Valencia celebrates EuroCup return with 64-80 road win over Jerusalem

Four-time BKT EuroCup winner Valencia Basket has made an impressive comeback to the competition by grabbing a 64-80 victory against Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem at Samokov Arena in Bulgaria on Wednesday evening. The visitors were in control of the duel from the off and imposed their game on Jerusalem, which struggled on offense due to Valencia’s defensive prowess.

Matthew Costello paced Valencia with 16 points and Semi Ojeleye scored 12, with Jean Montero and Nathan Sestina netting 10 each. Former Valencia guard Jared Harper led all scorers with 27 points and Kenneth Smith recorded 10 in defeat.

Game Videos

Xabi Lopez-Arostegui opened the scoring with a slam before Sestina netted 2 triples in a row to give Valencia a 2-8 lead. Yet, Jerusalem made the most of some Valencia turnovers and took the lead 10-8, with Harper, Yovel Zoosman and Chris Johnson opening their accounts. The visitors responded with an Ojeleye triple before Sestina took his tally to an early 8 points with a bucket inside, 10-14. Then, Stefan Jovic, Costello and Jaime Pradilla came off the bench to extend Valencia’s lead to 14-26 heading into the second quarter.

Johnson and Xabi Lopez-Arostegui exchanged triples, with Valencia maintaining a double-digit lead, 19-31. An Ojeleye dunk after a smooth team move was followed by a Smith buzzer-beating midrange jumper on the other end, before Jovic hit in transition to make it 22-35. Montero scored the next 8 Valencia points before setting up Costello, who netted a layup in transition for a 29-45 cushion at the break.

Game News

Three points from Smith were followed by a hard-fought basket from Sestina, who became the first Valencia player to reach double digits in scoring, 32-47. Lopez-Arostegui responded to a Harper triple with a floater before Smith hit 2 free throws to trim the deficit to 37-49. Buckets from Costello, Jovic and Nathan Reuvers saw Valencia extend its lead again, with the visitors taking a 44-59 cushion into the closing quarter.

Harper scored 7 points, with Wiley sinking a hard-fought basket to cut the difference to 53-63. Yet, Valencia responded with triples from Josep Puerto and Costello to make it 55-69. Then, Costello’s fifth basket from inside was followed by a Montero bucket and an Ojeleye triple to extend Valencia’s lead to 57-76, with the visitors practically putting the game to bed with less than 3 minutes to go.

Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem v Valencia Basket (2024-09-25T17:00:00.000Z)

Second-half defense made the difference for Bahcesehir

Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius's fans were more than happy after the first quarter of the opener against Bahcesehir College Istanbul on Wednesday evening, as the home team led 26-23 and showed a very good face - especially offensively - against one of the strongest teams in Group A.

The hosts had shot 5-of-6 from two, 3-of-6 from behind the arc, and 7-of-9 from the line, as Anthony Cowan had 15 points with 5-of-6 from the field and 3 free-throws after 4 attempts.

“The beginning was not good, we made a lot of mistakes,” Bahcesehir head coach Dejan Radonjic recognized in the press conference. But after that it was different… Our defense was much better."

The numbers prove Radonjic right, as his team allowed just 17 points in the second quarter to reach halftime leading 43-45, and suffocated its opponent by allowing only 26 points in the second half - the same amount it received in the first period.

"The key for this victory was our defense in the second half. We didn't play fluidly in offense but our defense in the last 20 minutes was really good. This was key for the win and I congratulate my players for this game," he added.

Wolves’ offensive struggles turned into below-par shooting in the last 20 minutes, especially from the perimeter, making only 2 of 15 threes. That was a big difference compared to the first half stat-line, which showed a more than acceptable 6-of-13 from downtown.

As such, Cowan was unable to score a single field goal in the second half with his only 2 points coming from the free-throw line in the last minutes of the last period. On the other hand, Axel Bouteille recorded 13 points of his total 17 after the break, fueling Bahcesehir when it mattered most.

