Hapoel Jerusalem guard Jared Harper has made a habit of getting to the free-throw line, which has reaped rewards for both him and his team in the 2024-25 EuroCup season.

Jared Harper’s hot start and ability to get to foul line

Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem has got off to a 2-1 start on its return to the BKT EuroCup, having won its last two games by a combined margin of 35 points. And the team has done it behind guard [Jared Harper](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/jared-harper/011970/), who has had a stellar start to the season – the best of anyone in the competition, in fact.

Entering Round 4, with Jerusalem visiting Aris Midea Thessaloniki on Wednesday night, Harper leads the EuroCup with 23.0 points per game and is the only player averaging more than 20 points, while he also tops the charts with an average PIR of 26.0.

Harper is posting 4.3 assists per game, second best on the team heading into Round 4, but where he has stood out head and shoulders above any other player in the competition is with his ability to get to the free-throw line.

The former Valencia Basket guard attempts 13.7 foul shots per game and makes 12.7 per contest. To understand how much that stands out, the next best player averages 8.3 free-throw attempts, with no player making more than 5.3 free throws per game.

Through three rounds, Harper alone has made 38 free throws, which is more than six entire teams, including Wednesday night’s opponent, Aris. Just for comparison, last season saw just 31 players make more free throws during the entire regular season than what Harper has made so far, with 15 games still to go.

He has done it by marveling at not just drawing personal fouls, but drawing free throws. His 26 drawn fouls, while the most in the competition, are not that much more than what some other players have drawn. Notably, the majority of the fouls Harper has drawn have sent him to the free-throw line.

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It all puts Harper in a rare category of players who have attempted more free throws (38) than field goals (37) so far this season, but none of the other eight players have averaged better than 10.0 points through the first three rounds.

Having scored 27 points in Jerusalemn’s season-opening loss against Valencia, he then followed up that performance with 23 points and 5 assists in a 74-94 win at 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys before scoring 19 points and dishing 6 assists in a win over Veolia Hamburg Towers last week.

Harper will now be looking to continue his high-scoring, highly productive season-opening run on Wednesday night in Thessaloniki.

More Hapoel Jerusalem News

Three rounds into the EuroCup, no player has been more productive than the Jerusalem guard

Aris Midea Thessaloniki v Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem (2024-10-16T17:00:00.000Z)

In a defensive clash of two unbeaten teams, Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse used its defense to remain perfect on the season, edging Turk Telekom Ankara 67-63.

Bourg's 'defense, toughness, character' key in battle of unbeaten teams

In a defensive clash between two unbeaten teams, Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse used its defense to remain perfect on the season, edging Turk Telekom Ankara 67-63 on Tuesday night.

"It's a very good victory against a very good team," Bourg head coach Frederic Fauthoux said after the game. "It was a game for the first place, even if it is only the fourth game. It's the beginning of the season, but it's a great victory. And it was important to win at home."

Just like Fauthoux said, even though it was early in the season, the game really felt like an important one. Every possession seemed significant, the coaches did not allow the opposition to go on big runs without calling a timeout, and in the final 30 seconds, when the winner was decided, both coaches put an emphasis on the point difference, like they both felt it will be very important down the line.

In a game where neither team reached 70 points, it is clear that it was the defensive effort that was the key. Fauthoux loved what he saw from his team.

"This team has a great character. Our defense is very good, we have a lot of toughness," Fauthoux stated.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="fr" dir="ltr">VICTOIRE ✅<br><br>COSEA JL Bourg 67 🆚 63 <a href="https://twitter.com/TT_Basketbol?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TT_Basketbol</a><br><br>Après 40 min de bataille intense, la JL remporte ce 4ᵉ match et reste pour l&#39;instant invaincue !🔥<br><br>➡️ Rendez-vous samedi à Ekinox face à la JDA Dijon ⚔️<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeRedy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeRedy</a>｜<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RoadToGreatness?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RoadToGreatness</a> ｜<a href="https://twitter.com/EuroCup?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroCup</a> <a href="https://t.co/iC1657RvQk">pic.twitter.com/iC1657RvQk</a></p>&mdash; JL Bourg Basket (@JLBourgBasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/JLBourgBasket/status/1846278907403845994?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 15, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

For Bourg, last season's EuroCup runner-up, the 63 points it allowed is tied for the fewest the club has given up since November 2021, which also means tied for the fewest under Coach Fauthoux, who is in his third season on Bourg's bench.

