A career night saw Buducnost VOLI Podgorica forward Kenan Kamenjas earn Round 12 MVP honors with a PIR of 34, the highest of any winning player this week.

Round 12 MVP: Kenan Kamenjas, Buducnost VOLI Podgorica

A career night saw [Buducnost VOLI Podgorica](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/buducnost-voli-podgorica/bud/) forward [Kenan Kamenjas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/kenan-kamenjas/008325/) earn Round 12 MVP honors with a PIR of 34, the highest of any winning player this week.

Kamenjas was dominant throughout as Buducnost beat Dolomiti Energia Trento 110-108 in overtime, with the 24-year-old posting an 18-point, 11-rebound double-double – the fourth double-double in his 33-game BKT EuroCup career. His 18 points came on 6-of-8 shooting on two-pointers and 6-of-8 free throws, while 3 of his 11 rebounds came on the offensive end. Kamenjas also had 4 assists and 1 steal for a combined PIR of 34, which is a new career high. This is the first time that Kamenjas has earned MVP of the Round honors. This is the 10th time that a Buducnost player has secured this accolade.

Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul guard [Kyle Allman](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/kyle-allman/011924/) had the highest index rating in Round 12 with a 36 PIR, but it came in defeat as his team fell 109-101 on the road at Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv. Allman amassed 26 points on 6-of-9 two-pointers, 3-of-5 three-pointers and 5-of-11 free throws, as well as 6 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals and 1 block. 

Hapoel’s [Antonio Blakeney](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/antonio-blakeney/013402/) and Umana Reyer Venice’s [Mfiondu Kabengele](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/mfiondu-tshimanga-kabengele/012796/) both shared a 31 PIR, the third-best mark in this round. Blakeney netted 27 points on 4-of-7 two-pointers, 5-of-6 three-pointers and 4-of-5 free throws, in addition to grabbing 4 rebounds and dishing 2 assists. Kabengele had a 26-point, 10-rebound double-double, as well as 1 steal and 1 block in Reyer’s 99-102 win at Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse. 

Aris Midea Thessaloniki’s [Trey Woodbury](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/trey-woodbury/013251/) and Turk Telekom Ankara’s [Kyle Alexander](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/kyle-alexander/011973/) round out the list of top performers in Round 12, each with a 29 PIR.

### Individual highs: Kyle Alexander, Turk Telekom, 6 blocks

Antonio Blakeney of Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv scored a round-high 27 points. [Jared Harper](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/jared-harper/011970/) of Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem is the leading scorer this season with 22.8 points per game.

[Derek Ogbeide](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/derek-ogbeide/013263/) of Jerusalem grabbed 14 rebounds, the most of any player in Round 12. Reyer’s Mfiondu Kabengele leads the way in rebounds with 10.1 boards per night.

[Hugo Benitez](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/hugo-benitez/010449/) of Bourg dished 9 assists, more than anyone else in this round. U-BT Cluj-Napoca’s [Zavier Simpson](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/zavier-simpson/013302/) is the top assist provider with 7.2 per contest.

Three players recorded 5 steals in Round 12: Kyle Alexander of Turk Telekom, [Dustin Sleva](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/dustin-sleva/011927/) of Besiktas, and [DJ Stewart](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/dj-stewart/012700/) of Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana. Jerusalem’s [Tarik Phillip](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/tarik-phillip/009649/) is first in steals with 2.1 per night.

Kyle Alexander blocked 6 shots, the most of any player this season. Alexander tops the charts in blocks with 1.9 per game.