"I think we played a solid game. The first half was good, but we got too many points in the first quarter," the French forward emphasized too. "We allowed less points in the second half and thanks to that we got the win. It’s nice for us to start like this, winning the first game of the season \[on the road\] but we know it’s a long season and we have to keep working."

The Turks suffocated Wolves after the intermission

Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius v Bahcesehir College Istanbul (2024-09-25T16:00:00.000Z)

Cedevita Olimpija rallies to stun Cluj in a thriller

Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana hit 14 three-pointers, including a pair in the final minute of the game, to beat U-BT Cluj-Napoca 86-93 on Wednesday, getting its 2024-25 BKT EuroCup campaign in Group B on the right foot.

Cedevita Olimpija overcame a 12-0 fourth-quarter spurt by the home team, and after being down 78-71, used a 2-9 run to catch up, before scoring the final 8 points of the night to register a win in which it had five scorers in double figures. Devin Robinson had 20 points, Brynton Lemar scored 18, Devante Jones collected 15 points, 7 assists and 4 steals, while Aleksej Nikolic scored 14 and DJ Stewart 13 points. Zavier Simpson had 16 points, 9 assists and 7 rebounds for Cluj. Adam Mokoka also scored 16, Zach Hankins had 15 an Kevin Hervey 14 points plus 7 rebounds in defeat

Cluj had the better start, repeatedly going inside first to set the tone with an early 8-2 margin, then to put together a 10-3 run which gave the hosts a 22-14 lead as they made 10 of 12 two-point shots in the opening quarter. But Nikolic came off the bench and hit his first triple and help cut the margin to 24-19 after 10 minutes, then his second triple tied the game at 27-27 inside the first 4 minutes of the second quarter.

Cedevita went in front after a 0-6 run, capped by Robinson's basket in transition. A triple from Jones followed, and a long-distance dagger from Lemar made it 38-46 at the break.

Cluj halved the gap right away in the third quarter, then Simpson scored all the points in a 6-0 run to give Cluj a 57-56 lead after a fastbreak layup. But Nikolic nailed his fourth triple, and Lemar hit one of his own, before Stewart banked one to help make it 66-71 after 30 minutes.

But Cluj scored the first 12 points of the fourth quarter, a run sparked by a triple from Patrick Richard on his first shot of the game, and two baskets from Mareks Mejeris, also his first points of the night. Hervey's triple and a dunk from Mejeris made it 78-71 with 7 minutes to go in the game. However, Jaka Blazic beat the shot-clock with a three-pointer, before three consecutive baskets from Robinson made it 80-80.

The two teams exchanged leads four more times, with Hervey hitting a three-pointer to make it 86-85 entering the final minute. But Lemar quickly answered with a three-pointer for the visitors, then Jones beat a shot-clock with an off-balanced triple with 13.6 seconds to go to seal the outcome.

The visitors rallied after losing the lead in the fourth quarter

Cedevita Olimpija rallies to stun Cluj in thriller

U-BT Cluj-Napoca v Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (2024-09-25T16:00:00.000Z)

In the first-ever meeting between these two teams, Bahcesehir College Istanbul pulled out a convincing road win over Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius on Wednesday night. 

Bahcesehir suffocates Wolves on the road, 69-80

In the first-ever meeting between these two teams, Bahcesehir College Istanbul pulled out a convincing road win over Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius on Wednesday night. Despite trailing 26-23 at the end of the first quarter, the visitors adjusted their defense to give up only 17 points in the second period and just 13 in each of the third and fourth quarters.

Axel Bouteille paced the winners with 17 points - with 13 of them coming after the intermission. Tai Odiase followed with 14 points and 5 boards, Tyler Cavanaugh chipped in 13 and CJ Massenburg finished with 12. Anthony Cowan led all scorers with 20 points plus 4 assists and Jeffery Taylor and Tre-shawn Thurman scored 10 apiece in the losing effort.

