco Spissu and Jordan Parks to give Reyer a 17-25 lead after 10 minutes. Grantham rescued London and Tarik Phillip gave his team a 30-28 lead. Spissu's buzzer-beating triple fixed the halftime score at 38-41. Reyer boosted its margin to 40-51 soon after the break. Grantham and Josh Sharma took over to tie the game again, 56-56, early in the fourth quarter. Grantham completed the hosts' comeback, 63-61, then Gabe Olaseni and Morgan made sure their team registered its first win of the season.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The London Lions turn it around and grab the win in their first home game of the season!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RoadToGreatness?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RoadToGreatness</a> <a href="https://t.co/ifGewJfCvN">pic.twitter.com/ifGewJfCvN</a></p>&mdash; BKT EuroCup (@EuroCup) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroCup/status/1709666477190619577?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv 100-73 Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/news/hapoel-tel-aviv-records-statement-win-cedevita-olimpija/)

Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv started its 2023-24 BKT EuroCup campaign on the right foot by dominating Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana 100-73 in front of a packed-out crowd at Shlomo Group Arena. After boasting the joint second-best home record in last year's regular season, Hapoel seems set to be a big threat on its home court once again.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="iw" dir="rtl"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%D7%94%D7%AA%D7%97%D7%9C%D7%A0%D7%95?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#התחלנו</a><br><br>הפועל מנצחת את לובליאנה 73:100 במשחק הראשון בשלב הבתים ביורוקאפ.<br><br>ועכשיו? יום ראשון, 19:40, גליל עליון בית, מתחילים את הליגה.<br><br>יאללה הפועל! <a href="https://t.co/5munmFwe8u">pic.twitter.com/5munmFwe8u</a></p>&mdash; Hapoel Tel Aviv BC (@HapoelTLVBC) <a href="https://twitter.com/HapoelTLVBC/status/1709282607228182860?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 3, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[ratiopharm Ulm 80-70 Dolomiti Energia Trento](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/news/ratiopharm-ulm-makes-winning-start-aquila-basket-trento/)

German League champion ratiopharm Ulm ground out an 80-70 home victory against Dolomiti Energia Trento to get its BKT EuroCup Group B campaign off to a winning start, thanks to superb offensive rebounding coupled with a flurry of turnovers from the visitors.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="de" dir="ltr">ORANGE WINS! 🧡<br><br>Ein grandioser Start in die EuroCup-Saison - wir gewinnen mit 80:70 gegen <a href="https://twitter.com/AquilaBasketTN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AquilaBasketTN</a>. Damit holen wir uns den dritten Sieg in Folge 💪📣 <a href="https://t.co/BCCcqe3n3W">pic.twitter.com/BCCcqe3n3W</a></p>&mdash; ratiopharm ulm (@ratiopharmulm) <a href="https://twitter.com/ratiopharmulm/status/1709290536308215916?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 3, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[Paris Basketball 105-78 Wolves Vilnius](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/news/paris-basketball-cruises-past-bc-wolves-eurocup/)

Paris Basketball hit the ground running in the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup season by grabbing a 105-78 victory over Wolves Vilnius at Halle Georges Carpentier on Tuesday night. The hosts recorded their first win of the season, while Wolves debuted in the competition with a loss on the road. Paris looked dominant throughout the duel, comfortably breaking the 100-point barrier in the fourth quarter.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">« It’s a W » 🗣️ <a href="https://twitter.com/TjShorts5?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TjShorts5</a> <br><br>WINNING FEELING 🖤❤️💙 <a href="https://t.co/SCOgz60AdC">pic.twitter.com/SCOgz60AdC</a></p>&mdash; Paris Basketball (@ParisBasketball) <a href="https://twitter.com/ParisBasketball/status/1709304753908265285?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 3, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Gran Canaria triumphed in Thessaloniki, while Besiktas scored a win in Badalona. The other eight games played Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday were won by the home teams. 

Game Center: Bourg protects home court to close Round 1

ratiopharm Ulm v Dolomiti Energia Trento (2023-10-03T17:30:00.000Z)

Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv v Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (2023-10-03T17:00:00.000Z)

Paris Basketball v Wolves Vilnius (2023-10-03T18:30:00.000Z)

Prometey Slobozhanske v Veolia Towers Hamburg (2023-10-04T16:00:00.000Z)

London Lions v Umana Reyer Venice (2023-10-04T18:30:00.000Z)

Joventut Badalona v Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul (2023-10-04T18:15:00.000Z)

U-BT Cluj-Napoca v Turk Telekom Ankara (2023-10-04T16:00:00.000Z)

Buducnost VOLI Podgorica v 7bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys (2023-10-04T17:00:00.000Z)

Aris Midea Thessaloniki v Dreamland Gran Canaria (2023-10-04T17:00:00.000Z)

Buducnost VOLI Podgorica center Jacorey Williams stepped up in the fourth quarter to ensure his defeated 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys in Round 1 of the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season. 

