Wolves Vilnius's 19 three-pointers against Hapoel Tel Aviv were 1 short of the EuroCup record

Three-point blitz helped Wolves to big win

After losing two consecutive games to end the momentum of a previous five-game winning streak, the opening stages of Wednesday’s home meeting with [Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/hapoel-shlomo-tel-aviv/roster/hta/) suggested it would be another rough night for [Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/wolves-vilnius/roster/wol/?season=2024-25).

The visiting team’s offense was firing on all cylinders in the opening exchanges, as Hapoel scored 8 of its first 9 field goal attempts to hold a series of double-digit leads, with the highest difference reaching 13 points at 14-27.

Wolves, though, was shooting with incredible accuracy from long-range at the other end, keeping itself in the game by making 12 of its 19 three-point attempts in the first half – with multiple triples coming from the unstoppable [Anthony Cowan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/anthony-cowan-jr/012003/), [Andrew Andrews](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/andrew-andrews/011248/) and [Tre’Shawn Thurman](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/tre-shawn-thurman/012577/).

Tre'Shawn Thurman made 5 threes against Hapoel

Thanks to those long bombs a breathless first half ended with Hapoel leading by just 2 points (56-58), but if the fans were hoping for a similarly high-scoring second half they would be disappointed. As Wolves coach [Alessandro Magro](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/wolves-twinsbet-vilnius/wol/magro-alessandro/?season=U2024) told Euroleague TV before the second half got underway: “I think we should start to play some defense. Games like this are very interesting for the fans, but not the coaches.”

Magro got his wish. Wolves seriously tightened up its defense after the break, playing with much more physicality to pull back Hapoel’s powerful offense from 58 first-half points to 42 in the third and fourth quarters.

Meanwhile, the home team shooters kept on shooting. Wolves drained another 7 triples in the second half to finish with 19 conversions on 36 attempts, with Cowan (5-of-8), Thurman (5-of-8) and Andrews (4-of-6) accounting for 14 of those. [Arnoldas Kulboka ](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/arnoldas-kulboka/006180/)also contributed with 3 triples on 6 attempts.

Game Videos

Those 19 three-pointers set a new club record in the BKT EuroCup and fell just one short of matching the competition’s all-time record, set by Valencia Basket earlier this season, LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne in 2017-18 and UNICS Kazan in 2009-10.

Three-point shooting wasn’t the only factor in deciding the outcome, with the home team grabbing more rebounds than Hapoel (28 to 26), including 12 at the offensive end, committing fewer turnovers (13 to 15) and showing good accuracy from the foul line to make 21 of 26 free throws.

But it’s clear that Wolves’s long-range excellence was the most important reason for the triumph, as coach Magro admitted: “We were able to make some crazy, crazy shots, which was very important to stay in the game.”

And his opposite number [Dimitris Itoudis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/hapoel-shlomo-tel-aviv/hta/itoudis-dimitris/?season=U2024) agreed, ruefully noting: “They were very hot. We couldn’t manage to contain their drive and kick game, their isolation game. So they hit a lot of threes that we had to contain, but we didn’t.”

Game News

The Lithuanian team got back to winning ways after coming close to a competition record

Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius v Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv (2024-12-11T16:30:00.000Z)

Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius tightened up the Group A playoff picture by coming back to beat Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv, 104-100. 

Wolves bounce back to down Hapoel, 104-100

Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius tightened up the Group A playoff picture by coming back to beat Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv, 104-100. Both teams are now tied at 6-5, with Hapoel narrowly claiming the head-to-head advantage after winning by 5 earlier in the season.

Hapoel enjoyed the better of a high-scoring first half that featured 19 three-pointers. The third quarter was back and forth, before a 12-0 run at the start of the fourth gave Wolves the lead for good. Anthony Cowan was the hero with a double-double of 28 points and 10 assists, while Andrew Andrews and Tre’Shawn Thurman combined for 9 triples as they totaled 20 and 23 respectively. Yam Madar powered Hapoel with 28 points and 7 assists, while Marcus Foster scored 17 and Marcus Bingham added 12.

Thurman’s triple opened the scoring, but Hapoel answered inside through Madar, Tomer Ginat and the returning Johnathan Motley. Foster and Ismail Wainright added deep strikes for a 5-13 lead. Uncontested scores for Foster and Ginat kept the visitor rolling, and Madar’s three made it 8-20. Cowan’s three-point play and Arnoldas Kulboka’s triple boosted Wolves before another Foster bomb kept a safe margin. Cowan and Andrews responded for Wolves from beyond the arc, and Garrison Brooks’ fierce slam made it 25-31 after 10 minutes.

Inside scores from Bingham and Joe Ragland opened the second quarter, before Kulboka and Kristupas Zemaitis replied from deep. Antonio Blakeney joined the three-point party, making it 31-41. Andrews hit another triple, before Bingham, Ragland and Blakeney finished well inside for a 38-47 lead. Andrews and Cowan nailed more threeballs for Wolves, as did Guy Palatin at the other end. Andrews stayed hot from deep, and Zemaitis added yet another triple before Thurman tied it from close-range after a 10-2 run. Motley finished the first half from the foul line, making it 56-58.