Fueled by Odiase and Cavanaugh the visitors amassed a 3-9 advantage early in the game. With Taylor as the only player to reply so far, the hosts tried to change the trend by putting Marek Blazevic on the court. The reaction ended up coming from the backcourt, though, as Cowan chained together a couple of buckets and an extra free throw to make it 12-13 right before the first timeout of the game. Cowan and Cavanaugh continued firing on each side, going for 12 and 11 points respectively when the score was 19-21. Taylor took over later to make it all square from the line and drawing an offensive foul that gave Cowan an opportunity to close the first period with a three-point play and put the home team in front, 26-23.

Kristupas Zemaitis opened fire after the break with a three, the fourth for his team, to raise the difference to 29-23. By contrast, all Bahcesehir players had combined for 0-for-6 shooting from behind the arc so far. It was Jaleen Smith who converted the first, followed by another bomb by Marko Simonovic that got the guests closer, 32-31. Even though Wolves kept punishing the rim, mainly from the perimeter, Simonovic had already found his momentum on offense and enabled a 0-11 run that turned the tables, 35-42. Taylor showed up again to help this team stick to the game, right before Cowan returned to the scoring ways to make it 43-45 at halftime.

Wolves found unexpected help from Garrison Brooks, who scored 6 points in a row to open the second half and return the lead to the visitors, 49-47. Bouteille and Massinburg combined in offense to prevent the hosts from continuing the rally, as Simonovic’s return to the Bahcesehir frontcourt turned into a perfect fit. A three-point play by Massinburg and a three by Bouteille pushed the visitors back in front, 56-60. The French forward beat the shot-clock and repeated from downtown before Oliase completed a 0-8 run that left the Lithuanian side in shock, 56-65, entering the last stanza.

Wolves ended a 6-minute scoring drought bridging the third and the fourth quarter with a baseline dunk by Regimantas Miniotas to reduce the distance to 58-65 and force a timeout by the visitors. The hosts kept rocking inside with Blazevic, who brought his team within 62-65 midway through the quarter with consecutive baskets. His fourth foul helped the visitors not to panic, though, and later found timely shooting accuracy from Jaleen Smith and Massinburg that cooled it down, 62-70. Cavanaugh, after going scoreless for the previous two periods, showed up with a corner jumper that granted a 9-point advantage to Bahcesehir and sent the home team to the ropes with 3 minutes to go. Despite Andrews’s effort to bring the home team back, Mateusz Ponitka opened his bag of tricks to score 4 points and send the game to bed. 

The visitors allowed only 26 points in the second half

Joventut Badalona secured a Round 1 victory over Hapoel Tel Aviv on the back of its impressive frontcourt, led by Ante Tomic, Artem Pustovyi and Kaiser Gates.

Joventut’s frontline was too much for Hapoel

There has been much talk about the quality of the frontline that Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv put together, with players arriving from the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and the NBA. But on opening night, Joventut Badalona’s bigs made the difference in leading their team to [a 78-75 win](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/ec2425-rs1-report-jov-hta/).

Thirty-seven-year-old center [Ante Tomic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/ante-tomic/002507/) turned back the clock as he set a EuroCup career-high in PIR with 32. He scored 17 points with just one missed shot and grabbed 12 rebounds. Both of those numbers were game-highs. 

There was no drop off in production when Tomic rested as [Artem Pustovyi](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/artem-pustovyi/004834/) stepped up with 11 points and 5 rebounds. Meanwhile, newcomer [Kaiser Gates](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/kaiser-evan-bray-gates/013287/) poured in 4 three-pointers in amassing 16 points and 4 rebounds from the power forward spot.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="ca" dir="ltr">Anteeeeee Tomic 🙌<br><br>Màxim anotador: 17 punts 🎯<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Badalona%C3%89sFutur?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BadalonaÉsFutur</a> <a href="https://t.co/Er2JczXfcx">pic.twitter.com/Er2JczXfcx</a></p>&mdash; Club Joventut Badalona (@Penya1930) <a href="https://twitter.com/Penya1930/status/1838695036168605730?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 24, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

“It was a good test for us, opening the season in front of our crowd against probably the best team in the EuroCup,” Tomic said after the game. “An important game for us to see where we stand at this moment. I am very, very proud of these guys for what we did today.”