Jacorey Williams showed up to complete Buducnost’s comeback

Things were not going to plan for Jacorey Williams on his debut for Buducnost VOLI Podgorica. The American center, who joined his new team this summer, was expected to have a big role against 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys in Buducnost’s BKT EuroCup home opener, yet he was a peripheral figure through the first two periods. 

Buducnost trailed 31-38 at halftime and was down by 14 (35-49) after 24 minutes, with Williams having barely contributed on both ends. He had just 2 points and 1 rebound at that point, while he was also struggling to help his team grab defensive boards.

“We were playing a little bit soft in defense,” Williams said about his side’s first-half performance. “They are a great team, they can move the ball well, they are almost perfect when they are playing sets, so you have kind of play aggressive defense and take them out of rhythm.”

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="und" dir="ltr">What a comeback! 🔥<br><br>🔷Wright and Williams 13, Mihailović 12, Makoundou 10, Paul 7, Slavković and Jones 6<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KKB?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KKB</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HukMora%C4%8De?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HukMorače</a> <a href="https://t.co/xjOxmxQxXN">pic.twitter.com/xjOxmxQxXN</a></p>&mdash; KK Budućnost VOLI (@KKBuducnostVOLI) <a href="https://twitter.com/KKBuducnostVOLI/status/1709643435236340155?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### Helping to turn things around

He was on the bench when Buducnost turned up its level of aggression in the third quarter, which led to a 10-1 run before Jacorey returned to the floor with his team trailing 45-50. But as soon as he reentered the game, he started producing. He provided 2 assists and 1 defensive rebound in 2:28 minutes to help the home team complete the comeback and enter the last quarter ahead by 3 points, 53-50.

Then, Williams turned into the best version of himself, fueling his team when it was needed most. A bucket by Gediminas Orelik and a three by Vytenis Lipkevicius seemed to put Lietkabelis back in control, 53-55, early in the fourth period, but it was nothing but an illusion. 

Buducnost VOLI Podgorica center Jacorey Williams shined in his team's 76-65 win against 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys in Round 1 of the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season.

Jacorey Williams's best plays vs. Lietkabelis

### A dominant end to the game

Williams came up big from there on, however, as he recorded 11 points, 2 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block and 1 foul drawn in the last nine minutes of the game to fuel a 23-10 run that enabled Buducnost to get the victory. The 29-year-old was on the court for the whole fourth period and finished the game as his team’s leading scorer and the player with the highest PIR (15).

Beyond the stats, his athleticism and quickness were key factors in changing Buducnost’s display in the second half and helping the home team flip the script. 

“First half, they had a lot of rhythm,” Williams admitted in his post-game interview. “In the second half we played better defense and disrupted their offense a little bit and we started scoring in transition a little more.”

Buducnost head coach Petar Mijovic will be hoping that he can start to see the fourth-quarter version of Williams on a consistent basis, which should spell good news for the team in this season’s EuroCup.

The first-year center stepped up in the fourth quarter as his team won its BKT EuroCup season opener.

Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul took to the Palau Olimpic de Badalona court to face Joventut Badalona with two important absences. The Turkish side was missing captain Egehan Arna as well as summer signing Matt Mitchell, both of whom are sidelined through injuries. Things got worse for the guests just a minute and a half into the second quarter when Yannick Kraag accidentally elbowed Besiktas star Derek Needham, who was taken to the locker room to receive medical assistance. According to Besiktas head coach Dusan Alimpijevic, Needham suffered a broken nose. He did not return for the remainder of the game.

Besiktas overcame injuries to triumph at Joventut

Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul took to the Palau Olimpic de Badalona court [to face Joventut Badalona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/joventut-badalona-besiktas-emlakjet-istanbul/U2023/5/) with two important absences. The Turkish side was missing captain Egehan Arna as well as summer signing Matt Mitchell, both of whom are sidelined through injuries. Things got worse for the guests just a minute and a half into the second quarter when Yannick Kraag accidentally elbowed Besiktas star Derek Needham, who was taken to the locker room to receive medical assistance. According to Besiktas head coach Dusan Alimpijevic, Needham suffered a broken nose. He did not return for the remainder of the game.

With the score at 23-17, Besiktas didn’t give up and played even harder on defense, fought for all possessions and dominated in the paint. As Alimpijevic pointed out after the game, this win would be dedicated to their teammates who couldn’t fight alongside them on the court.

Coach Dusan Alimpijevic after beating Joventut

"The players deserved this incredible end," he noted. "We came without two players. This win is for our captain Egehan \[Arna\], who stayed at home, this is for Matt Mitchell, for Derek Needham, who broke his nose. This is something really special and emotional for us."