Thurman’s reverse layup and Cowan’s triple gave Wolves the lead early in the third, but Motley’s three-point play tied it up, 61-61. Thurman added another pair of threeballs, but Madar and Foster answered from deep at the other end for a 69-70 Hapoel lead. Thurman hit his fourth triple, before it became a game of free throws as defenses finally got on top. Thurman was again on target from long-range, but Foster responded with his own three and Madar added a layup for an 81-83 lead with 10 minutes left.

Wolves dominated the opening stages of the fourth, moving ahead 90-83 as Brooks scored twice inside and Cowan added his fifth triple. Kulboka made it a double-digit lead with another three, before Ragland finally snapped the 12-0 run. A fastbreak slam from Zemaitis gave Wolves another 95-85 edge with 4 minutes left, and another Andrews triple kept the hosts comfortable. Andrews went inside to take his team to three figures before Madar’s triple gave Hapoel hope. Foster pulled it back to 100-98 with 36 seconds left, but free throws from Andrews and Cowan sealed the win.

The Lithuanian team ended a two-game losing slide but the visitors just managed to hold on to the head-to-head advantage.

Ismet Akpinar and Olivier Hanlan stepped up big to lead Turk Telekom Ankara to a Round 11 win over Aris Midea Thessaloniki, 87-77 


Turk Telekom find new go-to guys in home win 

[Ismet Akpinar](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/ismet-akpinar/004056/) and [Olivier Hanlan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/olivier-hanlan/006598/) stepped up big to lead [Turk Telekom Ankara](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/turk-telekom-ankara/roster/ttk/?season=2024-25) to [an 87-77 victory](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/turk-telekom-stops-aris-87-77/) over [Aris Midea Thessaloniki](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/aris-thessaloniki/roster/ari/?season=2024-25) on Wednesday. 

Turk Telekom started slow and trailed 9-20 late in the first quarter. [Braian Angola](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/braian-angola/010465/) dressed up for the game, but did play at all. Coach Erdem Can needed new go-to guys and a higher intensity to win the game and found that in the second half, in which Akpinar and Hanlan made the difference.

Akpinar finished the game with a season-high 19 points, having made 4 of 6 three-pointers and 7 of 8 free throws. He added 4 assists for a PIR of 26, his best mark in the competition since amassing a PIR of 30 for ratiopharm Ulm against Morabanc Andorra on [October 24, 2018](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/game-center/2018-19/morabanc-andorra-ratiopharm-ulm/U2018/38/#boxscore). Akpinar entered this game averaging 5.1 points, 0.6 assists and a PIR of 3.0.

Olivier Hanlan and Ismet Akpinar had season-high efforts for Turk Telekom Ankara against Aris Midea Thessaloniki.

Hanlan, Akpinar led Turk Telekom past Aris

"First of all, I am very happy that we won. Every game is important in the EuroCup, it is a tough group, a tough competition, every win and every game matters," said Akpinar, who scored 13 points in the final 12 minutes of the game. 

"Of course, I am also happy with my performance but also from the team, especially also from Olivier Hanlan, who stepped up today. Big props to him, also. We have to keep going."

Hanlan also had a season-high effort when his team needed him most. He needed less than 18 minutes to score 16 points on 2-of-2 three-point shooting and 4-of-4 on free throws. Hanlan added 4 assists for a PIR of 15. He had averaged 5.0 points on poor shooting (32.3% 2FG, 24.0% 3FG), 1.8 assists and a PIR of 2.6.

Turk Telekom put in the effort, especially in the second half. Aris outrebounded the hosts 16-18 in the first half, with 11 offensive rebounds. Turk Telekom won the battle of the rebounds in the second half by 26-17 and finished the game with 8 blocks to match a club record. It previously had 3 blocks three times: against Aris in 2008, Slask Wroclaw in 2021 and U-BT Cluj-Napoca in 2023.

"The possession advantage that we gave to Aris was crazy," Turk Telekom coach Erdem Can said. His team committed 16 turnovers and ended up allowing 18 offensive rebounds. 

"Braian \[Angola\] had an injury, but all other players stepped up. First of all, Olivier \[Hanlan\] and then Ismet Akpinar, they stepped up and helped us in our guard rotation. All of the players fought. We were a little bit panicking because we had played good games and had been losing. So I believe we will change it with the right mentality."

Turk Telekom is 6-5 in Group B and next week will face Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana in Round 12.

With one star injured, Turk Telekom was bailed out by big games from Ismet Akpinar and Olivier Hanlan 

Turk Telekom found new go-to guys to beat Aris

Turk Telekom Ankara v Aris Midea Thessaloniki (2024-12-11T16:30:00.000Z)

Cluj edges Bourg in a thriller, 89-86

U-BT Cluj-Napoca battled hard to pull out a dramatic 89-86 win over visiting Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse on Wednesday night. This marks the fourth consecutive home win for Cluj, which improved to 6-5 in Group B, the same record as Bourg. However, Bourg has a tiebreaker advantage thanks to its 11-point win between the sides in Round 2.

