Roll Call

With four games remaining in the EuroCup Regular Season, Round 15 features a number of mouth-watering games.

Game Center: Round 15

## Tuesday, January 14

### [7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys 91-96 Valencia Basket](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/semi-ojeleye-leads-valencia-past-lietkabelis-91-96/)

Valencia became the first team to qualify to the EuroCup Quarterfinals after downing Lietkabelis 91-96 on the road. Valencia improved to 13-2 in Group B and locked at least second place at the end of the regular season, enough to skip the eighthfinals and play the single-game quarterfinals at La Fonteta. Lietkabelis dropped to 4-10 and could be mathematically out of the playoff race at the end of this round. Semi Ojeleye led the winners with 20 points. Jaime Pradilla, Chris Jones and Jean Montero each added 14, Xabi Lopez-Arostegui had 13 and Nate Reuvers got 11 for Valencia. Martynas Varnas led Lietkabelis with 19 points. Paulius Danusevicius added 14, Georgios Kalaitzakis 13, Djordje Gagic 11 and Dovis Bickauskis 10.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">VAMOOOOOOOOOOOS 🧡<br><br>¡Ganamos en Lituania y certificamos una de las dos primeras plazas del grupo B! 💪<br><br>🔴 Lietkabelis Panevezys 91<br>🟠 <a href="https://twitter.com/valenciabasket?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@valenciabasket</a> 96<br><br>🏆 J15 <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroCup?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroCup</a><br>🤝 <a href="https://twitter.com/movistar_es?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@movistar_es</a> <a href="https://t.co/rOm8PPFcgl">pic.twitter.com/rOm8PPFcgl</a></p>&mdash; Valencia Basket Club (@valenciabasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/valenciabasket/status/1879240322963664937?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### [Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul 79-77 Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/game-center/2024-25/besiktas-fibabanka-istanbul-wolves-twinsbet-vilnius/U2024/145/)

Besiktas picked up a massively important victory in the fight for the playoffs as it defeated Wolves 79-77 at home after a nightmare start to the second half. Besiktas survived going scoreless for more than 7 minutes in the third quarter and falling behind by 11 points to win down the stretch and snap a three-game losing streak for an 8-7 record. Jonah Mathews poured in 27 points for the hosts, Berk Ugurlu added 20 points and Kelan Martin and Dustin Sleva both chipped in 10 points. Wolves have now dropped five of the last seven games for a 7-8 record. The one good thing for the Lithuanian side is they still own the tiebreaker over Besiktas thanks to its 93-78 home win in Round 6. Anthony Cowan scored 22 points in the loss. 

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tr" dir="ltr">𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒊𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒂 𝒇𝒖𝒍𝒍 𝒎𝒐𝒐𝒏 𝑬𝒂𝒈𝒍𝒆𝒔 𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒆 𝒂𝒕 𝑨𝒌𝒂𝒕𝒍𝒂𝒓, 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝑾𝒐𝒍𝒗𝒆𝒔... 🌕<br><br>Beşiktaş Fibabanka 79-77 Wolves Vilnius | 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/giJNNewgN1">pic.twitter.com/giJNNewgN1</a></p>&mdash; Beşiktaş Fibabanka (@BJK_Basketbol) <a href="https://twitter.com/BJK_Basketbol/status/1879245927090913558?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### [Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem 70-74 Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/game-center/2024-25/hapoel-bank-yahav-jerusalem-cedevita-olimpija-ljubljana/U2024/146/)

Cedevita outscored Jerusalem 7-15 over the game's last 4 minutes to claim victory at Samokov Arena in Bulgaria. The victory sent Cedevita into second place in Group B with a 9-5 record, while Jerusalem is right behind at 9-6. Brynton Lemar led the Cedevita attack with 17 points against his former team and Aleksej Nikolic added 16 – including 6 free throws down the stretch to help seal the win. Justin Smith and Jared Harper scored 16 each for Jerusalem, with the latter also dishing 8 assists.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">DRAGONS WIN! A big road win over <a href="https://twitter.com/JerusalemBasket?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JerusalemBasket</a> in the battle for the 2nd place in <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroCup?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroCup</a> Group B!<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/t18vUwb87P">pic.twitter.com/t18vUwb87P</a></p>&mdash; Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana - English (@KKCedOL_EN) <a href="https://twitter.com/KKCedOL_EN/status/1879255813539405904?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### [Dolomiti Energia Trento 86-71 ratiopharm Ulm](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/game-center/2024-25/dolomiti-energia-trento-ratiopharm-ulm/U2024/143/)

Trento kept alive its slim chances to reach the postseason by blowing out Ulm at home. Trento scored the first 15 points of the game and never looked back in snapping a three-game losing streak to move to 5-10 in Group A. Anthony Lamb led the way for Trento with 21 points and Jordan Ford picked up 20 points on a night when Trento’s veteran Toto Forray became the EuroCup’s all-time leader in games played with 145. In addition, Mario Machetti played the final 74 seconds at age 15 years, 9 months and 1 day to become the third-youngest player in EuroCup history. Ulm has lost back-to-back games after winning five straight games for a 9-6 record. Noa Essengue was Ulm’s top scorer with 18 points and 8 rebounds.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Trento defend their home court!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RoadToGreatness?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RoadToGreatness</a> <a href="https://t.co/HTeTTfPWp7">pic.twitter.com/HTeTTfPWp7</a></p>&mdash; BKT EuroCup (@EuroCup) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroCup/status/1879272352397307915?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

## Wednesday, January 15

### Turk Telekom Ankara vs. Veolia Towers Hamburg (17:30 CET)

Turk Telekom (8-6) will look to stay on the playoff path with a visit from lowly Hamburg (3-11). Despite being out of postseason contention, the German team showed it will continue fighting with a battling performance in last week's loss to Reyer, led by [Jordan Barnett](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/jordan-barnett/013312/) knocking down 4 triples in his 16 points. The Turkish team needs to react after last week's thrashing at the hands of Valencia, and will hope for another strong performance from forward [Berkan Durmaz](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/berkan-durmaz/007917/) after he provided 16 points and 6 rebounds in that game. Hamburg hasn’t won on the road all season whereas Turk Telekom is 6-2 at home, so a visiting victory would be a major upset.