"We can improve a lot, especially on offense, but for the moment, the defense is great," Fauthoux continued before adding: "We play with 11 players, so we are in good shape by the end of the game. It is a great team victory."

Game News

Coach Fauthoux's men keep on charging in this year's EuroCup

Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse v Turk Telekom Ankara (2024-10-15T17:30:00.000Z)

U-BT Cluj Napoca might have waited until Round 4 to register its first win of the new BKT EuoCup campaign, but the team has done it style, beating the depleted Veolia Hamburg Towers by 36 points.

Cluj, Simpson rolled to club's second-largest win

U-BT Cluj Napoca might have waited until Round 4 to register its first win of the new BKT EuoCup campaign, but the team did it style, beating the depleted Veolia Hamburg Towers by 36 points.

The star of the show was Zavier Simpson, who had 28 points on 7-of-11 shooting on twos and 3-of-4 on threes, while dishing 8 assists.

But, in addition to the performance of its star guard, Cluj's 67-103 win came behind control of the boards.

Hamburg was not shooting the ball well, making just 3-of-26 (11.5%) from long range, and in the early going the hosts struggled on the defensive glass. Hamburg pulled down 5 offensive rebounds in the first quarter, and 9 by halftime, but Cluj had already put the matter under control and used it to create many fastbreak opportunities and open a 20-point halftime lead.

Game Videos

After the break, Hamburg never stopped trying, even down by 40 points, but Cluj allowed only 1 offensive rebound in the last two quarters. It lead to a 38-27 rebounding advantage for the visitors.

In addition, Cluj dominated inside, finishing the game with 74.4% two-point shooting. Along with 42.9% from long range, it helped Cluj overcome 18 turnovers in its second-largest win in the competition. The only win bigger than this one was Cluj's 60-98 victory at Dolomiti Energia Trento last season.

Veolia Towers Hamburg v U-BT Cluj-Napoca (2024-10-15T17:30:00.000Z)

Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana held off 7Bet-Lietkabelis's comeback to register a 76-72 win. Devin Robinson and Devante Jones had to do a lot of it. 


Robinson is a highlight reel in Cedevita's win 

Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana held off 7Bet-Lietkabelis's comeback to register a 76-72 win. Devin Robinson and Devante Jones had to do a lot of it. 

The hosts led from start to finish and showed their best basketball in the second quarter. After 9 minutes, Cedevita led 16-10 when Jones and Robinson decided they had enough. 

Jones opened a 18-4 run with a layup, then collected a steal in the opening play of the second quarter to feed Robinson for a wildmill slam. Jones then found Robinson for a high-flying alley-oop dunk in transition. Robinson returned the favour, finding Jones for a floater, then he swished a three-pointer. By the time Jaka Blazic hit his own from downtown, Cedevita led 34-14 and was well on its way to win the game. 

Jones had 6 points, 2 rebounds and 4 assists before the break. Robinson had 7 rebounds, 3 rebounds and an outstanding block, sending the basketball out of bounds. Cedveita pulled down 17 defensive rebounds before the break, partly because Lietkabelis missed all of its 12 shots from beyond the arc. The hosts also shared the ball really well, getting 10 assists and 3 turnovers. Both teams' PIR difference at halftime said it all, 60-16. 

Devin Robinson led Cedevita Olimpija to a 76-72 home win against 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys with 17 points and some show-stopping plays.

Devin Robinson was pure showtime in Round 4

Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana held off 7Bet-Lietkabelis's comeback to register a 76-72 win. Devin Robinson and Devante Jones had to do a lot of it. 

Lietkabelis buried 4 consecutive three-pointers in the third quarter but did not get within striking distance until Andrija Stipanovic scored down low for a 75-72 score with 2.6 seconds remaining. Ziga Daneu rounded out Cedevita's win from the foul line.

The visitors finally found answers from downtown after missing 33 consecutive three-pointers. Mantas Rubstavicius hit his team's last three-pointer early in the fourth quarter in its Round 2 game against Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem. After missing all 15 attempts in Round 3 against Aris Midea Thessaloniki, Rubstavicius scored from beyond the arc after 33 team misses.

When the dust settled, Robinson led all scorers with 17 points on 7-of-9 two-point shooting. Jones added 10 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists while Jaka Blazic drew 12 fouls on his way to scoring 14 points.