With the game in the balance entering the fourth quarter, Joventut’s big men answered the bell. Tomic scored 6 points in the last quarter, including the first two baskets of the stanza to increase the pressure on Hapoel. When the visitors closed the gap to 63-62, Gates responded with a clutch triple. Then Pustovyi came to the fore with a three-point play.

Their play led to Joventut outrebounding Hapoel 40-38, which helped overcome the 14 turnovers that the hosts committed. The trio was a combined 10 for 10 on free throws (Pustovyi made 5 of those and Gates 4).

On the other side, the entire Hapoel team was just 8 of 15 (53.3%) from the line. [Bruno Caboclo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/bruno-caboclo/012096/) posted 14 points, 4 rebounds and 4 steals in defeat and [Johnathan Motley](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/johnathan-motley/011157/) had 11 points and 6 boards before leaving the game late with an apparent leg injury, but starting power forward [Ben Bentil](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/benjamin-bentil/009818/) had just 6 points on 0-for-4 three-point shooting and 1 rebound.

While Hapoel will have to go back to the drawing board as it seeks its first win of the season next week against Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius, Joventut will head to Germany next week to face ratiopharm Ulm armed with the knowledge that its frontline has proven itself already to be among the most dangerous in the competition.

Joventut Badalona's Artem Pustovyi dunks on Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv center Johnathan Motley during the two teams' Round 1 matchup in the 2024-25 BKT EuroCup season.

Ante Tomic had big numbers, but was not alone among bigs who shined for Joventut

Joventut Badalona v Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv (2024-09-24T18:30:00.000Z)

Gran Canaria’s third-quarter defense provided confidence in win over Trento

Despite bringing in nine new players over the summer, Dolomiti Energia Trento got off to a great start away at Dreamland Gran Canaria on Tuesday night. The visitors produced a great offensive display in the first half, took the hosts by surprise and secured a 45-49 lead heading into the second half.

“We need to do a much better job on defense,” Gran Canaria center Mike Tobey said at the break. “Our defense was terrible in the first half, so we gotta really pick it up in the second half if we want to have a chance to win this game.”

And that’s exactly what head coach Jaka Lakovic’s players did from the off in the second half.

Gran Canaria tightened up its defense, with Trento scoring just 2 points in the first 5 minutes of the third quarter. In fact, the hosts kept a Trento offense that scored 22 and 27 points in the first and second quarters, respectively, to just 7 points in the third and took a 60-56 lead into the closing quarter.

Trento scored 32 points after the break, mainly thanks to an extraordinary Jordan Ford, who netted half of his team’s points in the second half and finished the game with 32 points, recording 11-for-11 on two pointers and 3-for-4 from beyond the arc.

“We are happy to start the season with a win,” Lakovic told EuroLeague TV after the clash. “I think that our approach on defense in the third quarter was decisive. We took control of the momentum of the game and took it to the fourth quarter, having more confidence in our game.”

Gran Canaria recorded 5 steals in the second half, with its players producing numerous deflections on defense that didn’t allow Trento to circulate the ball as smoothly as it did before the break and prevented the guests from finding their rhythm on offense.

“We responded better in the second half,” Tobey, who netted a team-high 20 points, said after the game. “In the first half, our defense was not what it needed to be, but I think that we showed character and we responded, doing a much better job in the second half. Even though we missed a bunch of shots that we’d probably make later on, the defense was what won us the game in the second half and we need to keep this mentality going forward.”

Shifting the energy from defense to offense, Gran Canaria outscored Trento 39-32 in the second half to clinch a hard-fought victory on home soil.

The Spanish side will travel to Montenegro next week, where it will face Buducnost VOLI Podgorica in their first road game of the season. Should they manage to emulate their third-quarter defense at Moraca, Gran Canaria will have little to fear in its bid to double its wins next Wednesday.