The bench contributed 28 points and although Besiktas was trailing for 35 minutes, its players waited for an opportunity to turn the game around and put their team ahead. They held the hosts scoreless for more than 3 minutes in the closing stages and snatched a huge road victory thanks to a Leyton Hammonds game-winning basket in their last possession.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tr" dir="ltr">Maç sonu galibiyet pozumuz! 📸💪<br><br>Egehan Arna ve Derek Needham için. 🙏<br><br>🦅 <a href=https://twitter.com/hashtag/Potan%C4%B1nKartallar%C4%B1?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw>#PotanınKartalları</a> | <a href=https://twitter.com/hashtag/Be%C5%9Fikta%C5%9FEmlakjet?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw>#BeşiktaşEmlakjet</a> <a href=https://t.co/lPp8H1q9MS>pic.twitter.com/lPp8H1q9MS</a></p>&mdash; Beşiktaş Emlakjet (@BJK_Basketbol) <a href=https://twitter.com/BJK_Basketbol/status/1709671837569847553?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw>October 4, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src=https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js charset="utf-8"></script>

"This was a team fight," said Berkan Durmaz, who posted 10 points and 10 rebounds. "We played for each other. When we made mistakes, we tried to cover our teammates. We are so happy that we started the season this way away at Badalona. We played for Egehan Arna, our captain, who got hurt two days ago, Derek, who injured his nose and Matt, who was out too. We fought for them, we fought for each other and we won the game."

Despite playing without three important members of the roster for around three quarters, an inspired Besiktas came out victorious from one of the toughest courts in the competition. When the three men return to action, they are aware that they have what it takes to look any BKT EuroCup opponent in the eye.

Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul looked solid on defense after a slow start to the game and hit the ground running in the BKT EuroCup by snatching a huge 62-63 victory at Palau Olimpic De Badalona on Wednesday night.

Besiktas's defense went up one level to stun Joventut

The visitors managed to keep an experienced Joventut Badalona side to just 62 points despite conceding 20 in the first quarter. Besiktas upped its defensive game in the second quarter and conceded just 9 points in the last one to seal its comeback.

Last year’s semifinalists had not scored fewer than 80 points in any of their regular-season duels at home and bagged more than 68 points in all their EuroCup duels in 2022-23. In fact, the last time that Joventut scored just 62 points was in a 62-68 home loss to ALBA Berlin back in 2010, which was Joventut’s lowest score ever in a home game. It has to be noted that Joventut has scored fewer than 62 points just twice in the competition - in a 64-56 defeat at Spirou Charleroi two decades ago and an 84-54 loss at Aris Thessaloniki back in 2010.

Besiktas hounded Joventut on defense

Following his players’ triumph on Wednesday night, Coach Dusan Alimpijevic hailed his men’s dedication on defense and pointed out that the key to this victory was their passion on the court.

"Just the heart \[was the key to the win\]," Alimpijevic noted. "When you keep such great offensive players to just 62 points at home, what else can I say? Heart and good effort on defense. Congratulations to my players. I’m so proud of them."

Despite struggling to score second-chance points, Besiktas recorded 14 offensive boards and outrebounded the hosts 41-35. These figures demonstrate his players' fighting mentality in the paint, where Berkan Durmaz and Yigit Arslan dominated with 8 and 7 defensive rebounds, respectively.

Besiktas's defense on the perimeter saw Joventut make just 2 of the 16 triples its players attempted. This 12.5% mark from behind the arc was Joventut’s second-worst three-point shooting percentage of all time in the competition.

Should Besiktas exhibit the same die-hard spirit on defense consistently, it may be able to deliver similar astonishing results throughout the campaign.

Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul looked solid on defense after a slow start to the game and hit the ground running in the BKT EuroCup by snatching a huge 62-63 victory at Palau Olimpic de Badalona on Wednesday night.

The London Lions opened the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup season without star power forward Sam Dekker. Donte Grantham, in his first-ever game in the competition, stepped into that role and made sure it was a night to be remembered.

Donte Grantham's first-ever EuroCup game is a hit

The London Lions opened the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup season without star power forward Sam Dekker. Grantham, in his first-ever game in the competition, stepped into that role and made sure it was a night to be remembered.

Grantham did so while squaring off against his former college teammate, Aamir Simms. The two played together at Clemson University during the 2017-18 season. 

Donte Grantham led London Lions to a 76-69 win over difficult Umana Reyer Venice in both teams' season opener.

Grantham excels in London's first win

He had a sudden impact on the game, scoring 5 quick points to give London an 11-8 lead. Reyer led most of the way after that and built a double-digit margin, 40-51, early in the second half. That's when Grantham stepped up with consecutive baskets, igniting his team's comeback, and finished it with a dunk that gave London a 63-61 edge with less than 7 minutes remaining. Gabe Olaseni and Tarik Phillip stepped up in crunch time but London would have never stood a chance to win the game without Grantham's effort.

When the dust settled, Grantham had led the way with 23 points on 7-of-7 free-throw shooting plus 7 rebounds and 5 fouls drawn for a PIR of 25. Above all, he made sure that Dekker was not missed in London's big home win.

"I have to credit my teammates finding me," Grantham said after the game. "I just have been aggressive from the start. It was my first game and I just wanted to set the tone. This allows me to get confidence. I am a guy that does everything, and I just try to impact the game in different ways."

Grantham proved to be a big addition for London, which is set to play five of its next six games on the road.

Donte Grantham led London to a 76-69 win over Reyer in Round 1 on Wednesday. 