"We came onto the court and played with a lot of good energy. We knew it would be tough, that the opposing team would play aggressively, so we wanted to pull away as quickly as possible," Robinson said after the game. "We played with a lot of fight and competitiveness and had an excellent first half. In the second half, we eased up a bit, but that’s basketball."

Cedevita remains undefeated at home and plays four of its next six games at Stozice Arena. After a 0-15 start last season, Cedevita is well on its way for a turnaround season.

Robinson was a highlight reel in Cedevita's win 

Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana v 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys (2024-10-15T16:30:00.000Z)

In a clash of two previously undefeated teams in Group B, Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse edged out Turk Telekom Ankara 67-63 on Tuesday night. Bourg improved to 4-0, while Turk Telekom dropped to 3-1 in a young season.

Bourg fights off Turk Telekom to remain perfect

In a clash of previously undefeated teams in Group B, Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse edged Turk Telekom Ankara 67-63 on Tuesday night. Bourg improved to 4-0, while Turk Telekom dropped to 3-1.

After a series of lead changes late in the third and early in the fourth quarter, a triple from Maxime Courby gave Bourg 55-53 advantage and the hosts held that lead for good. Bourg prevailed thanks to its defense, which allowed only one field goal over a span of 4 minutes late in the game.

Offensively, Bourg had three players with 10 points – Maksim Salash, Adrian Nelson and Xavier Casteneda. Meanwhile, Anthony Brown scored 20 for the visitors, Javon Bess had 12 and Kyle Alexander collected 10 points and 8 rebounds.

Turk Telekom scored the first 7 points of the game with Hanlan hitting a triple, and Brown scoring twice, but Bourg replied in style, with an 11-2 run with Usher scoring 5 points, including a three-pointer, and Nelson getting his tally started with a close range basket. Brown hot another tough shot for the visitors, but Nelson scored twice more, including a monster fastbreak dunk to make it 15-11 after 10 minutes.

Back-to-back threes from Brown and Durmaz tied things at 17-17 in the second as the teams proceeded to trade leads, as Kyle Alexander scored twice for the visitors, his jumper making it 23-24. But Bourg replied with an 8-0 run fueled by Castaneda, before a basket from Usher and a triple from Salash helped open a 38-29 difference, the largest lead of the night. But a pair of jumpers from Brown in the final 6 seconds of the half made it 38-33 at the break.

Brown opened the third quarter with a triple, and Turk Telekom scored the first 8 points in the period, capped by a triple from Bess and 38-41. Kevin Kokila ended Bourg's drought, but the visitors stayed in front but Bourg slowly took the defense to another level, forcing a pair of 8-second clock violations. The hosts tied the score, but Brown beat the third-quarter buzzer with a runner to make it 47-49.

However, Benitez and Mehdy Ngouma, the latter with a steal and a fastbreak slam, put Bourg back in front. Bess scored on consecutive possessions to restore the visitors' lead, but Courby's three-pointer, his only three-point attempt of the night, made it 55-53, and Bourg never trailed again. A layup from Nelson and a basket from Benitez made it 61-55, forcing a visiting timeout. Brown hit a jumper, but Salash made a hook shot, and short jumper from Benitez made it 65-59 with 1:06 left. After another defensive stand from Bourg, there was no coming back for the visitors.

Bourg fights off Turk Telekom, 67-63, to remain perfect

Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv led by double figures for most of the second half in recording a convincing 79-66 victory over previously unbeaten Dreamland Gran Canaria at Samokov Arena in southwestern Bulgaria on Tuesday.

Hapoel pushes past Gran Canaria, 79-66, for third win in a row

Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv led by double figures for most of the second half in recording a convincing 79-66 victory over previously unbeaten Dreamland Gran Canaria at Samokov Arena in southwestern Bulgaria on Tuesday. The result left both teams with 3-1 records atop Group A.

Patrick Beverley led a balanced Hapoel attack with 15 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 steals. Tomer Ginat scored 14 for the winners, Ish Wainwright had 12 and Bruno Caboclo 11. Caleb Homesley led Gran Canaria with 17 points and Nicolas Brussino added 12 of 4-of-6 three-point shooting. John Shurna collected 5 rebounds for Gran Canaria to move into sole possession of eighth place on the EuroCup’s career rebounding charts with 474.

Wainwright opened the scoring with a contested three-pointer for Hapoel and Andrew Albicy quickly matched him at the other end. Homesley gave Gran Canaria its first lead, 5-8, with a triple from the wing. Wainwright continued his strong start to the game with a layup that gave him 7 points and tied the score at 10-10 and then Beverley pushed Hapoel ahead from the free-throw line. After Carlos Alocen tied it for the visitors, Joe Ragland’s steal and layup made it 16-14 after 10 minutes.