Buducnost’s Kenan Kamenjas (18 points, 11 rebounds), Mfiondu Kabengele (26 points, 10 rebounds), Kyle Alexander (11 points, 10 rebounds), Veolia Towers Hamburg’s [Kur Kuath](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/kur-kuath/013313/) (14 points, 11 rebounds), DJ Stewart (13 points, 11 rebounds), Reyer’s [Jordan Parks](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/jordan-parks/011909/) (13 points, 10 rebounds), Bahcesehir College Istanbul’s [Tyler Cavanaugh](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/tyler-cavanaugh/009601/) (10 points, 10 rebounds), Cluj’s [De’Shawn Stephens](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/de-shawn-stephens/006618/) (12 points, 10 rebounds), and Jerusalem’s Derek Ogbeide (10 points, 14 rebounds) all posted a double-double in Round 12.

Congratulations to Christine Susa, our 12th winner in the 2024-25 EuroCup Fantasy Challenge! Christine's team, 'BUM BUM', posted a score of 203.05.

EuroCup Fantasy Challenge: Round 12 winner

Congratulations to Christine Susa, our 12th winner in the 2024-25 [EuroCup Fantasy Challenge](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/)! Christine's team, 'BUM BUM', posted a score of 203.05.

Christine had the following starting lineup: Umana Reyer Venice's Mfiondu Kabengele as team captain, then Reyer duo Kyle Wiltjer and Tyler Ennis, and ratiopharm Ulm pair Alfonso Plummer and Marcio Santos. Ulm's Justinian Jessup was their sixth man.

Their team's head coach was Ulm play-caller Ty Harrelson, while the four bench players were Reyer duo Davide Casarin and Jordan Parks, and Ulm pair Isaiah Roby and Alec Anigbata.

The prize for finishing first in Round 12 is a free subscription to Euroleague TV for the 2025-26 season, so congratulations, Christine!

The leader in the overall standings remains Milos Mihajlovic and his squad, 'BallIsLife', which has a total of 2,066.70 points after the first 12 rounds. Trades are now open for Round 13. Remember, four trades are allowed before each round until the end of the regular season.

Make new teams now or improve your existing ones and try to become EuroCup Fantasy Challenge's next winner!

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

Joventut Badalona managed to smile again after a three-game losing streak thanks to a hard-fought 92-89 victory against last-placed Trefl Sopot in front of its home crowd.

Strong start paid off for Joventut against Trefl

[Joventut Badalona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/joventut-badalona/jov/) managed to smile again after a three-game losing streak thanks to [a hard-fought 92-89 victory against last-placed Trefl Sopot](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/joventut-survives-trefl-rally-wins-92-89/) in front of its home crowd.

The visitors had the last possession to tie the game, but a contested three-point attempt missed by [Jakub Schenk](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/jakub-schenk/013298/) didn’t go in and allowed the Joventut supporters to celebrate again.

 “A win is a win. The whole team is happy that we won. I mean, we needed a win bad in the EuroCup,” Joventut’s top scorer on the night, [Yannick Kraag](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/yannick-kraag/010161/), admitted after the game. “The game didn't go as we wanted. But I think it's always good to win as a team. I think everybody contributed, everybody played hard, and we fought to the end, and I think the last few possessions we executed really good.”

What Kraag was talking about when he said it didn’t go the way Joventut wanted was in relation to the last three quarters of the game, as Trefl won those three periods 21-34, 17-20 and 15-18. With that in mind, how is it possible that the visitors lost the game?

The answer is, among other factors, a nearly perfect start to the game from Joventut.

The Spanish team trailed 6-8 early in the first quarter when all hell broke loose for Trefl. A 20-2 run in 4 minutes broke the game apart, and despite a Sopot timeout, the punishment continued with another 13-7 spark that helped the hosts amass a 39-17 lead at the end of the first period. It was a record-breaking scoring mark, as Joventut’s previous best offensive performance was 34 points.

At that moment, nine different Joventut players had scored already, and the difference kept growing to 44-17 when [Pep Busquets](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/pep-busquets/006771/) became the 10th to contribute with a triple early in the second quarter. Moreover, Joventut’s shooting from two remained perfect, with [Artem Pustovyi](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/artem-pustovyi/004834/) converting his team’s twelfth two-pointer in as many shots soon after. It was [Sam Dekker](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/sam-dekker/009672/), after 14:32, who missed the first two-pointer for Joventut after 13 attempts.