### Aris Midea Thessaloniki vs. Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse (19:00 CET)

Struggling Aris (3-11) will look to strike a positive note by upsetting playoff chasing Bourg (7-7). The French team ended a three-game losing streak by overcoming Lietkabelis last week behind 17 points and 9 rebounds from forward [Jordan Usher](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/jordan-usher/013265/), who has recorded double-digit scoring in seven of the last eight games. Aris needs to improve at both ends of the floor after losing by 21 at Cedevita in Round 14, and needs big man [Darral Willis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/darral-willis/010397/) to maintain his strong form after averaging 12.0 points and 6.3 rebounds since arriving at the club mid-season. Bourg will counter him with [Kevin Kokila](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/kevin-kokila/011837/), who grabbed 9 points and 9 rebounds in last week’s win.

### Buducnost VOLI Podgorica vs. Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv (19:00 CET)

After being edged out in heartbreaking fashion in last week’s overtime loss to Bahcesehir, battling Buducnost (6-8) will look to threaten another pacesetter with a visit from Hapoel (9-5). It’s a key game for both teams as the host looks to climb into the playoff places, while Hapoel is just one game behind Gran Canaria in second place. Buducnost will need a strong game from [Kenan Kamenjas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/kenan-kamenjas/008325/), who had 12 points and 8 rebounds last week, as he faces visiting big man [Bruno Caboclo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/bruno-caboclo/012096/) – the Brazilian is coming off his best game of the season with 19 points and 9 boards to overpower Trento and help Hapoel gain a third straight win.

Round 15 Head-to-Head: Ferrell vs. Madar

### Trefl Sopot vs. Bahcesehir College Istanbul (19:00 CET)

After finally gaining its first win by thrashing Wolves last week, Trefl (1-13) will look to cause another upset with a visit from Group A leader Bahcesehir (12-2). The Polish team was led to its maiden triumph by 20 points from [Jaroslaw Zyskowski](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/jaroslaw-zyskowski/013295/), who also grabbed 9 rebounds in a powerful team performance that delivered a total of 45 boards. So Bahcesehir, which has won three in a row to clinch a playoff berth, will have to fight hard in the paint behind the consistently excellent [Tai Odiase](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/tai-odiase/011823/), who bagged a double-double of 16 points and 10 boards to help propel his team’s latest triumph in last week’s overtime thriller against Buducnost.

### Umana Reyer Venice vs. U-BT Cluj-Napoca (20:00 CET)

A vital battle in Group B will see Reyer (8-6) attempt to maintain its excellent form with a visit from direct rival Cluj (7-7). The Italian team has won six out of the last seven, with [Kyle Wiltjer](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/kyle-wiltjer/008052/)'s usual smooth shooting delivering 16 points in last week's win at Hamburg. Cluj needs to bounce back from last week's loss against Jerusalem, when 27 points from in-form [DJ Seeley](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/dennis-seeley/004862/) weren't enough to compensate a poor defensive performance. Cluj won the season’s first meeting between the teams, triumphing 86-78 in October thanks to a huge fourth quarter comeback led by [Adam Mokoka](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/adam-mokoka/012698/), who finished with 16 points, so both teams will understand the importance of playing the full 40 minutes in this crucial encounter.

Round 15 Head-to-Head: Kabengele vs. Hankins

### Dreamland Gran Canaria vs. Joventut Badalona (21:00 CET)

An all-Spanish showdown will see Gran Canaria (10-4) continue to push for a top two finish against a Joventut team (5-9) battling to stay in playoff contention. Last week’s thrashing of Besiktas was a belated demonstration of Joventut’s quality, with [Kassius Robertson](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/kassius-robertson/012740/) maintaining his strong form by pouring in 17 points. Ther visitor will need a performance of similar quality against a Gran Canaria that stood strong on the road last week to overcome Ulm, where [Mike Tobey](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/mike-tobey/008966/) showed his quality in the paint with 10 points and 10 boards. His battle against visiting bigs [Art Pustovyi](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/artem-pustovyi/004834/) and [Ante Tomic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/ante-tomic/002507/) will be well worth watching in this mouthwatering matchup.

Round 15 Head-to-Head: Tobey vs. Tomic

Game Center: Valencia, Besiktas, Cedevita, Trento triumph on Tuesday

7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys v Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (2025-01-16T17:30:00.000Z)

Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul v Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius (2025-01-14T17:00:00.000Z)

7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys v Valencia Basket (2025-01-14T17:00:00.000Z)

Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem v Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (2025-01-14T18:00:00.000Z)

Dolomiti Energia Trento v ratiopharm Ulm (2025-01-14T19:00:00.000Z)

Turk Telekom Ankara v Veolia Towers Hamburg (2025-01-15T16:30:00.000Z)

Trefl Sopot v Bahcesehir College Istanbul (2025-01-15T18:00:00.000Z)

Buducnost VOLI Podgorica v Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv (2025-01-15T18:00:00.000Z)

Aris Midea Thessaloniki v Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse (2025-01-15T18:00:00.000Z)

Umana Reyer Venice v U-BT Cluj-Napoca (2025-01-15T19:00:00.000Z)

Dreamland Gran Canaria v Joventut Badalona (2025-01-15T20:00:00.000Z)

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Dolomiti Energia Trento kept alive its slim chances of reacing the postseason by blowing out ratiopharm Ulm 86-69 at home. 