Miquel Salvo briefly tied the score again before Caboclo scored 5 straight points. Despite a triple by Albicy, Hapoel looked to pull away and the margin grew to 27-19 on a Ragland layup, which prompted a timeout for the visitors. Brussino responded with a three, but Hapoel remained in control. Caboclo set a double-digit advantage with free throws and Brussino connected from deep to make it 37-29 at the halftime break.

Brussino picked up where he left off in the second quarter with a three-pointer just 14 seconds into the second half and George Conditt’s layup got Gran Canaria within 3. Ginat’s three-point play gave Hapoel more breathing room and soon after he connected from deep to make it 45-36. Marcus Foster added a three and Beverley shined with a steal and a jumper to cap a 12-2 run. Brussino ended Gran Canaria’s drought with another triple, but Hapoel continued to roll with the lead climbing to 18. Gran Canaria scored the last 5 points of the quarter after Johnathan Motley committed an unsportsmanlike foul on Albicy, and Conditt beat the buzzer to get within 61-48.

Bar Timor got Hapoel back on track with a three-pointer and Caboclo’s jumper extended the lead to 18. Gran Canaria continued to push and made Hapoel work hard, but Beverley and Foster made sure the lead remained comfortable in Hapoel’s hands until the final buzzer.

Patrick Beverley filled the stat sheet once again for the winners

Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv v Dreamland Gran Canaria (2024-10-15T17:00:00.000Z)

Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana returned to winning ways in Group B by downing 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys 76-72 at Stozice Arena in the Slovenian capital on Wednesday. Cedevita improved to 3-1 in the standings after leading from start to finish. Lietkabelis dropped to 0-4. 

Devin Robinson led the winners with 17 points. Jaka Blazic added 14 while Devante Jones and DJ Stewart had 10 for Cedevita. Mantas Rubstavicius paced Lietkabelis with 13 points. Andrija Stipanovic scored 13 and Marko Pecarski 12 and Oleksandr Kovliar each netted 12 for the visitors. Pecarski also collected 10 rebounds for a double-double.

Martynas Geben got Cedevita going with a jumper which Blazic followed with a three-point play for a 5-0 lead. Stewart bettered Gabrielius Maldunas's jump hook with a bomb from downtown. Pecarski and Stipanovic each scored down low to keep Lietkabelis within 9-6. Jones scored in transition and got help from Blazic to restore a 13-6 Cedevita lead. Grantas Vasiliauskas stepped up with an alley-oop layup, Rok Radovic answered from beyond the arc and Stipanovic brought the visitors within 16-10. Jones's driving layup fixed the score at 18-10 after 10 minutes.

Robinson stopped the show with a windmill dunk early in the second quarter. Radovic followed that with a second-chance layup that caused Lietkabelis to call a timeout at 22-10. Robinson ignited the crowd once again with a huge alley-oop slam, capping an 8-0 Cedevita run. Maldunas and Radovic traded layups, then Dovis Bickauskis's put-back basket brought the visitors within 26-14. Robinson fed Jones for a floater and buried a three-pointer that broke the game open, 31-14. Blazic sank a corner triple and got help from Nikolic and Stewart to boost the hosts' lead to 43-23 at halftime.

Kovliar tried to ignite a Lietkabelis comeback with back-to-back layups. Robinson hit a three-pointer and Rubstavicius followed Georgios Kalaitzakis's layup with a bomb from downtown, Lietkabelis's first after 33 consecutive misses in the last three games combined. Pecarski also struck from beyond the arc and Rubstavicius's second triple made It a single-digit game, 47-38. Geben and Bickauskis each joined the three-point shootout, then Stipanovic got Lietkabelis even closer, 50-44. Jones stepped up with a floater and a driving layup, then Blazic struck from downtown to keep Cedevita in control at 60-51 after 30 minutes.

Bickauskis banked in a scoop shot early in the fourth quarter. Derek Ogbeide dunked, Martynas Varnas scored in penetration and Robinson's fadeaway jumper set a 66-56 Cedevita lead. Geben buried a three-pointer and found Robinson for a high-flying reverse layup. Geben went on to block a shot that allowed Robinson to score at the other end for a 71-58 Cedevita lead. Pecarski and Kovliar brought Lietkabelis within 75-68 already in the final minutes, causing Cedevita to call timeout with 22.8 seconds left. Stipanovic scored twice in the paint and then Stewart and Ziga Daneu sealed the outcome from the foul line.