 “The most positive thing is the victory and the first quarter,” Joventut head coach Dani Miret recognized. “Then we had the same problem we had in a lot of games; the physicality, the rhythm, the capability to compete to the limit.

“We had it an amazing performance in the first quarter. And after this first quarter, we didn’t play as we were supposed to do. Everything that is not our hundred percent is not enough to compete at this level. We lost the next quarters, but finally, in a very tight last minutes, we were able to we finish with a victory that that allows us to keep on fighting for the next games.”

Game News

The Spanish side set a new club record with 39 first-quarter points

Joventut Badalona v Trefl Sopot (2024-12-18T19:30:00.000Z)

Kyle Alexander had a truly iconic performance for Turk Telekom Ankara, finishing the game with 11 points, 10 rebounds, 5 steals and 6 blocks against Cedevita Ljubljana at Stozice Arena 


Kyle Alexander led Turk Telekom with a rare performance

The visiting team was able to rely on another strong effort from center [Kyle Alexander](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/kyle-alexander/011973/) as [Turk Telekom Ankara](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/turk-telekom-ankara/roster/ttk/) grabbed a pivotal [74-80 road win](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/turk-telekom-grabs-pivotal-win-in-ljubljana-74-80/) over [Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/cedevita-olimpija-ljubljana/roster/lju/) in the Slovenian capital on Wednesday. Coach Erdem Can's team is now 2-0 against Cedevita, which is setting itseld up to be a direct opponent in the playoff race.

Turk Telekom relied on its frontcourt to make things happen all game long. [Yoan Makoundou](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/yoan-makoundou/011935/) already reached double digits in scoring before the end of the first quarter, leading Turk Telekom to a 19-28 lead after 10 minutes. He kept finding his spots all night long, both inside and outside the arc. Makoundou finished the game with 22 points on 5-of-6 two-point shooting and 4 of 5 on three-pointers. He added 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 blocks for a PIR of 26. 

With [Braian Angola](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/braian-angola/010465/) sidelined and [Anthony Brown](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/anthony-brown/009025/) limited to 8 points, Makoundou was ready to provide the fireworks. And his frontcourt mate, Alexander, was there to take care of business in the paint. 

Kyle Alexander had 11 points, 10 rebounds, 5 steals and 6 blocks against. Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana

Kyle Alexander's historical performance in Ljubljana

Alexander had a truly iconic performance, finishing the game with 11 points, 10 rebounds, 5 steals and 6 blocks. He became just the second player in EuroCup history to reach double digits in points and rebounds while getting at least 5 steals and 5 blocks.

In order to look for a similar individual performance, you need to back to the 2006-07 EuroCup season. [Ksistof Lavrinovic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/ksistof-lavrinovic/blh/) of UNICS Kazan had 13 points, 16 rebounds, 7 steals and 6 blocks in a 106-88 home win against EiffelTowers Ben Bosch on [November 14, 2006](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/game-center/2006-07/unics-kazan-eiffeltowers/U2006/34/#boxscore).

Game Videos

Turk Telekom led most of the way, but Cedevita used an 11-0 run to take a 71-70 lead with over 4 minutes left. Makoundou and Alexander stepped up big when their team needed them, too. Makoundou quickly hit a jumper to put Turk Telekom ahead for good, then had a big block on [Devante Jones](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/devante-jones/013260/). Alexander had a dunk, 2 blocks, 2 rebounds and 1 steal in the final 3 minutes to round out his incredible game.

"It has been a crazy season for us, up and down, but this is a big win for us. We needed it," Alexander said after the game. "And I hope we can start building on this as a team."