The visitors were held to just 7 points in the third period

Dreamland Gran Canaria v Dolomiti Energia Trento (2024-09-24T19:00:00.000Z)

Dreamland Gran Canaria started the EuroCup season with an 84-81 victory over Dolomiti Energia Trento at the Gran Canaria Arena on Tuesday night. The visitors got off to a solid start and took a 45-49 lead into the second half, but the hosts tightened up their defense after the break and clinched the win.

Mike Tobey led his team with 20 points and 8 rebounds and Carlos Alocen netted 11 points. Trento guard Jordan Ford led all scorers with 32 points, finishing the game shooting 11-for-11 from inside the arc and 3-for-4 on three-pointers. Jordan Bayehe paired his 11 points with 4 rebounds.

Tobey scored all of Gran Canaria’s first four buckets, but Quinn Ellis, Saliou Niang and Selom Mawugbe opened their accounts from inside, with Anthony Lamb hitting 2 of 2 from the line to make it 8-8. A triple from Nicolas Brussino and 4 points from John Shurna gave the hosts a 15-10 cushion midway through the first quarter. Then, Caleb Homesley scored his first points in the EuroCup for Gran Canaria before setting up Alocen on the break for a 21-15 lead. Trento bounced back, with Saliou Niang completing a three-point play and Andrea Pecchia netting a bucket that trimmed the deficit to 23-22 heading into the second quarter.

An Alocen triple and baskets from Homesley and Pierre Pelos allowed Gran Canaria to grab a 32-27 lead, but a couple of Ford buckets from inside brought Trento within 32-31. The guests took the lead, 34-36, courtesy of two more Ford baskets and a three-pointer from Myles Cale. Andrew Albicy responded with a triple, but Ford took his tally to 16 points by drilling a layup and completing a three-point play to put Trento back ahead 37-41. The game turned into an up-tempo affair in the last 2 minutes of the first half, with Shurna and Toto Forray exchanging triples before Tobey completed a three-point play of his own, as Trento secured a 45-49 cushion at the break.

Gran Canaria hit the ground running in the second half and went on a 5-0 run, thanks to buckets from Joe Thomasson and Brussino, to get back in front, 50-49. A Mawugbe two-pointer was the only basket Trento scored in the first 5 minutes of the third quarter, but Gran Canaria was trailing 50-51, as it didn’t manage to make the most of the visitors’ scoring drought. A Ford triple was followed by baskets from Homesley, George Conditt and Alocen, with the hosts regaining the lead, 60-56, heading into the closing quarter.

Ford opened the fourth quarter with a layup before Bayehe and Pelos exchanged triples, 63-61. Alocen responded to a Ford midrange jumper with a layup, but a Bayehe slam and a Cale bucket gave Trento a 65-69 cushion. But the hosts reacted, with Tobey completing a three-point play and Shurna making 2 of 2 from the charity stripe to restore a 70-69 lead. Then, Shurna nailed a buzzer-beating triple from the corner and Thomasson drilled one of his own to give Gran Canaria a 78-71 cushion with 2 minutes to go. Trento responded, with Lamb netting one from beyond the arc and Ford scoring two tough baskets from inside to cut the difference to 80-78 with 50 seconds remaining. Yet, Tobey netted his eighth bucket of the night before Thomasson hit 2 free throws to put the game to bed.

Jordan Ford scored 32 points in his EuroCup debut in a losing effort

Gran Canaria edges Trento, 84-81, behind mighty Mike Tobey

Joventut Badalona erased a 10-point second-quarter deficit before outlasting Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv 78-75 in the team’s season-opener at Palau Olimpic de Badalona on Tuesday night. 

The hosts' big men all stood out as center Ante Tomic posted 17 points on near-perfect shooting and 12 rebounds for a personal-best PIR of 32. Kaiser Gates scored 16 points on 4-of-7 three-point shooting in his EuroCup debut and Artem Pustovyi contributed 11 points and 5 boards off the bench. Devin Dotson orchestrated the attack with 11 points and 6 assists.

For Hapoel, Patrick Beverley delivered 14 points, 6 assists and 3 steals, Bruno Caboclo tallied 14 points and 4 steals and Johnathan Motley tallied 11 points and 6 rebounds before leaving the game late with an injury.