Trento rolls past Ulm 86-69 to keep playoff hopes alive

Dolomiti Energia Trento kept alive its slim chances of reacing the postseason by blowing out ratiopharm Ulm 86-71 at home. Trento scored the first 15 points of the game and never looked back in snapping a three-game losing streak to move to 5-10 in Group A.

Anthony Lamb led the way for Trento with 21 points and Jordan Ford netted 20 points on a night when Trento’s veteran Toto Forray became the EuroCup’s all-time leader in games played with 145. In addition, Mario Machetti played the final 74 seconds at age 15 years, 9 months and 1 day to become the third-youngest player in EuroCup history behind Stefan Petkovic of Benetton Freibourg (15y 0m 10d) and Nikolaos Vasileiou of Promitheas Patras (15y 6m 4d).

Ulm has lost back-to-back games after winning five straight games to fall to 9-6 on the season. Ulm has averaged just 72.5 points in those two games after scoring 106.7 points in the previous three contests. Noa Essengue was Ulm’s top scorer with 18 points and 8 rebounds and Justinian Jessup had 12 points and 6 steals.

Game Videos

Ulm had a nightmare start to the game with 9 missed shots and 3 turnovers while Lamb made 2 three-pointers for 8 points in a 15-0 run for Trento. Isaiah Roby finally scored for Ulm after more than 5 minutes. Karim Jallow made it 17-8 for the guests while Ford scored 7 points for Trento, which led 25-10 after 10 minutes.

Ulm did a good job slowing down Trento’s offense with a 0-6 run over a 3-minute spurt to get within 27-18. Quinn Ellis and Ford both drained triples in an 11-2 surge to stretch the lead to 38-20. Ulm missed its first 11 three-pointers before Marcio Santos finally hit from deep but the visitors were down 43-26 at the break.

Game News

Roby opened the second half with the first score but Ulm could not get the defensive stops as Trento went on an 11-3 run to extend the advantage to 21 points at 54-33. Ulm managed to make 3 triples in trimming the deficit to 56-44. Ford punched back with 5 points and Trento led 65-50 after three quarters.

Ellis converted a three-point play to start the fourth quarter and Ulm’s offense produced only 2 points in the first 3 minutes and the cushion was 75-54. Ulm had one more run with Alfonso Plummer and Essengue bookending a 0-10 surge with triples to get as close as 75-64. Lamb answered with three jumpers to secure an 84-69 lead with only 98 seconds to go to lock up the win.

Quick start helps Trento snap a three-game losing streak 

Trento rolls past Ulm 86-71 to keep playoff hopes alive

Nothing was going right for [Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/besiktas-istanbul/roster/bes/?season=2024-25) in the third quarter offensively in its big game against [Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/wolves-vilnius/roster/wol/?season=2024-25). Luckily for Besiktas head coach Dusan Alimpijevic, the Turkish side found the energy to continue its fight on defense - and [Jonah Mathews](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/jonah-mathews/011936/) had a near career night on offense - to get a crucial victory.

Mathews poured in 27 points and Besiktas held Wolves under 20 points in each of the final three quarters for [a 79-77 victory](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/besiktas-rallies-to-beat-wolves-79-77-snap-three-game-skid/) and an 8-7 record in Group A while Wolves dropped to 7-8. It was a performance that impressed the home side’s coach.

“I don’t know how we found the energy to win this game. I don’t care how we won this game. I just care that my guys found the energy and found a way to win this game,” Coach Alimpijevic said.

Jonah Mathews delivered scoring as Besiktas found energy to beat Wolves

Besiktas failed to score for the first 7:34 minutes in the second half and watched Wolves pull away with a 0-11 run for an 11-point deficit. After scoring 15 points in the first half, Mathews did not score in the third quarter until 11 seconds were left.

The 26-year-old American led the comeback in the fourth quarter with 10 points, including 8 straight points inside the final 4 minutes.

"A win is always good. My teammates found me I was able to hit some shots. They are a very good team and have shown that in the EuroCup and the Lithuanian League. So I am happy we got the win,” said Mathews, who also had 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal and 7 fouls drawn for a performance index rating of 30.

That PIR set a new personal high for Mathews, topping his previous high of 27 while his 27 points were 1 shy of his personal best. 

Besiktas shot an impressive 41.7% on three-pointers, which is not a surprise given the Turkish side had made 38.0% from long range coming into the game, which was third-best in the EuroCup. But Besiktas did surprise many by converting 23 of 25 free throws (92.0%). Alimpijevic’s team was the worst free-throw shooting team in the league at just 71.1%.

Coach Alimpijevic was impressed with his team’s defensive performance 

Jonah Mathews delivered scoring as Besiktas found energy to beat Wolves 

Aquila Basket Trento legend Toto Forray etched his name into BKT EuroCup history when he became him the competition’s all-time leader in games played with 145 appearances.

Toto Forray becomes EuroCup career leader with 145th appearance 

[Dolomiti Energia Trento](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/dolomiti-energia-trento/trn/) legend [Toto Forray](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/toto-forray/006382/) etched his name into BKT EuroCup history when he took the court against ratiopharm Ulm on Tuesday night. 

That appearance made him the EuroCup’s all-time leader in games played with 145. Forray, 38, takes the record away from three-time champion and [Valencia Basket](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/valencia-basket/pam/) great [Rafa Martinez](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/rafa-martinez/001351/).

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">RECORD BREAKER! 📈<br><br>With today&#39;s start Toto Forray is the ALL TIME player with the most appearances in EuroCup history! 💯<br><br>All games in one club! Take a bow 👏<a href="https://twitter.com/AquilaBasketTN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AquilaBasketTN</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZGY4uWiQop">pic.twitter.com/ZGY4uWiQop</a></p>&mdash; BKT EuroCup (@EuroCup) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroCup/status/1879242026258182644?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Forray, a native of Argentina, has spent the vast majority of his career with Trento, which he joined in 2011 when it was in Italy’s third division. He helped the club climb all the way to Italy’s top flight and has been Trento’s captain since 2016.

