Andrej Zakelj’s players delivered on both ends of the floor from start to finish
Buducnost bounces back with solid two-way display against Panionios
Game Report
3 Mins read
Regular Season
Round 4 of 18
Regular Season
group b
Buducnost VOLI PodgoricaBUD
9163
Panionios AthensPAN
group b
Overview
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Buducnost VOLI Podgorica opened the 2025–26 BKT EuroCup season with a dominant 59-86 win on the road against the London Lions. But the next two rounds didn’t go as planned. After conceding over 100 points in a home loss to Dolomiti Energia Trento, Buducnost then managed just 72 points in a defeat away to Turk Telekom Ankara.
Desperate for a morale boost, Andrej Zakelj’s squad found an opportunity to reset against a struggling Panionios Athens – and they did just that, putting in a strong all-around performance to secure a 91–63 home win on Wednesday evening and even their record at 2–2.
“This win was more than necessary,” said head coach Andrej Zakelj in his post-game flash interview. “This is the most important thing. I think during most of the game, the energy was there, and the focus was there [too]. I’m satisfied with the approach, as it’s not easy to play under pressure.”
Buducnost came out sharp on both ends of the floor, building a 28–13 lead after the first quarter while shooting 11 for 18 from the field. The hosts set the tone early and caught fire from three-point range, finishing the first half at a red-hot 63.6% (7 for 11) from deep.
Rasheed Sulaimon led the way with a well-rounded first half: 11 points, 4 rebounds, and 6 assists. Defensively, Buducnost pressured Panionios into rushed perimeter shots, holding the Greek side to just 4-for-17 shooting from beyond the arc.
“The problem from the first minute was that we knew Buducnost play really tough, and we couldn’t react,” admitted Panionios head coach Chris Chougkaz after the game. “We couldn’t play the same way.”
Buducnost continued its dominance after the break, holding Panionios to just 10 points in the third quarter. Axel Bouteille led all scorers with 16 points in under 19 minutes of play, followed by Fletcher Magee with 15 and Sulaimon with 13.
“I think we played consistently on both sides – offense and defense – throughout the whole game,” said Bouteille post-game. “We started well, and we tried to keep that momentum going the whole way. That’s why we had the big lead at the end.”
Buducnost also set season highs in both rebounds (42) and assists (24). More importantly, every player who stepped on the court contributed with focus and energy, maintaining a much-needed level of consistency throughout.
“The picture we gave today was good,” Bouteille added. “Intensity, focus – everybody was on the same page on both sides of the court.”
Having snapped a two-game skid, Buducnost will now look to record back-to-back victories for the first time this season. The Montenegrin side heads to Lithuania next week to face Lietkabelis Panevezys, a team it has beaten in three of their last four meetings.
And if it can maintain the same consistency shown against Panionios, Buducnost may well come away with a second road win in the 2025–26 EuroCup campaign.