The first half was a game of runs, but the second turned into a back-and-forth battle. The hosts had an 84-77 lead, but Bourg replied with an 0-8 run to take the lead with 37 seconds left. However, DJ Seeley hit a three-pointer and Zavier Simpson sealed the outcome from the free throw line in the waning seconds. Simpson starred with 27 points and 11 assists. De'Shawn Stephens stepped up with 17 points, DJ Seeley and Gediminas Orelik netted 14 apiece, and Karel Guzman scored 12 in a winning effort. Xavier Castaneda led Bourg with 17 points and 8 assists. Kevin Kokila had 10 of his 12 points in the first half, while Maksim Salash, Jordan Usher and Jean-Marc Pansa scored 10 apiece in a losing effort.

Guzman and Usher opened the scoring by trading triples before Bourg used the inside presence of Kokila and a second-chance triple from Castaneda to open a 5-14 lead. Cluj responded, with Orelik and Stephens scoring from close range, while Simpson hit one from long range. Simpson's three-point play and a fastbreak layup put the hosts in the lead, before Stephens strung together 6 points to make it 27-18. But a triple from Maxime Courby finished the first quarter at 27-21.

Hugo Benitez and Kokila combined to score the first 8 points of the quarter before Brandon Paul's triple made it 27-32. It was a 0-14 run bridging the first and second quarters, which Cluj snapped from the free-throw line before Guzman's triple and a dunk turned it into a 9-0 charge. A triple from DJ Seeley opened a 39-33 lead and Simpson's fastbreak layup increased the margin to 43-36. However, Kokila and Joel Ayayi sparked the final run of the second quarter, this one again by Bourg, with a layup apiece from Benitez and Castaneda making it 45-46 at halftime.

Orelik nailed a pair of three-pointers for the hosts early in the third quarter, but Salash scored twice inside, including a three-point play to tie the game at 56-56. Another basket from Salash and then 6 straight points from Pansa allowed the visitors to go up 58-64. However, Simpson cut the deficit at the end of the quarter, making a runner to set the score at 64-66 going into the fourth quarter.

A three-pointer from Salin and a three-point play from Stephens restored Cluj's lead, 70-68. Benitez hit a jumper to tie it, but Stephens had a dunk and Seeley scored twice from close range to open 76-72. Ayayi nailed a three-pointer on the other end, but Orelik from long range and Stephens from close range made it a 6-point margin, before a three-point play by Simpson opened 84-77. However, Castaneda and Salash kept the visitors alive, and Castaneda's four-point play with 37.3 to go put Bourg in front, 84-85. However, Seeley answered with a three-pointer on the other end to restore Cluj's lead and the hosts prevailed.

It marks Cluj's first win over Bourg in six games between two sides

U-BT Cluj-Napoca v Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse (2024-12-11T17:00:00.000Z)

Ismet Akpinar and Anthony Brown led Turk Telekom to its sixth victory. 


Turk Telekom stops Aris, 87-77! 

Turk Telekom Ankara took an important step towards qualifying for the eighthfinals by topping Aris Midea Thessaloniki 87-77 in the Turkish capital on Wednesday. Turk Telekom improved to 6-5 in Group B and now has a 2-0 record against Aris, which dropped to 2-9.

Ismet Akpinar led the winners with 19 points. Anthony Brown added 18 and Olivier Hanlan scored 16 for Turk Telekom. Sharife Cooper paced Aris with 20 points, Darral Willis netted 15, D'Moi Hodge 11 and Landers Nolley 10.

Emmanouil Chatzidakis got Aris going with a layup and Cooper added a three-pointer for a 0-5 lead. Speedy Smith and Hanlan stepped up for Turk Telekom before Nolley and Willis boosted the visitors' lead to 4-10. Berkan Durmaz scored in penetration and erased Hodge's triple with a shot from downtown. Hodge kept pacing Aris with a layup off a steal and found Joshua Roberts for a basket that made it a double-digit game, 9-20. Brown found his first points and then Yoan Makoundou bettered Willis's jump hook with a corner triple that made it 14-22 after 10 minutes.  

Brown struck from beyond the arc early in the second quarter. Willis made a jumper that Makoundou matched with a put-back slam. Akpinar buried a corner triple in transition that led to an Aris timeout at 22-24. Cooper stepped up with a baseline jumper and a three-pointer in a 0-7 run that restored a 22-31 Aris lead. Brown and Makoundou each had 5 points in a 12-0 run that gave Turk Telekom its first lead, 34-31. Tilemachos Vissariou, Akpinar and Nate Laszewski each made a triple to even the score at 37-37. Roberts dunked and Willis gave Aris fresh air at 37-41. After Hanlan struck twice from beyond the arc, Nolley answered with a fallaway jumper. Brown gave Turk Telekom a 45-43 lead at halftime.

Cooper scored in penetration soon after the break. Mahir Agva rescued Turk Telekom. Then Cooper and James Banks helped Aris regain the lead, 48-49. Kyle Alexander scored down low and Hanlan added a driving layup but Cooper hit a triple off the dribble to tie it at 52-52. Brown scored again and Alexander dunked to put the hosts back ahead. Willis kept pacing Aris and Nolley banked in a close shot to bring the visitors within 59-58. Akpinar struck from downtown and got help from downtown to boost Turk Telekom's lead to 63-60 through three quarters.