Robinson leads Cedevita to third win, 76-72

In a clash of two previously winless teams in Group B, the visiting U-BT Cluj-Napoca beat Veolia Hamburg Towers 67-103 on Tuesday night. Cluj improved to 1-3 in the group, while Hamburg registered its fourth loss in as many games this season.

Cluj thrashes Hamburg on the road, 67-103

In a clash of two previously winless teams in Group B, visiting U-BT Cluj-Napoca beat Veolia Hamburg Towers 67-103 on Tuesday night. Cluj improved to 1-3 in the group, while Hamburg registered its fourth loss in as many games this season.

Cluj had control from the start, and trailed just once, for one possession in the first quarter. The visitors pulled away with couple of big second-quarter runs to build a 20-point halftime lead, and never looked back. 

Zavier Simpson paced the winners with 28 points and 8 assists. Adam Mokoka had 13 points, Sasu Salin netted 12, De'Shawn Stephens collected 11 points and 9 rebounds and DJ Seeley had 10 points for Cluj. Jordan Barnett scored 15 points, Brae Ivey had 13 and Osaro Rich 10 points in defeat.

Cluj had the better start, scoring the first 6 points, but Ivey and Osaro, who each made a three-pointer, got Hamburg going, and the hosts took a 12-11 lead. But Stephens sparked a 0-6 run that helped the visitors restore their lead, which stood at 16-19 after 10 minutes. 

Adam Mokoka scored 5 points early in the second for the visitors, and his three-point play started Cluj's surge. Mokoka and Stephens led the charge, and Seeley's corner triple opened a 24-36 lead. That triple also fueled a 3-16 run, as Cluj finished the half with 3 consecutive three-pointers, 2 from Sasu Salin and 1 from Simpson that made it 27-47 at halftime.

The teams traded baskets to start the third quarter and an Ivey to Barnett alley-oop helped cut the margin to 37-53. But Seeley answered with a triple that fueled a 9-0 run, which Salin capped with a three-pointer. The visitors continued adding points, and Simpson's three-pointer made it 43-70. 

Cluj scored the final 6 points of the third, to break the 30-point barrier, and the first basket of the fourth to open a 48-83 lead. The visitors never let down in the fourth and led by as many as 40 points, 57-97, in cruising to a huge win.

Zavier Simpson stuffed the stats sheet in another strong effort for the winners

JL Bourg-en-Bresse head coach Frederic Fauthoux is a firm believer in the team over an individual, with the French play-caller hoping to return to the EuroCup Finals with his squad this season.

Frederic Fauthoux wants a ‘collective-first’ mentality for Bourg-en-Bresse

If anybody had predicted [Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/carousels/cosea-jl-bourg-en-bresse/?q=%7B%22articleId%22%3A%22%22%2C%22categoryId%22%3A%22%22%2C%22linkedId%22%3A%7B%22sourceSystem%22%3A%22FS_BASKETBALL_TEAM%22%2C%22sourceSystemId%22%3A%22bou%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22%22%7D%7D&carouselTitle=Cosea%20JL%20Bourg-en-Bresse) to go on and reach last year’s BKT EuroCup Finals, they would have been met by a number of surprised faces. Bourg? Really?

Sure, the red-and-white French side had some interesting notes on its side: [Zaccharie Risacher](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/zaccharie-risacher/010718/)’s projected standout season before heading to the NBA, another season on board for coach Frederic Fauthoux, and tons of talent on the roster.

But even after its 4-2 start through the first six rounds, Bourg still didn’t receive a lot of consideration. However, following a road loss against 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys, it went on a 7-0 run which included beating the reigning competition champion, Dreamland Gran Canaria.

The team’s trajectory brought Bourg all the way to the all-French ultimate best-of-three showdown against Paris Basketball, where Regular Season and Finals MVP [TJ Shorts](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/tj-shorts/012608/) took over.

One question arises as it stands on top of Group B with the same record it had at this point last year: can Bourg contend once again for the EuroCup title despite eight significant roster changes?

Read more [HERE](https://www.eurohoops.net/en/trademarks/1728330/frederic-fauthoux-bourg-en-bresse-eurocup-france-national-team-interview/).

More Bourg News

The newly appointed France boss is hoping for another successful season with his club team