Kyle Alexander stepped up big at Stozice Arena 


Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana v Turk Telekom Ankara (2024-12-18T17:30:00.000Z)

Reyer Venezia starters Mfiondu Kabengele, Rodney McGruder, Tyler Ennis, Jordan Parks and Kyle Wiltjer combined for 85 of their team's 102 points in an impressive 99-102 road win at JL Bourg.

Reyer’s starters delivered offensively to swat aside Bourg

In a highly entertaining duel on Wednesday night, [Umana Reyer Venice](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/umana-reyer-venice/vnc/) saw its starters deliver when it mattered most to clinch [a 99-102 road victory at Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/reyer-holds-off-bourg-in-rollercoaster-clash-99-102/). This clash had simply everything – a high-scoring first quarter (33-31) was followed by a defensively dominant display from Reyer in the third, before an extraordinary 18-point comeback from Bourg was halted in crunch time by the guests.

The main protagonists were Reyer’s starting five, who netted 85 of their team’s 102 points in what was their highest-scoring game of the season. [Mfiondu Kabengele](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/mfiondu-tshimanga-kabengele/012796/) recorded his seventh double-double of the campaign by combining his career-high 26 points with 10 rebounds. Starting guards [Rodney McGruder](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/rodney-mcgruder/012800/) and [Tyler Ennis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/tyler-ennis/008858/) netted 16 and 13 points, respectively, with the former going 5 for 8 from deep.

Reyer forward [Jordan Parks](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/jordan-parks/011909/) put together a double-double of his own by pairing his 13 points with 10 boards, while [Kyle Wiltjer](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/kyle-wiltjer/008052/) netted 17 points, 8 of which, including three huge baskets from inside, came in the last five minutes. In fact, Reyer’s starters scored all but one of their team’s 19 points in the closing quarter, sealing an important win that allowed them to get back to winning ways after [a home defeat to Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/cedevita-gets-pivotal-win-in-venice-75-80/) last time out.

After a frenetic first half that ended 56-56, Reyer outscored Bourg 9-27 in the third quarter to take a 65-83 lead into the fourth. But Bourg refused to give up. The hosts went on an astonishing 24-5 run to get back in front, 89-88, midway through the final frame. Despite that huge blow in morale, the Italian side showed character and fought back, with Wiltjer coming to the fore and fueling a 4-10 surge that allowed the visitors to seal the outcome.

“I believe that we have to be proud and we have to congratulate my players for how they reacted when Bourg came back and we went down by one point,” Reyer assistant coach Emanuele Molin, who was in charge as Neven Spahija is off sick, said in the post-game press conference. “Because, at that moment, if we are not a team with cohesion, maybe we give up. And there we played good defense and had patience to look for the right players on offense, we built a little bit of advantage and we ended up \[winning\] the game.”

Currently boasting a 6-6 record, Reyer remains in the playoff conversation in Group B. Coming up next is a tough home clash against an unbeaten Valencia Basket (10-0), but Reyer demonstrated on Wednesday night at Bourg that it has the scoring firepower to trouble any defense in the BKT EuroCup.

The five players who began the game netted a combined 85 points in an important win for the visitors

Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse v Umana Reyer Venice (2024-12-18T19:30:00.000Z)

Valencia Basket's first half against U-BT Cluj-Napoca now belongs to the BKT EuroCup's record books


Valencia smashed another scoring record

[Valencia Basket](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/valencia-basket/roster/pam/) remained undefeated in Group B through 11 games after roaring for [a 108-80 victory](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/valencia-thrashes-cluj-at-home-108-80/) over [U-BT Cluj-Napoca](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/u-bt-cluj-napoca/roster/clu/) at La Fonteta on Wednesday. Valencia passed the 100-point scoring mark for the seventh time this season - a competition record, which it has done in just 11 games.