Willis took over with a wild three-point play early in the fourth quarter and Cooper added a reverse layup for a 63-66 Aris lead with over 7 minutes left. Cooper capped a 0-10 run with free throws, as Hanlan answered with a driving layup and Brown hit a triple that tied it at 68-68. Laszewski bettered Agva's layup with a triple. Akpinar answered from beyond the arc and added free throws for a 75-72 Turk Telekom edge. Hanlan beat the shot clock with a turnaround jumper and matched Nolley's floater from the foul line. Akpinar made it 83-74 with 46.3 seconds left, which was more than enough to seal the outcome.

Turk Telekom stops Aris, 87-77

Round 11 comes to a close tonight, with eight games on tap after Trento and Valencia won on Tuesday night.

Game Center: Round 11

## Wednesday, December 11

### [Turk Telekom Ankara 87-77 Aris Midea Thessaloniki](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/game-center/2024-25/turk-telekom-ankara-aris-midea-thessaloniki/U2024/107/)

Turk Telekom took an important step towards qualifying for the eighthfinals by topping Aris in the Turkish capital on Wednesday. Turk Telekom improved to 6-5 in Group B and now has a 2-0 record against Aris, which dropped to 2-9. Ismet Akpinar led the winners with 19 points and Anthony Brown added 18. Sharife Cooper paced Aris with 20 points.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tr" dir="ltr">Evimizde galibiyet bizim 💪🏻<br><br>Maç sonucu: Türk Telekom 87- 77 Aris Midea Thessaloniki<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AnkaraBasketbolu?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AnkaraBasketbolu</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Kaizen?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Kaizen</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeAreHereForAReason?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeAreHereForAReason</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RoadToGreatness?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RoadToGreatness</a> <a href="https://t.co/tYJ8Y1xKXF">pic.twitter.com/tYJ8Y1xKXF</a></p>&mdash; Türk Telekom Basketbol (@TT_Basketbol) <a href="https://twitter.com/TT_Basketbol/status/1866916563267490289?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 11, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### [Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius 104-100 Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/game-center/2024-25/wolves-twinsbet-vilnius-hapoel-shlomo-tel-aviv/U2024/104/)

Wolves tightened up the Group A playoff picture by coming back to beat Hapoel. Both teams are now tied at 6-5, with Hapoel narrowly claiming the head-to-head advantage after winning by 5 earlier in the season. A 12-0 run at the start of the fourth gave Wolves the lead for good. Anthony Cowan was the hero with a double-double of 28 points and 10 assists, while Andrew Andrews and Tre’Shawn Thurman combined for 9 triples as they totaled 20 and 23 respectively. Yam Madar powered Hapoel with 28 points and 7 assists.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Back at home, back in the win column! ✊<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeAreWolves?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeAreWolves</a> <a href="https://t.co/6cGK7LOkWb">pic.twitter.com/6cGK7LOkWb</a></p>&mdash; BC WOLVES (@wolves_bc) <a href="https://twitter.com/wolves_bc/status/1866920900379177147?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 11, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### [U-BT Cluj-Napoca 89-86 Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/game-center/2024-25/u-bt-cluj-napoca-cosea-jl-bourg-en-bresse/U2024/109/)

Cluj battled to pull out a dramatic win over visiting Bourg. This marks the fourth consecutive home win for Cluj, which improved to 6-5 in Group B, the same record as Bourg. However, Bourg has a tiebreaker advantage thanks to its 11-point win between the sides in Round 2. Zavier Simpson starred with 27 points and 11 assists and De'Shawn Stephens stepped up with 17 points in a winning effort. Xavier Castaneda led Bourg with 17 points and 8 assists.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Cluj with the impressive win at home!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RoadToGreatness?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RoadToGreatness</a> <a href="https://t.co/blcZCT549E">pic.twitter.com/blcZCT549E</a></p>&mdash; BKT EuroCup (@EuroCup) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroCup/status/1866921443000303952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 11, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### [Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul 89-82 Bahcesehir College Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/game-center/2024-25/besiktas-fibabanka-istanbul-bahcesehir-college-istanbul/U2024/103/)

Besiktas held on for a hard-earned home win over Bahcesehir in Group A, prevailing in a thrilling city derby on the back of a strong first-half performance. Besiktas improved to 7-4 after its fourth win in the last five games, having also snapped Bahcesehir’s seven-game winning streak as the visitors, who top the group, dropped to 9-2. Conor Morgan paced Besiktas with 17 points and 7 boards and Kyle Allman scored 16 points for the hosts. At the other end, Tai Odiase poured a game-high 20 points to go with 8 boards in defeat. 