In nine EuroCup seasons, Forray has amassed 944 points on 237 triples, 282 assists and 154 steals. He entered Tuesday’s game ranked fourth in career steals, 30th in assists, 32nd in three-pointers made and 41st in points scored.

More Trento News

The Trento guard is in his ninth EuroCup season

Valencia Basket sealed a quarterfinals spot, led by Ojeleye's strong fourth quarter 


Ojeleye sent Valencia to the quarterfinals 

[Valencia Basket](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/valencia-basket/roster/pam/?season=2024-25) became the first team to lock down a quarterfinals spot in the 2024-25 BKT EuroCup with [Tuesday's 91-96 victory](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/semi-ojeleye-leads-valencia-past-lietkabelis-91-96/) over [7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/lietkabelis-panevezys/roster/lkb/?season=2024-25) in Round 15. That win guaranteed Coach Pedro Martinez's men a top 2 finish in Group B. Valencia has thus earned a bye the eighthfinals round and will play at home in the single-game quarterfinals.

Lietkabelis had already beaten Valencia earlier this season at La Fonteta, [106-107 in overtime](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/lietkabelis-stuns-valencia-in-ot-106-107/). It was the first team to beat Valencia in EuroCup action this season and led 78-76 early in the fourth quarter. The game had been a back-and-forth battle until star forward [Semi Ojeleye](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/semi-ojeleye/011982/) decided he'd had enough.

Valencia Basket forward Semi Ojeleye had 20 points against 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys.

Ojeleye leads Valencia to 13th win

Ojeleye buried consecutive three-pointers and added a pair of free throws in an 0-8 run that put Valencia ahead for good, 78-84. He had time to bury another bomb from downtown, another foul shot and a driving layup to get 13 of his game-high 20 points in the fourth quarter. When Lietkabelis got within 91-93, [Chris Jones](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/chris-jones/010568/) sealed the outcome with a critical three-point play. On a team loaded with talent, Ojeleye and Jones have proven to be the most experienced players and the go-to guys in close games.

Valencia played better defense when it mattered most, too, limiting Lietkabelis to just 17 fourth-quarter points. The hosts found easy options inside the arc for 30 minutes, making 23 of 35 two-pointers (65.7% 2FG), dishing 20 assists and committing just 9 turnovers. Everything changed in the fourth quarter, in which Lietkabelis made just 3 of 8 two-pointers (37.5% 2FG) and had as many assists as turnovers, 4.

The fact that Valencia already punched its ticket to the quarterfinals should not slow the team down, as there is a bigger goal at stake. Right now, Valencia leads Group B with a 13-2 record and a whopping global average of +217. Finishing the regular season with a better record than any team in Group A would give Valencia the home-court advantage in each and every potential playoff series in both the semifinals and the finals.

"They are a good team. It's a good competition and they play so hard, and when a team plays that hard, they always have a chance to win. We were able to come out with a win tonight just because I think we matched their energy in the end," Ojeleye said. 

"I want to win, and I want to win for my teammates. I think everybody on the team wants to win, so at any point we have great players that can do the same thing, whether it's Jean \[Montero\], Chris \[Jones\], Xabi \[Lopez-Arostegui\]... We have all had big moments."

Valencia Basket sealed spot in the quarterfinals led by Ojeleye's strong fourth quarter 


Semi Ojeleye sent Valencia to the quarterfinals 

Valencia Basket v 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys (2024-12-20T19:30:00.000Z)

Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana outscored Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem 7-15 over the game's last 4 minutes to claim a 70-74 victory at Samokov Arena in Bulgaria. 

Cedevita holds off Jerusalem 70-74 to rise into second place

Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana outscored Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem 7-15 over the game's last 4 minutes to claim a 70-74 victory at Samokov Arena in Bulgaria. The victory sent Cedevita into second place in Group B with a 9-5 record, while Jerusalem is right behind at 9-6. Cedevita will play its delayed Round 13 game against 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys on Thursday, which if it loses it will fall behind Jerusalem in the standings, since Jerusalem holds the head-to-head tiebreaker between the teams. <br>
<br>
Brynton Lemar led the Cedevita attack with 17 points against his former team and Aleksej Nikolic added 16 – including 6 free throws down the stretch to help seal the win. Devin Robinson posted 15 points and 9 rebounds and teenager Joan Beringer tallied 8 points and 11 boards as Cedevita outrebounded Jerusalem 36-50. Justin Smith and Jared Harper scored 16 each for Jerusalem, with the latter also dishing 8 assists, and Khadeen Carrington scored 15 in defeat.

Beringer scored on a put-back for Cedevita on the game’s first possession and then more than 3 minutes passed before the next points were scored via Chris Johnson free throws. A three-point play by Robinson and a three-pointer by Lemar made it 2-8. Lemar added another three to stretch the lead before Smith finally made Jerusalem’s first basket after more than 6 minutes of game play. Nikolic sank Cedevita’s next triple to make it 6-14. Jerusalem trimmed the gap thanks to free throws by Carrington and Jeremy Morgan. Carrington added a jumper to make it 13-16 after 10 minutes.  

Yovel Zoosman tied the game with a three-pointer on the first possession of the second quarter. Smith heated up with a pair of scores to give Jerusalem its first lead, 20-18. After a Cedevita timeout, Jaka Blazic scored his first points of the contest with a tough layup. Blazic added more points from the line. Harper, the EuroCup's leading scorer, was scoreless until his triple with less than 4 minutes left in the quarter made it 28-23. Lemar kept Cedevita close with a tough layup and a three-pointer and Nikolic drilled a three at the halftime buzzer to give his team a 32-33 lead.