Its 108 points tied the club's second-best mark in competition history. It previously scored as many points in an 89-108 road victory against EWE Baskets Oldenburg on [January 13, 2016](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/game-center/2015-16/ewe-baskets-oldenburg--valencia-basket/U2015/201/), also with current head coach Pedro Martinez leading the team. Earlier this season, Valencia recorded [a 109-80 home win over Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/valencia-remains-perfect-with-blowout-of-cedevita-109-80/) which remains its [best scoring night ](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/valencia-set-its-scoring-record-in-chris-jones-return/)in the the EuroCup.

Valencia set the record for most points ever in a half in competition history. Valencia led 73-47 at the break, shattering the previous record of 71. Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar had previously scored that many points in the first half of a 94-114 road win against Telenet Giants Antwerp.

Valencia did everything right in the first half, making 16 of 18 two-pointers (87.5%). Its first miss inside the arc came midway through the second quarter. Valencia also buried 9 of 18 three-pointers and 14 of 17 free throws, outrebounding Cluj by 21-14 and getting 16 first-half assists.

Valencia had 73 points in the first half of its Round 12 showdown against U-BT Cluj-Napoca.

Valencia breaks EuroCup record

"Offensively, we were good, we scored almost 50 points, that's not a problem," Cluj head coach [Mihai Silvasan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/u-bt-cluj-napoca/clu/silvasan-mihai/) said at halftime. "But to receive 73 points at this level is something, I never saw this."

Valencia cooled off in the second half, making 10 of 20 two-pointers, 5 of 14 three-pointers and more turnovers (9) than assists (8) but the damage was done. The hosts had cruised to another win long before the final buzzer.

A balanced attack has helped Valencia become even more dangerous on offense. Eight players finished the game with double digits in scoring, led by [Josep Puerto](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/josep-puerto/006643/), [Jean Montero](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/jean-montero/010042/) and [Semi Ojeleye](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/semi-ojeleye/011982/) with 14 apiece. It was the first time in over nine years that eight teammates had scored at least 10 points each. Avtodor Saratov managed to do that against Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius in an 81-97 victory on [October 28, 2015](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/game-center/2015-16/lietuvos-rytas-vilnius-avtodor-saratov/U2015/49/#boxscore).

Valencia now has the chance to qualify for the playoffs if it beats 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys in a postponed Round 6 game on Friday.

Its first half now belongs to the BKT EuroCup's record books


Valencia Basket v U-BT Cluj-Napoca (2024-12-18T19:30:00.000Z)

Umana Reyer Venice got back to winning ways by defeating Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse 99-102 at Ekinox

Reyer holds off Bourg in rollercoaster clash, 99-102

Umana Reyer Venice got back to winning ways by defeating Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse 99-102 at Ekinox on Wednesday night. A high-scoring first quarter saw Bourg take a narrow 33-31 lead into the second, with the two teams going into halftime tied at 56-56. The visitors tightened up their defense and outscored Bourg 9-27 in the third to take an 18-point lead into the closing quarter. But the hosts pulled off an incredible comeback to get back in front, 89-88, midway through the fourth. Yet, Reyer showed character and turned the game around to improve its record to 6-6 – the same as Bourg following its home loss.

Mfiondu Tshimanga Kabengele led all scorers with 26 points plus 10 rebounds for yet another double-double. Kyle Wiltjer netted 17, Rodney McGruder had 16 and Jordan Parks chipped in with a double-double of his own by recording 13 points and 10 boards. Tyler Ennis also scored 13, with Amedeo Tessitori adding 12 points. Jordan Usher paced Bourg with 24 points and Maksim Salash netted 21 – 16 of which came in the fourth quarter. Xavier Castaneda scored 13 points, Hugo Benitez had 12 and Joel Ayayi added 10.