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tr" dir="ltr">Akatlar’da galibiyet bizim! 💪<br><br>Beşiktaş Fibabanka 89-82 Bahçeşehir Koleji | Maç Sonucu<br><br>🦅 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Be%C5%9Fikta%C5%9FFibabanka?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BeşiktaşFibabanka</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Potan%C4%B1nKartallar%C4%B1?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PotanınKartalları</a> <a href="https://t.co/QJqlmwsztJ">pic.twitter.com/QJqlmwsztJ</a></p>&mdash; Beşiktaş Fibabanka (@BJK_Basketbol) <a href="https://twitter.com/BJK_Basketbol/status/1866937445607936318?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 11, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### [Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem 87-93 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/game-center/2024-25/hapoel-bank-yahav-jerusalem-7bet-lietkabelis-panevezys/U2024/106/)

Lietkabelis earned a well-deserved road win at Samokov Arena in Bulgaria by downing second-placed Jerusalem. Jerusalem slipped to 7-4, while Lietkabelis improved to 3-7 to stay alive in the playoff race. Martinas Rubstavicius led the winners with 19 points in 22 minutes and Oleksandr Kovliar followed with career-high 18 points plus 6 assists. Jerusalem's Jared Harper was the game's top scorer with 24 points.

### [Umana Reyer Venice 75-80 Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/game-center/2024-25/umana-reyer-venice-cedevita-olimpija-ljubljana/U2024/108/)

Cedevita took a crucial step towards reaching the playoffs from Group A by downing Reyer on the road on Wednesday. Cedevita improved to 7-4 in the standings and has a 2-0 record against Reyer, which dropped to 5-6. Brynton Lemar led the winners with 23 points and Andrija Stipanovic added 10 for Cedevita. Jordan Parks and Mfiondu Kabengele led Reyer with 20 points apiece. Parks added 10 rebounds for a double-double.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">DRAGONS WIN! Big W in Venice!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ZmajevaDruzina?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ZmajevaDruzina</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DragonFamily?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DragonFamily</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BKTEuroCup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BKTEuroCup</a> <a href="https://t.co/63yKr5v3xS">pic.twitter.com/63yKr5v3xS</a></p>&mdash; Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana - English (@KKCedOL_EN) <a href="https://twitter.com/KKCedOL_EN/status/1866950530523926683?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 11, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### [Joventut Badalona 88-102 ratiopharm Ulm](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/game-center/2024-25/joventut-badalona-ratiopharm-ulm/U2024/105/)

Ulm remained in the running for third place in Group A as it swept the season series against Joventut. Ulm collected its third straight win since the national team break after having lost four of the previous five games for a 7-4 record. Ben Saraf led the way with 18 points and Justinian Jessup had 16 points and 4 three-pointers. Joventut’s nightmare season continued with a third straight defeat and seventh in the last eight games for a 3-8 record - three wins away from the playoff ranks. Kassius Robertson paced Joventut with a career-high 23 points.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="de" dir="ltr">Starkes erstes Viertel sichert Auswärtssieg 🔥<br><br>Am Samstag geht es zuhause mit dem Bundesliga-Topspiel gegen Heidelberg weiter 👉 Jetzt die letzten Stehplätze sichern unter <a href="https://t.co/ddyd2TdQB8">https://t.co/ddyd2TdQB8</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/uuulmer?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#uuulmer</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/weareone?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#weareone</a> | 📷 Joventut Badalona <a href="https://t.co/rswYJgRCev">pic.twitter.com/rswYJgRCev</a></p>&mdash; ratiopharm ulm (@ratiopharmulm) <a href="https://twitter.com/ratiopharmulm/status/1866961246316118276?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 11, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### [Dreamland Gran Canaria 82-71 Buducnost VOLI Podgorica](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/game-center/2024-25/dreamland-gran-canaria-buducnost-voli-podgorica/U2024/102/)

Gran Canaria extended its winning streak to four games by beating Buducnost at Gran Canaria Arena on Wednesday. The hosts led from start to finish and improved their record to 9-2, moving top of Group A along with Bahcesehir College Istanbul. Buducnost recorded its second consecutive loss to drop to 4-7. John Shurna led all scorers with 18 points and Pierre Pelos netted 14. For Buducnost, Yogi Ferrell had 16 points and Fletcher Magee recorded 14. 

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="ro" dir="ltr">🏀 Final:<br><br>🐥 Dreamland Gran Canaria 82<br>🔵 Buducnost VOLI Podgorica 71<br><br>🔥 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VamosGranca?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VamosGranca</a> <a href="https://t.co/RGYUOVoRmE">pic.twitter.com/RGYUOVoRmE</a></p>&mdash; Dreamland Gran Canaria (@GranCanariaCB) <a href="https://twitter.com/GranCanariaCB/status/1866965530613096719?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 11, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

## Tuesday, December 10

### [Trefl Sopot 70-82 Dolomiti Energia Trento](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/game-center/2024-25/trefl-sopot-dolomiti-energia-trento/U2024/101/)

Trento celebrated its first road win this season by defeating Trefl in Round 11 at Ergo Arena on Tuesday night. The visitors led by double digits for large parts of the game and outscored Trefl in each of the first three quarters. With this victory, Trento improved its record to 4-7, keeping its playoff hopes alive. Meanwhile, Trefl has yet to register a win this season. Jordan Ford led all scorers with 19 points in a winning effort. Marcus Weathers paced Trefl with a double-double of 14 points and 12 assists. 