Harper tied the game with a floater early in the second half only to see Devante Jones answer with a triple. Harper remained hot for Jerusalem, but Jerusalem struggled to deny Beringer on the offensive glass. The young center fed Jones for a second-chance triple and threw down an alley-oop slam to make it 40-44. Harper drained a three and fed Justin Smith as Jerusalem quickly erased the deficit. Zoosman added a triple to cap an 8-0 run. Lemar answered for Cedevita and it was 50-49 at the end of the third quarter.   

A tip-in by Robinson put Cedevita ahead on the first possession of the fourth quarter. Harper fed Smith for a layup and scored a contested basket to push Jerusalem in front. Robinson made sure to keep Cedevita close. Johnson buried a three to make it 61-57 with less than 5 minutes to play. Jones closed the gap to 63-62 with a clutch triple and then Robinson put Cedevita ahead. Robinson added a long jumper with 1:13 remaining to put his team up 3. After Carrington and Nikolic traded free throws, Harper missed from deep. Nikolic grabbed the rebound, was fouled and made it a two-possession game from the line. A three by Zoosman with 12 seconds left gave Jerusalem hope, but again Nikolic answered with free throws and Cedevita hung on.  

The win leveled the two teams with 9 wins while Cedevita has a game at hand

Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul picked up a massively important victory in the fight for the playoffs as it defeated Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius 79-77 at home after a nightmare start to the second half. Besiktas survived going scoreless for more than 7 minutes in the third quarter and falling behind by 11 points to win down the stretch and snap a three-game losing streak for an 8-7 record. 

Besiktas rallies to beat Wolves 79-77, snap three-game skid

Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul picked up a massively important victory in the fight for the playoffs as it defeated Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius 79-77 at home after a nightmare start to the second half. Besiktas survived going scoreless for more than 7 minutes in the third quarter and falling behind by 11 points to win down the stretch and snap a three-game losing streak for an 8-7 record. 

Jonah Mathews poured in 27 points for the hosts, Berk Ugurlu added 20 points and Kelan Martin and Dustin Sleva both chipped in 10 points. Wolves have now dropped five of the last seven games for a 7-8 record. The one good thing for the Lithuanian side is it still owns the tiebreaker over Besiktas thanks to its 93-78 home win in Round 6. Anthony Cowan scored 22 points in the loss. 

Besiktas went up 5-2 to start the game but Regimantas Miniotas scored Wolves’ first 7 points and it was 5-9. Ugurlu knocked down two triples at the other end in a 14-4 run to put Besiktas up 19-13. The scoring in the final 4 minutes was almost exclusively from the free-throw line, with Wolves trailing 23-22 after 10 minutes. 

Wolves held Besiktas scoreless for the first 3 minutes of the second quarter and took a 23-26 lead. Mathews responded with five straight points to put Besiktas back up 28-26, starting a stretch of four lead changes. Miniotas added two free throws and a three-point play as Wolves led multiple times by three points. The score was deadlocked 40-40 at the break. 

Jeffery Taylor opened the second half with a score for the guests, but it was the only points for either team for nearly the first 5 minutes of the third quarter. Cowan had five points in the 0-11 run to give Wolves the lead 40-51. Besiktas finally scored at the 2:26 minute mark after 10 missed shots and 2 turnovers. Yigit Arlan’s triple finally got Besiktas on the board and Ugurlu added a three-point play to get within 50-56. And the guests were leading 52-59 after 30 minutes.

The Besiktas push continued in the final frame, with Conor Morgan hitting a triple to make it 57-61. Martin converted a three-point play and Ugurlu added another three-pointer to get the hosts within 63-66 with 5 minutes to play. An unsportsmanlike foul on Cowan resulted in two Sleva free throws and a Mathews jumper to put Besiktas back in front 67-66. Mathews just kept going with a jumper and three-point play and the home side led 73-67 with 97 seconds to go. And that was enough for the win. Sleva finished the game off for good with two free throws with 3.6 seconds to go. 

While the Turkish side secured an advantage over the Lithuanian outfit in the playoff race, it is Alessandro Magro's men who still hold the tiebreaker

Valencia Basket became the first team to qualify to the EuroCup Quarterfinals after downing 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys 91-96 on the road in Round 15 on Tuesday. 

Semi Ojeleye leads Valencia past Lietkabelis, 91-96

Valencia Basket became the first team to qualify to the BKT EuroCup Quarterfinals after downing 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys 91-96 on the road in Round 15 on Tuesday. Valencia improved to 13-2 in Group B and locked at least second place at the end of the regular season, enough to skip the eighthfinals and play the single-game quarterfinals at La Fonteta. Lietkabelis dropped to 4-10 and could be mathematically out of the playoff race at the end of this round. 

Semi Ojeleye led the winners with 20 points. Jaime Pradilla, Chris Jones and Jean Montero each added 14, Xabi Lopez-Arostegui had 13 and Nate Reuvers got 11 for Valencia. Martynas Varnas led Lietkabelis with 19 points. Paulius Danusevicius added 14, Georgios Kalaitzakis 13, Djordje Gagic 11 and Dovis Bickauskis 10.

Montero got Valencia going with a jumper and then he bettered Gagic's jump hook with a triple. After Danusevicius banked in a close shot, Pradilla followed a three-pointer with a layup. Kalaitzakis's jumper drew Lietkabelis within 6-9. Gagic scored again and followed Kakaitzakis's jumper with a dunk to put the hosts ahead, 12-11. Lopez-Arostegui stepped up for Valencia with 7 quick points to put his team in charge, 14-18. After Danusevicius struck from downtown, Jones followed a driving layup with a jumper. Ojeleye sank a corner triple for a 19-25 Valencia lead. Montero and Gagic traded baskets and then Aminah Brimah boosted the visitors' lead to 21-28 after 10 minutes.