Kabengele got Reyer going with a midrange jumper and a triple for an early 2-7 lead. Usher replied with 5 unanswered points before Ayayi put Bourg in front, 11-9, with back-to-back baskets. Jean-Marc Pansa and Ayayi scored from close range, but Reyer responded with a 0-7 run fueled by Parks, who tied it at 18-18. Usher completed a three-point play that took his tally to 10 points, but a bucket from Kabengele and a triple from Ennis put Reyer back in front, 21-23. Baskets from Usher, Benitez and Maxime Courby gave Bourg a 31-28 edge. Then, a triple from Juan Fernandez was followed by a buzzer-beating bucket from Ayayi for a 33-31 lead after 10 minutes.

Courby and McGruder traded triples to start the second quarter before a layup from Wilson Jacques made it 38-34 for the hosts. Two hard-fought baskets from Tessitori sandwiched Ayayi’s bucket inside before a Jacques jumper and a Courby slam in transition opened a 44-38 lead. McGruder and Benitez exchanged triples, with the latter netting inside to maintain a 50-43 cushion. Then, McGruder scored again from deep before a floater from Wiltjer, another three from the former and a basket from Kabengele put Reyer ahead, 52-54. Yet, Castaneda and Adrian Nelson netted in the paint to tie things up, 56-56, at the break.

Parks opened the third quarter with a couple of dunks followed by a layup to open a 57-64 lead for Reyer. Five unanswered points from Kabengele, including a three-point play featuring a monster slam, gave the visitors their first double-digit cushion, 57-68. Then, Wiltjer completed a three-point play and Tessitori scored inside to pull away, 58-74. Bourg netted its first field goal of the third quarter with 1:50 to go, when Benitez completed a three-point play that reduced the deficit to 61-76. Tessitori scored 4 points off the bench to restore a 65-83 lead heading into the closing quarter.

Bourg opened the fourth with a 15-1 run, as Usher scored 6 points, Salash added 7 to his tally and Castaneda made 2 from the charity stripe to slash the difference to 80-84. It took Reyer almost 3 and a half minutes to score a field goal, with Kabengele netting back-to-back baskets to restore an 82-88 lead. Salash nailed 2 triples to complete Bourg’s incredible comeback by putting his team back in front, 89-88. But Reyer fought back, with Wiltjer netting three clutch baskets and Kabengele scoring inside to make it 93-98 and practically seal the outcome. 

Bourg rallied from 18 points down, but Reyer showed character in crunch time

Joventut Badalona snapped a three-game losing streak thanks to a 92-89 win over Trefl Sopot at Palau Olimpic on Wednesday night

Joventut survives Trefl rally, wins 92-89 

Joventut Badalona snapped a three-game losing streak thanks to a 92-89 win over Trefl Sopot at Palau Olimpic on Wednesday night. The hosts, who improved to 4-8 to keep dreaming of extending their season to the playoffs, saw Trefl come back from a 44-17 deficit early in the second quarter and had to wait till the final whistle to secure the outcome. With this loss, Sopot chained together 12 defeats in as many games and remained last in Group A.

Yannick Kraag scored 17 of his 20 points in the first half to lead the winners, Devon Dotson followed with 14 points and 6 assists and Artem Pustovyi and Kassius Robertson netted 11 and 10, respectively. Jaroslaw Zyskowski paced Sopot with 25 points; Aaron Best, Nahiem Alleyre and Nick Johnson contributed 13 apiece and Geoffrey Groselle had 12 in a losing effort.

Dotson and Pustovyi got Joventut going, 6-2, but back-to-back triples by Zyskowski and Alleyne right after a timeout put Trefl ahead early in the game, 6-8. It was nothing but an illusion, as the hosts used a couple of threes by Sam Dekker and Robertson to start a 20-2 run that built a comfortable double-digit lead, 26-10, after 7 minutes. The visitors stopped the game again, but it wasn’t enough to end the bleeding. Pushed by veterans Pau Ribas and Ante Tomic, Joventut kept soaring and even extended the margin to 39-17 at the end of the first quarter.