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The first road W of the season for <a href="https://twitter.com/AquilaBasketTN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AquilaBasketTN</a>!✅<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RoadToGreatness?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RoadToGreatness</a> <a href="https://t.co/Xqv5QtLmbw">pic.twitter.com/Xqv5QtLmbw</a></p>&mdash; BKT EuroCup (@EuroCup) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroCup/status/1866571675980202484?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 10, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### [Veolia Towers Hamburg 78-86 Valencia Basket](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/game-center/2024-25/veolia-towers-hamburg-valencia-basket/U2024/110/)

Valencia was challenged more than it expected but grabbed another victory, beating Hamburg on the road to remain undefeated in Group B. Valencia laid the foundation for the win with a 2-21 surge in the third quarter to improve to 10-0. Josep Puerto hit 4 three-pointers in scoring a career-high 17 points to lead the Spanish side while Chris Jones added 12 points and 4 rebounds. Hamburg saw its modest two-game home winning streak snapped to fall to 2-9 at the bottom of the group. Recent addition Johnathan Stove was Hamburg’s leading scorer with 17 points.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">VAMOOOOOOOOOOOS 🔥<br><br>¡Sumamos la victoria en Hamburgo! 💪<br><br>⚪ <a href="https://twitter.com/hamburgtowers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@hamburgtowers</a> 78<br>🟠 <a href="https://twitter.com/valenciabasket?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@valenciabasket</a> 86<br><br>🏆 J11 <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroCup?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroCup</a><br>🤝 <a href="https://twitter.com/CocaColaEP_es?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CocaColaEP_es</a><br><br>Primer partido de 3️⃣ esta semana. El viernes, partidazo contigo, Fonteta 🧡 <a href="https://t.co/B6TAjbxw0R">pic.twitter.com/B6TAjbxw0R</a></p>&mdash; Valencia Basket Club (@valenciabasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/valenciabasket/status/1866583541611475452?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 10, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Trento and Valencia both won on the road on Tuesday night

Game Center: Key road wins for Cedevita, Lietkabelis, Ulm among Wednesday's 8 games

Dreamland Gran Canaria v Buducnost VOLI Podgorica (2024-12-11T20:00:00.000Z)

Joventut Badalona v ratiopharm Ulm (2024-12-11T19:30:00.000Z)

Umana Reyer Venice v Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (2024-12-11T19:00:00.000Z)

Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem v 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys (2024-12-11T18:30:00.000Z)

Veolia Towers Hamburg v Valencia Basket (2024-12-10T18:30:00.000Z)

Trefl Sopot v Dolomiti Energia Trento (2024-12-10T18:00:00.000Z)

Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul v Bahcesehir College Istanbul (2024-12-11T18:00:00.000Z)

Check out what the protagonists are saying ahead of Round 11 of the BKT EuroCup, and who might be missing in action.

Round 11: Pregame quotes and injury reports

## Wednesday, December 11

### Turk Telekom Ankara vs. Aris Midea Thessaloniki (17:30 CET)

**Ioannis Kastritis, Aris Midea Thessaloniki head coach**

"We play against Turk Telekom, a solid and tough team that knows what they want on the floor in both ends. For us it is one more challenging game and unfortunately once again we have to deal with many absences. We need to be ready mentally and physically and play smart in order to be competitive."

**Georgios Fillios, Aris Midea Thessaloniki guard**

"First of all, I want to express my satisfaction for rejoining Aris. I will give by best to help the team fulfil its goals. We have a very difficult game ahead of us. Our opponent is a very good team, with great quality. We have significant absences to handle, but we will give our best to be competitive and get the win that we need to keep our hopes alive for the qualification in the next round."

### Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius vs. Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv (17:30 CET)

**Alessandro Magro, Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius head coach**

"It's very challenging for us to meet such a good team. They changed a bit with regard the first game. They appointed an amazing coach like Dimitris Itoudis, they signed new players because the expectations for them to compete are high. We want to be able to try to embrace the challenge and try to show which kind of potential we can have even against a team like Hapoel Tel Aviv."

**Garrison Brooks, Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius center**

"It's a very big game for us, a huge opportunity to keep climbing the EuroCup getting better. I think this would be a very physical game, a very detailed game. There's no comedown, it’s all in a very small thing – our scout reports and the way we prepare for that."

**Dimitris Itoudis, Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv head coach**

"We’re playing against a very athletic and energetic team that generates a lot of points through their athleticism, desire, and aggressiveness. They play very good and organized basketball, including in their transition game. We’re at a stage where we’re trying to implement and apply new things while still needing to deliver results. Unfortunately, we’re dealing with Pat Beverley’s injury, but we are motivated and focused enough to fight."

**Oz Blayzer, Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv forward**

"We are facing Wolves after some challenging days, but we are determined to push forward and maintain the positive momentum in the EuroCup. Everyone knows exactly what they need to do, and we will fight to come back with a win."