Bickauskis struck from beyond the arc early in the second quarter and Grantas Vasiliauskas dunked to make it 26-30. Lipkevicius sank a jumper and an unstoppable Vasiliauskas dunked three more times to give Lietkabelis a 34-33 lead. After Jones buried a floater, Reuvers, Lopez-Arostegui, Oleksandr Kovliar, Montero and Varnas each struck from downtown for a 40-44 score. Jones and Josep Puerto also buried one triple apiece, which prompted the hosts to call timeout at 40-50. Kalaitzakis and Bickauskis fueled a 6-0 Lietkabelis run, but Jones restored a 46-52 Valencia edge at halftime.

Pradilla scored twice around the rim right after the break. Lipkevicius beat the shot clock with a three-pointer and got help from Gagic and Danusevicius to bring Lietkabelis within 55-56. After Matt Costello buried a three-pointer, Varnas answered with a driving layup and Kovliar struck from downtown, which led to a Valencia timeout at 60-59. Reuvers stepped up with a layup and erased Varnas's alley-oop basket with a dunk. Bickauskis followed a driving layup with a bomb from downtown, Ojeleye made a corner triple and Danusevicius set a 69-68 Lietkabelis lead. Kalaitzakis followed a jumper with a layup, but Pradilla scored again and Lopez-Arostegui's three-pointer kept Valencia within 74-73 through three quarters.

Puerto struck from beyond the arc early in the fourth quarter. Kalaitzakis banked in an off-balance shot, which Varnas followed with a backdoor layup for a 78-76 Lietkabelis lead. Ojeleye took over with back-to-back three-pointers in a 0-8 run that he capped with free throws. Lipkevicius and Varnas each struck from downtown, but a red-hot Ojeleye single-handedly kept Valencia in charge, 84-90, with 3 minutes left. Danusevicius stepped up with a close basket that Montero improved with an eight-meter bomb. Varnas hit free throws and added a triple that gave Lietkabelis hope at 91-93. Jones silenced the crowd with a wild three-point play that sealed the outcome.

The forward made the difference in the fourth quarter 


Check out what the protagonists are saying ahead of Round 15 of the BKT EuroCup, and who might be missing in action.

Round 15: Pregame quotes and injury reports

## Tuesday, January 14

### 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys vs. Valencia Basket (18:00 CET)

**Matt Costello, Valencia Basket center**

"We lost to them the first time. They're really physical, they play every possession super hard and super confidently, so we need to come tomorrow and keep playing how we've been playing: fast, keep trying to make shots, and try to shut them down on defense the best we can. We haven't that lost much this year, so to be able to play the team again after we lost to them, you want to prove yourself again. We've got an opportunity tomorrow and we've got to be ready for it. We've had a lot of 5s going down this year, but as far as 4s, this is the first time. Being able to fill those positions, I think Semi may play a little bit more of a 4 for us with the system we've got going on. It's a little bit different of a look, but I think we'll be able to figure it out."

### Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul vs. Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius (18:00 CET)

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

"It's a very important game. We have the same record, and we won at home. They are a completely different team when they play in their loud and crowded arena. They are coming from three defeats on the road. We are coming from a bad game at home. We must try to prove ourselves, try to overcome the group and go into the playoffs. So it will be a crucial game."

**Matas Jogela, Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius forward**

"Playing in Istanbul is difficult for everyone because they have very good fans who create a strong atmosphere, so they play much better at home. We need to stay focused and united. It will be a tough game. We must withstand their physicality and execute our game plan."

### Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem vs. Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (19:00 CET)

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

"Hapoel Jerusalem is undoubtedly one of the best teams in our group. With the return of Smith, they are even stronger. Our opponents are playing very well again, as they demonstrated in their last game when they defeated Hapoel Tel Aviv, one of the strongest teams in the EuroCup. They are an experienced team that has been playing together for several years, which we could see and feel in our first encounter when they convincingly beat us on their home court. We’ve just come back from a challenging trip to Bulgaria, and on Tuesday, we will step on the court and try to give it our all."

**Devin Robinson, Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana forward**

"A real battle awaits us in a game we must win. We have to give it everything we've got because our opponents defeated us on our home court, so we need to do everything we can to settle the score."

### Dolomiti Energia Trento vs. ratiopharm Ulm (20:00 CET)

**Paolo Galbiati, Dolomiti Energia Trento head coach**

"When I found out that Toto \[Forray\] would become the player with the most EuroCup appearances, several things came to mind. The first is definitely the memory of the amazing EuroCup season that Trento had in 2015-2016. The second is a thought about who Toto is and how I would like everyone to have the same mentality as him. I remember his beginnings when so many thought he would not make it, first in A2 then in the LBA and EuroCup. This record is one more medal that enriches an incredible career and shows how he has been able to exceed all expectations and how he has an incredible mentality. As for Ulm, they are an interesting team, with a well-defined playing philosophy, very talented youngsters and a lot of athletes around. I expect a great game, because they also play with a high tempo and love to run."

**Toto Forray, Dolomiti Energia Trento guard**

"To become the player with the most appearances in the EuroCup is an incredible achievement. Thinking back, I remember the first game, in Slovenia against Ljubljana: entering that arena was a unique feeling. I also remember the series against Milan, a team coming down from the EuroLeague, a very special moment. Over the years, the EuroCup has grown a lot, going up a level. We faced teams of the highest caliber like Paris, Bologna, Partizan, Lokomotiv Kuban, Valencia and many others. It has been a journey full of challenges and great emotions. Looking ahead to tomorrow's game, we have to do everything we can to win, not only to change our momentum, but also because we still have hopes of making it through the round, although we know it will not be easy. Playing at home will give us an extra factor in our favor, and we definitely want to bring home these two points."

## Wednesday, January 15

### Turk Telekom Ankara vs. Veolia Towers Hamburg (17:30 CET)

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

"Turk Telekom Ankara is an absolute top team that has strengthened its guard positions compared to the first leg. Speedy Smith is strong, can create his own shot and set players up. It's almost a bit crazy how much quality they have in their team. The team really is incredibly deep. They've already had their difficulties this season, so perhaps that's why they're not quite as solid yet. But it's a very ambitious program. And when they click, they are simply really good."