A three-pointer by Pep Busquests made it even worse for Sopot, 44-17, right after the break. Back-to-back threes by Alleyre and Zyskowski gave some breath to the Polish side and forced a timeout by Joventut midway through the second period, with the Spaniards still enjoying a 46-26 advantage. The visitors’ run didn’t stop here, though, as Groselle, Mikolaj Witlinski and Best combined to ignite a 13-4 run that Johnson and Zyskowski extended with a couple of three-point plays that reduced the margin to 53-45. With Kraag as the only contributor in that quarter. Joventut managed to retain a double-digit edge, 58-45, entering the last minute, but another scoring spurt by Johnson closed the first half with Trefl back into the game, 60-51.

A three-point play by Pustovyi and a triple by Gates pushed Joventut out of the danger zone, 68-53, as Trefl quickly stopped the game with a timeout. With Groselle leading the offense from the inside with 8 straight points, Trefl managed to abort the home team's escape attempt, making it 69-59 midway through the third quarter. A couple of technical fouls called on Groselle and Johnson slowed down the guests for a while, but Zyskoski’s fifth triple and an unsportsmanlike foul on Kraag returned some restlessness to the home crowd at 72-67. Both teams tried to take control of the game from behind the arc, but the only one that read the situation correctly was Johnson, who made it a one-possession game, 74-71. A three-point play by Dekker avoided further damage for Joventut, who entered the last stanza ruling 77-71.

Best helped Trefl come within 79-74 from behind the arc and another bucket by Zyskowski forced an early timeout by Joventut, with the game on the line once again, 79-76. Dotson and Robertson came to the rescue from outside, as Trefl missed some long-range shots that allowed Joventut to keep its opponent away, 86-78. Dotson followed with 4 points in a row to reconstruct a double-digit margin, 90-80, with 3 minutes remaining. But the game was far from finished, as Schenk showed up with back-to-back triples and Alleyre provided another from the corner to make it 90-89. Consecutive empty attacks by Joventut granted Trefl a chance to complete the rally with 25 seconds to go, but Schenk couldn’t convert a right-handed layup and, after Kayser Gates made it 92-89 from the line, Schenk also missed a last triple that could have tied the game at the buzzer. 

The visitors reduced a 27-point deficit to 1 in the last minutes, but missed the three that could have forced overtime.

Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse fortified its backcourt by signing comb-guard Brandon Jefferson for the remainder of the season. 

Bourg inks sharpshooter Brandon Jefferson

Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse fortified its backcourt by signing comb-guard [Brandon Jefferson](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/brandon-jefferson/007288/) for the remainder of the season. Jefferson (1.75 meters, 33 years old) has played many years in France with stints at Orleans, Pau-Lacq-Orthez and Strasbourg. He last played for Dinamo Sassari where he averaged 13.2 points on 42.6% three-point shooting and 3.8 assists in the Italian league last season.  

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="fr" dir="ltr">Brandon Jefferson rejoint l&#39;équipe !<br><br>Le club était en veille active d’une éventuelle opportunité sur le poste 1/2 avec une spécificité de tir longue distance. Bienvenue Brandon 👋<br><br>✍🏻 <a href="https://t.co/RYCN5EKW0G">https://t.co/RYCN5EKW0G</a> <a href="https://t.co/q8IlSgeicU">pic.twitter.com/q8IlSgeicU</a></p>&mdash; JL Bourg Basket (@JLBourgBasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/JLBourgBasket/status/1869512163083358566?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 18, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

After playing college basketball at  Metropolitan State University of Denver, Jefferson began his professional career in Finland with KTP Basket in 2014. After one season in Germany with Phoenix Hagen, Jefferson debuted in the EuroCup with Union Olimpija Ljubljana in 2016. He averaged 9.2 points and 3.5 assists in eight EuroCup games that season. He has since also played for Trapani in Italy and Tianjin Ronggang Pioneers in China aside from four seasons in France.

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The combo-guard last played in the EuroCup in 2016