### U-BT Cluj-Napoca vs. Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse (18:00 CET)

**Mihai Silvasan, U-BT Cluj-Napoca head coach**

"We will play against a really strong team. This is the third season in a row when we face them. Still, we have not won against them, but we want to make this possible on Wednesday. We want a victory and we will fight for it. We had some tough days, with two losses in a row and some injuries. Our team is motivated and we hope to have Adam Mokoka in our roster. The competition is tough and every game matters!"

**Mareks Mejeris, U-BT Cluj-Napoca forward**

"This game is important for us from the standing point of view. JL Bourg is an athletic team and we did not do such a great job against them when we met them. Now I am looking forward to the match, to get rehabilitation. We want to protect our home court and we are hungry for some wins!"

**Frederic Fauthoux, Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse head coach**

"Cluj is a good team and is performing well at home. This second return game will be difficult, but the objective is to play with ambition to stay in the race."

**Maksim Salash, Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse forward**

"It will be a very important game for both teams to fight for the top spots in our group. We expect a tough game, they play good at home."

### Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul vs. Bahcesehir College Istanbul (19:00 CET)

\--

### Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem vs. 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys (19:30 CET)

**Yonatan Alon, Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem head coach**

"We’re playing against a team whose quality is not yet reflected in the EuroCup standings — a team with many tools and talent. We want to continue playing our style of basketball and establish ourselves at the top of the group. Our goal is to show toughness from the first moment, control the game’s pace, and return home with a victory. Unfortunately, this will be another game played in front of empty stands and we’re eagerly looking forward to playing in front of our fans again."

**Gabriel Chachashvili, Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem center**

"It’s very important for us to get back on the winning track in the EuroCup and continue solidifying our position at the top of the group. We anticipate a tough game against a quality opponent and our goal is to come back home with a victory that will lift the spirits of our fans watching from afar."

### Umana Reyer Venice vs. Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (20:00 CET)

**Neven Spahija, Umana Reyer Venice head coach**

"We managed to win the last EuroCup games even with short rotations and we want to keep it that way. Ljubljana is a very strong team; they’ve been playing great basketball lately, scoring a lot of points. They play at a very high pace and score a lot in the paint. They don’t rely much on three-pointers, which makes them similar to us. It will be a very tough game, but we can win with the help of our fans. We want to keep imposing our defense and play the best basketball we can. Getting some players back would help us a lot."

**Tyler Ennis,** **Umana Reyer Venice guard**

"We want to win. We are working to eliminate the ups and downs and improve our consistency. We’ll grow game by game, improving our chemistry and confidence. Once we have our injured players back, stay united, and continue working like this, we’ll be even better."

**Zvezdan Mitrović, Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana head coach**

"At the start of the competition, Venezia was considered one of the favorites for the top spots. They faced injury challenges during the season, but those are resolved, and they have strengthened their squad. This home game is crucial for them in their playoff pursuit, as they are very close to those positions. Their team is top-tier and well-composed. For us, there are no easy games right now. We will face an athletic and strong team with well-covered positions. They won their last two away games, proving their improvement. Despite Venezia’s recent domestic league loss, this will be a tough match. We’ll need to counter their athletic play, stop their offensive rebounds, and stay focused. We expect a challenging and intense game."

**DeVante Jones, Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana guard**

"This will undoubtedly be a tough and tight match. We defeated Venezia in Stožice last time, so they will be motivated. Some of their players have returned from injuries, and they’ve added reinforcements. They will play with intensity and energy, and we must respond. After the international break, we’re in a good rhythm, playing with intensity. Although we started poorly in our last game, we finished strong. Having our coach back at full strength helps a lot. We’re all focused, and our defensive game has improved, which we need to build on."

### Joventut Badalona vs. ratiopharm Ulm (20:30 CET)

\--

### Dreamland Gran Canaria vs. Buducnost VOLI Podgorica (21:00 CET

\--

## Tuesday, December 10

### Trefl Sopot vs. Dolomiti Energia Trento (19:00 CET)

**Andrea Pecchia, Dolomiti Energia Trento guard**

"We are definitely facing a very difficult game, playing away is always complicated. Sopot is a team that gave us a hard time in the first leg and has changed many players. We will have to be good to be ready, we come from a good win in Scafati, we are charged up and we want to take some satisfaction also in Europe to keep dreaming about the playoffs."

### Veolia Towers Hamburg vs. Valencia Basket (19:30 CET)

**Benka Barloschky, Veolia Towers Hamburg head coach**

"Valencia is very, very good in all statistical categories. Individually, they are definitely the deepest team in our group. And, in my opinion, they also have one of the best coaches in Europe. In every game so far, the team has managed to go on a run at some point, usually in the second half, and leave their opponents behind. And then it's incredibly difficult for any opponent to come back due to their individual quality. The question is whether we can be focused enough throughout the game to produce high-quality shots, not lose the ball too often and stop their transition offense. If we play our best basketball, we're good enough to beat Valencia."

Chris Jones’s return from injury and the addition of Amida Brimah make Valencia Basket even tougher to beat.

Chris Jones, Amida Brimah give Valencia even more weapons 

[Valencia Basket](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/valencia-basket/pam/) was already cruising in the BKT EuroCup, but two of the stars of its 10th win of the season were late additions in what many could see as the rich getting richer.