### Aris Midea Thessaloniki vs. Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse (19:00 CET)

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

"We have to face a team with great athleticism and quality. After some losses in a row, JL Bourg returned to positive results and they have a big motive to win tomorrow, as they are trying to qualify to the next round of BKT EuroCup. From our side, we have to be ready and give our best in both ends of the court, to chase the positive result, in front of our fans."

**Lefteris Bochoridis, Aris Midea Thessaloniki guard**

"We have a difficult game ahead, against a very good team. JL Bourg is last season’s finalist and has a very deep roster, with a lot of quality. We have to be determined and focused for the whole game, especially in the defensive end, in order to get the result we want. We may not have chances to qualify, but we will fight till the last game, that’s what Aris stands for."

### Buducnost VOLI Podgorica vs. Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv (19:00 CET)

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

"We’re playing against the team currently leading the ABA League alongside Red Star, and they’re at the top for a reason – they have quality, a well-structured game, and an excellent coaching staff. They have at least two players in every position who can provide the same outcome without the team losing control. Their guards are highly creative, and they receive great support from their bigs and forwards. This team has it all. On the other hand, we’re coming after a very poor performance against Hapoel Jerusalem, and we’re determined to bounce back immediately. We’ve worked hard in practice and put significant effort into ensuring we don’t lose games like that again. Performances like that won’t happen again. We’re motivated to bounce back – for ourselves, for the effort we’ve invested, and for the hours we’ve spent watching film and working on the court."

**Marcus Foster, Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv guard**

"With the EuroCup season come to an end it is very important to continue to improve and be at our best against a very good team that is fighting for playoff position. We must bounce back after the weekend game against Hapoel Jerusalem."

### Trefl Sopot vs. Bahcesehir College Istanbul (19:00 CET)

**Darious Moten, Trefl Sopot forward**

"Our ability to win this game has more to do with us coming together and developing the chemistry that we've been trying to build over these couple of weeks, how well we execute, and how well we play our game."

### Umana Reyer Venice vs. U-BT Cluj-Napoca (20:00 CET)

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

"We want to win, as always. Facing Cluj won’t be easy at all because they are a good team, competitive and with offensive talent. We are eager to continue on our path. We are a completely different team from the first-leg match, where we performed very well for 70% of the game but lost it in the remaining 30%. There were many aspects of that game I didn’t like, and we want to do better. We need to keep up everything we’ve been doing lately. We draw a lot from our defense, and the recovery of our players gives us versatility."

**Amedeo Tessitori, Umana Reyer Venice center**

"We need to give continuity to the work of these past weeks to maintain our positive streak. Each of us has to give our best for the team by bringing solidity, teamwork, and defense to the court, everything that defines us. We are working very well, everyone is in good spirits, but our focus is always on the next game."

**Reyer injury report:** Rodney McGruder (adductor) is out.

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

"We will play against a really strong team. They are in good shape, winning the last five games. Venice is a strong team, especially in the paint. They are really good doing the isolation, so they know how to benefit from every situation. We want to play well and win! We need to be aggressive, especially defending their bigs and then score easy baskets in transition."

**Adam Mokoka, U-BT Cluj-Napoca guard**

"It is going to be a tough game, especially at their crib. We know they are a physical team, they got more weapons compared to the first game. We need to be consistent for 40 minutes and not give them any chances to believe they can win."

### Dreamland Gran Canaria vs. Joventut Badalona (21:00 CET)

**Dani Miret, Joventut Badalona head coach**

"Now we have a difficult competitive situation because we have no margin to make a mistake. We must come into the game with a very good mentality because we can only think about that game, we cannot think beyond that. We know that we will have to do very well because \[Gran Canaria\] are a team that has shown their character many times. They are coming off playing a very good game against Barça and from beating Ulm in the EuroCup. They are a very prestigious opponent."

**Joventut injury report:** Michael Ruzic and Miguel Allen are both out.

Joventut Badalona has confirmed that Sam Dekker has signed a deal to remain with the team until the end of the 2024-25 season.

Sam Dekker re-signs with Joventut until end of season

[Joventut Badalona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/joventut-badalona/jov/) has confirmed that [Sam Dekker](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/sam-dekker/009672/) will remain with the team on a deal until the end of the 2024-25 season.

Dekker (2.03 meters, 30 years old) initially joined Joventut on a short-term deal in mid-November and later received a one-month extension, but the former NBA forward will now see out the remainder of the campaign in Badalona.

Since arriving in Spain, Dekker has played six times in the BKT EuroCup for Joventut, averaging 9.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists. In the Spanish League, he has posted 13.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists in eight appearances.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="ca" dir="ltr">💣 Sam <a href="https://twitter.com/dekker?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@dekker</a>, renovat fins a final de temporada!<br><br>✍️ El Club Joventut Badalona i l’aler pivot nord-americà han ampliat el contracte que els unia i Dekker acabarà el curs a la Penya<br><br>📝 El comunicat: <a href="https://t.co/SHWYQ97UGl">https://t.co/SHWYQ97UGl</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CityOfBadalona?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CityOfBadalona</a> <a href="https://t.co/WpEhR9oeWc">pic.twitter.com/WpEhR9oeWc</a></p>&mdash; Club Joventut Badalona (@Penya1930) <a href="https://twitter.com/Penya1930/status/1879113776055955847?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Formerly a member of the Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Clippers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Washington Wizards, and Toronto Raptors in the NBA, Dekker is in his sixth season in Europe. 

Prior to landing at Joventut, he played on the old continent for Lokomotiv Kuban (2019-20), Turk Telekom Ankara (2020-21), Bahcesehir College Istanbul (2021-22), and the London Lions (2022-24).

