U-BT Cluj-Napoca opened the BJT EuroCup Regular Season in style by downing last season's finalists Turk Telekom Ankara 80-71 at home in Group B on Wednesday.
Jones, Guzman lead Cluj past Turk Telekom, 80-71

After going 0-3 at the start of its EuroCup season debut a year ago, Cluj has opened the 2023-24 campaign with a resounding victory, topping Turk Telekom Ankara 80-71 at BT-Arena. Bryce Jones and Karel Guzman led the winners with 14 points apiece. D.J. Seeley had 12 and Andrija Stipanovic added 10 for Cluj. Tyrone Wallace paced Turk Telekom with 18 points, Okben Ulubay added 12, James Palmer 11 and Jalen Adams 10.
Cluj opened the game on a 12-0 run, led 28-14 at the end of the first quarter and 50-26 at halftime. Wallace rescued Turk Telekom after halftime with 10 points in a 0-18 run that brought his team within 53-49. After the deficit was trimmed to 2, Jarell Eddie and Jones sank back-to-back triples, as Cluj regained a double-digit lead and held on the rest of the way.
Guzman needed just 2 seconds to get his team's first basket and he got help from Stipanovic and Seeley to boost Cluj's lead to 12-0. Wallace and Markis McDuffie stepped up for Turk Telekom but Seeley and Guzman each hit a triple to establish a 21-8 Cluj margin. The hosts found a new go-to guy in Jones and then Guzman followed a windmill dunk with a three-pointer to keep Cluj way ahead, 28-14, after 10 minutes.
Steven Enoch tried to change things with an alley-oop slam early in the second quarter. Emanuel Cate and Adam Mokoka fueled a 12-0 run that Guzman capped with a triple to make it 40-17. Mokoka kept pushing Cluj and Eddie's three-pointer gave the hosts a 50-26 lead at halftime.
Wallace scored 7 quick points after the break and Palmer's layup gave Turk Telekom hope at 53-39. Wallace remained unstoppable and Adams scored twice in the paint to get the guests as close as 53-49, after a 0-18 run. Patrick Richards and Seeley gave Cluj fresh air, 59-52, after 30 minutes.
Troy Selim Sav brought Turk Telekom even closer, 61-59, with 8 minutes left. Jones rescued Cluj with 8 points in crunch time, as his team restored a 74-62 margin with 3 minutes left and never looked back.