Valencia used a big third quarter to pull away to [a 78-86 victory at Veolia Towers Hamburg](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/valencia-remains-perfect-with-a-78-86-win-at-hamburg/) for a perfect 10-0 record – thanks to strong showings by [Chris Jones](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/chris-jones/010568/) and [Amida Brimah](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/amida-brimah/012075/).

Jones collected 12 points, 3 rebounds and 4 assists while Brimah tallied 3 points, 4 rebounds and 4 blocks, with the duo giving head coach Pedro Martinez even more weapons to work with over the past four rounds.

Chris Jones stood out for Valencia in Hamburg

Jones was a star for Valencia in the last two seasons in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, but the 31-year-old star missed the first seven games of this year after undergoing surgery on a finger on his right hand.

As if Valencia didn’t have enough ways to beat teams already, Jones has shined with his all-around game in his first season in the EuroCup. In his second game of the season, Jones tallied 8 points and 7 assists and then he poured in 20 points in [Valencia’s win over Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/valencia-holds-off-jerusalem-to-stay-perfect-96-83/).

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">POV: Celebras con los jugadores después de ganar el partido 🧡 <a href="https://t.co/BDHbgzU225">pic.twitter.com/BDHbgzU225</a></p>&mdash; Valencia Basket Club (@valenciabasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/valenciabasket/status/1866585614620991713?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 10, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Brimah meanwhile was playing his third game since joining Valencia during the national team break. He picked up 10 points in his opening contest [against Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/valencia-overpowers-bourg-96-107/) and then chipped in 4 points and 8 rebounds in the win over Jerusalem.

The 30-year-old Ghana big man arrived from BAXI Manresa, where he was on a short-term deal. He had averaged 3.4 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in eight Spanish League games this season.

Amida Brimah left his mark on defense in Hamburg

This is Brimah’s second season in the EuroCup after averaging 4.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.3 blocks for Bourg in 2022-23. He was [fifth in the competition](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/stats/expanded/?size=25&viewType=traditional&seasonCode=U2022&statisticMode=perGame&seasonMode=Single&sortDirection=descending&statistic=blocksFavour) in blocks that season. And Brimah’s addition gives Valencia a real shot-blocking presence as [Nate Reuvers](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/nathan-reuvers/012738/), now out with a broken finger, had been the team’s only real threat to opponents attacking Valencia’s basket.

Besides his rim protection, Brimah also has a winner’s pedigree. He claimed the Belgian League and Cup double with Oostende in 2022 and lifted the G League trophy with the Austin Spurs in 2018. He also helped the University of Connecticut win the NCAA Tournament in 2014.

Jones and Brimah are two more reasons that Valencia is a main contender to win the EuroCup crown when it’s all said and done.

Chris Jones’s return from injury and the addition of Amida Brimah make Valencia even tougher to beat

Valencia Basket can be happy about a road victory at Hamburg Towers to stay undefeated in the BKT EuroCup and in the end, a barrage of three-pointers in the third quarter was enough to get the win.

Valencia’s third-quarter three-point barrage was enough to fend off Hamburg 

[Valencia Basket](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/valencia-basket/roster/pam/?season=2024-25) can be happy about getting another road victory to stay undefeated in the BKT EuroCup and in the end, a barrage of three-pointers in the third quarter was enough to get the win.

Valencia finished the third quarter on a 2-21 run en route to a [78-86 victory](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/valencia-remains-perfect-with-a-78-86-win-at-hamburg/) at [Veolia Towers Hamburg](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/veolia-hamburg-towers/roster/ham/?season=2024-25) and the game-changing moment came thanks to the Spanish side’s excellent long-range shooting in that third frame. 

Valencia had been used to blowing out opponents all season but the lead was only 51-53 with 7 minutes left in the third quarter.  That is when Coach Pedro Martinez's outside shooters took over. 

Valencia made 5 threes in key third-quarter run

[Semi Ojeleye](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/semi-ojeleye/011982/) started with a three-pointer and was followed by a triple from [Brancou Badio](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/brancou-badio/007527/), two long balls from [Josep Puerto](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/josep-puerto/006643/) and another three from Badio - all coming in a span of 4:14 minutes. And the 51-53 close game was then 53-74 after 30 minutes. 

“We stuck to our basics. We ran, we went more aggressively to the rebounds and we scored more threes. That was the main reason. We played according to our identity,” said Puerto, who finished with 17 points - a new career high. 

Hamburg had to know Valencia would eventually get hot from the outside. The Spanish side ranked first in index rating, scoring and assists and was third in three-point percentage at 38.8%. And Hamburg’s defense was the second-worst from beyond the perimeter, giving up 38.8% on three-pointers. 

Valencia actually shot just 33.3% for the game, but that surge felt like a mountain too steep to climb for the home side.

Hamburg tried to make things close in the fourth quarter as it made Valencia pay for not staying as sharp as it needed. But the deficit had been too large.

“When you win so many games, it’s easy to lose the focus. We lost the focus, especially in the fourth quarter, but we won so we are happy,” said Puerto.

Valencia made 5 three-pointers in 5 minutes to open a big gap 