Hapoel pounded the ball inside early to maximize its size advantage, but Joventut took advantage of 3 Hapoel turnovers to move in front 11-4 on a three-pointer by Gates. Pustovyi's slam and bonus free throw extended the margin to 16-5. Motley revived Hapoel with 5 straight points, Beverley and Guy Palatin got involved with steals and assists and Caboclo scored 7 in a 0-16 charge that made it 16-21 after 10 minutes.

Tomic ended the Joventut drought only to see Beverly and Palatin drain back-to-back threes. Palatin gave Hapoel its first double-digit lead, 20-30, with a free throw after an offensive rebound. Gates and Tomic led the Joventut comeback with the latter making a pair of threes in a 12-2 run that tied the game, 32-32. Caboclo’s jumper in the lane briefly put Hapoel on top. Kassius Robertson’s first points came from a tough three-pointer that evened things at halftime, 37-37.

Joventut grabbed a slim lead at the onset of the second half, but Hapoel remained hot on its tail. Beverley took a seat after drawing a charge and his replacement, Palatin, put the visitors in front with a three-pointer. Adam Hanga matched him to tie the score, 51-51. Free throws by Pustovyi gave Joventut a 57-55 lead at the end of the third quarter.

Tomic scored the first 2 baskets of the fourth quarter to increase Joventut’s lead to 6 points. Marcus Foster drilled a deep three and Tomer Ginat added a layup to bring Hapoel within 63-62. Gates drained his fourth three of the game on one end, rejected Caboclo at the other and then Beverley was called for an unsportsmanlike foul on Guillen Vives, after which Joventut’s lead was 5. Pustovyi made it 70-64 with 4 minutes remaining. Beverley landed a triple, but Motley had to be helped off the floor with 2 minutes left after an apparent leg injury. Beverley added another three to make it 75-73. Hanga responded with a floater with 41.7 seconds remaining and Joventut held on.  

The veteran center had his finest ever game in the competition to spark his team on opening night

Ante Tomic stars as Joventut holds off Hapoel, 78-75 

It was a long time coming for Jean-Marc Pansa, but the Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse big man shined in his first appearance in the BKT EuroCup in nearly five years. 

Bourg’s Pansa shines in first EuroCup game since December 2019

It was a long time coming for [Jean-Marc Pansa](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/jean-marc-pansa/009552/), but the Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse big man shined in his first appearance in the BKT EuroCup in nearly five years. 

Pansa connected on 7 of 10 shots and both of his free throws in scoring 16 points to go with 2 rebounds for a performance index rating of 13 in Bourg’s season-opening 80-100 victory at Veolia Towers Hamburg.

Pansa was a big reason why Bourg jumped ahead by 20 points in the first 13 minutes as he poured in 12 points already - 4 points more than his previous career high of 8 against Darussafaka Istanbul in November 2019.

Jean-Marc Pansa shined in Hamburg

Pansa’s performance was all the more impressive considering the 27-year-old spent the past four full seasons in France’s ProB second division, where he averaged 11.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.2 blocks last season in helping Boulazac Basket Dordogne reach the finals. 

Pansa made the jump back to the French top league over the summer, penning a two-year deal with Bourg. That meant the 2.09-meter big man would be returning to the EuroCup. The native of French Guiana in the West Indies averaged 2.4 points and 1.3 rebounds in 10 games for Nanterre 92 in the 2019-20 season. He totaled 24 points for that season - and he notched 16 against Hamburg. 

Pansa’s most recent game came in December 2019 against Germani Brescia. 

That came after Pansa played with Nanterre when it won the FIBA Europe Cup in 2016-17 and then appeared in the Basketball Champions League the next two seasons. But Pansa decided to move down to the second division in France to take his next step of development. 

Pansa’s strong 2023-24 season resulted in Bourg giving him a chance and he used that opportunity in Round 1, giving the club’s fans reasons to hope for more big games this season. 

He was one of the star performers in Hamburg on opening night

Veolia Towers Hamburg v Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse (2024-09-24T17:30:00.000Z)