Now in his fourth EuroCup season, having played for Lokomotiv, London and now Joventut in the competition, his career averages stand at 14.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 steal per night across 43 games.

Joventut is currently eighth in Group A with a 5-9 record, but with four games remaining in the regular season, it still has hopes of sneaking into the top six and playing playoff basketball in March.

More Joventut News

The American has quickly become a fans' favorite in Badalona

Tyler Ennis is thriving in a big role for Reyer Venezia, which has three Canadians among its key players during the 2024-25 season.

Tyler Ennis enjoying playing with fellow Canadian and 'best GM in Europe' Wiltjer 

[Umana Reyer Venice](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/umana-reyer-venice/vnc/) kind of feels like Team Canada among the BKT EuroCup teams thanks to a trio of international stars from the North American country. And [Tyler Ennis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/tyler-ennis/008858/) is definitely enjoying playing alongside his compatriots [Mfiondu Kabengele](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/mfiondu-kabengele/012796/) and [Kyle Wiltjer](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/kyle-wiltjer/008052/) – the latter being one of his closest friends in the game. 

Ennis is spending his second season in the EuroCup after playing four games during the 2021-22 season with Turk Telekom Ankara, a campaign during which he was coming back from a major injury and eventually left the team. Wiltjer was playing with Ennis in the Turkish capital as well during the 2020-21 campaign. 

Ennis actually called that 2020-21 season his favorite memory with Wiltjer, who is two years older than him. 

“It was during COVID and that team spent a lot of time together off the court. We all just wanted to win and were willing to sacrifice individual stats. Again, we had amazing chemistry and trust with each other and with that team. If I don’t get injured, I think we win one or two trophies that year,” says Ennis, who tore his Achilles in November 2020 and missed the remainder of the season with the Turkish team. 

“We just have a chemistry. We are close friends off the court, which also helps. We hold each other accountable, which is necessary. Scoring is easy for him and I sometimes just have to get him the ball in his spots. But we think in the same way and have had success in the pick and roll because there isn’t much teams can do to stop it. He makes my job easier. He trusts I’m going to get him open shots,” Ennis says about playing with Wiltjer.

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The two also played in the NBA together, spending the 2016-17 season united on the court with the Houston Rockets. That made Ennis’s decision to come to Venice that much easier.

“It always helps joining a team with someone you are close friends with. He never put pressure on me.”

Ennis joked that Wiltjer is nicknamed the “best GM in Europe”.

“He was behind getting myself, Sam Dekker, Nick Johnson on Turk Telekom with him a few years ago,” Ennis says. “Kyle is such a talented player and we have always had a great chemistry playing together from Houston Rockets to Telekom and now in Venice.” 

This time around, Ennis is playing with a third Canadian in the big man Kabengele.

"This is my first time playing with Mfiondu. We are both from Toronto and I watched his career from college," Ennis notes. "I knew that we would play well together. He’s having a monster season and showing how good he is. I think after this year, he deserves to get a chance to show he belongs back in the NBA."

The best plays of Umana Reyer Venice guard Tyler Ennis through the first 14 rounds of the 2024-25 BKT EuroCup season.

Tyler Ennis's best plays so far this season

Reyer is Ennis’s second club in Italy after playing parts of five seasons in Turkiye for Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, Turk Telekom and Tofas. Last season, he helped Napoli win the Italian Cup in his first season in Italy. 

“Naples was amazing – one of my favorite stops of my European career," he said. "We had a great group of players that loved playing and being around each other. For me, I wanted something new after being in Turkiye. I enjoyed Turkiye, but I wanted a different market and Italy checked the boxes."

After the Italian season was over, Ennis decided against returning home and joined Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv in mid-May for the final stretch of the Israeli regular season and playoffs.

“I didn’t know what to expect. At first, I didn’t want to go. My wife and I just had a baby in April and I was ready to get home. But again, a gut feeling told me it was something that I should do, like signing with Naples," Ennis remembers. 

"Everything about that move was eye-opening. The coach, the fans, the organization, the city and players were all top of the line. I joined the team to win the championship and we were one game from achieving that goal. I really wanted to give that club a championship and we were close. I had an amazing time in Tel Aviv and loved my time with the club.”

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Now the goal is for big things with Reyer, and the team is playing extremely well with six wins in the last seven games for an 8-6 record and a solid chance for a top-two spot in Group B. Included in the recent run was [an 81-74 home victory over Valencia Basket](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/reyer-kept-victories-coming-even-against-11-win-valencia/) in Round 13. 

“It was a good test. We approach every game the same since we had a lot of ground to make up after how the season started. The first round wasn’t pretty playing them and we wanted to continue building and stacking wins. They have a really good team,” says Ennis, who picked up 12 points, 3 rebounds and 6 assists in the win over Valencia. 

Ennis knows the team is playing well, but they are still missing two pieces. 

When asked what the team needs to be successful, he said: “Health is important. We still aren’t 100% and hope to get [Xavier Munford](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/xavier-munford/007759/) and [Rodney McGruder](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/rodney-mcgruder/012800/) back. We know what works for us and how we have to play. It’s up to us to keep playing for each other like we have all season. With a healthy team the sky is the limit.”

All thanks to the EuroCup version of Team Canada. 

More Reyer News

The Reyer point guard is having a strong season back in the EuroCup and playing with two compatriots

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Jonah Mathews delivered scoring as Besiktas found energy to beat Wolves

Toto Forray becomes EuroCup career leader with 145th appearance

Semi Ojeleye sent Valencia to the quarterfinals

Άρθρο

Cedevita holds off Jerusalem 70-74 to rise into second place

Besiktas rallies to beat Wolves 79-77, snap three-game skid

Semi Ojeleye leads Valencia past Lietkabelis, 91-96

Round 15: Pregame quotes and injury reports

Sam Dekker re-signs with Joventut until end of season