JL Bourg is proving itself to be one of the best defensive teams in this year's EuroCup, as it displayed against U-BT Cluj-Napoca in Round 2.

Bourg’s defensive pressure wreaked havoc early on against Cluj

The BKT EuroCup season is only two rounds old, but let this be a warning to Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse’s opponents: last year’s finalist will not make it easy for your playmakers and its defense will be hungry for turnovers.

Bourg forced U-BT Cluj-Napoca into 22 turnovers in putting together an 84-71 victory to improve to 2-0 on the young season. The French team snatched 19 steals, setting a new club record, eclipsing the 16 steals it had against 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys in Round 15 at home last season.

“I thought we fought hard. A win is a win. We’ll take it,” said Bourg’s Xavier Castaneda, who scored a team-high 18 points and had 2 steals.

Game Videos

Nine Bourg players picked up a steal, with Hugo Benitez, Joel Ayayi and Kevin Kokila all collecting three of them.

Bourg dominated the third quarter 26-10 and that momentum spilled over into the final period as Frederic Fauthoux’s team built a 74-46 lead. The French coach, however, watched his troops relax most of the rest of the game and allowed Cluj to get back within 11 points with a minute to go.

Even though the result was never in doubt, Fauthoux was not satisfied with his team’s showing.

“It’s a victory, but it’s not a good victory,” he said. “We played well for about 20 of the 40 minutes, but the last 5-6 minutes were not good. Of course, we are happy to win every time. But we must improve a lot when you look at the last six minutes.”

Game News

This was still the second straight game that Bourg’s defense wreaked havoc on its opponent’s offense. In the season-opening 80-100 Round 1 win at Veolia Towers Hamburg, Bourg forced 23 turnovers and turned them into 24 points off turnovers - compared to Hamburg’s 13 points off Bourg’s 12 turnovers.

Bourg ended up with 14 turnovers against Cluj but had only committed 4 turnovers through the first 30 minutes. Fauthoux’s team turned those miscues into 19 points and it really helped to get the easy points against Cluj as Bourg did struggle from long range, hitting only 27 percent on three-pointers. The French side buried 46 percent of its three-pointers against Hamburg.

Sure, it is early in the season and Fauthoux can correctly be concerned about his team’s lackluster 16-27 fourth quarter against Cluj. But the defensive pressure on the ball has certainly been working and getting points off turnovers. May future Bourg opponents be forewarned.

Coach Fauthoux's side put in another impressive display

Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse v U-BT Cluj-Napoca (2024-10-02T17:30:00.000Z)

Turk Telekom showed great fighting spirit as it beat Aris BC on the road.

Turk Telekom matched Aris’s fighting spirit to grab crucial road win

When Anthony Brown went 3 for 3 on buckets from inside the arc to take his tally to 9 points and extend Turk Telekom Ankara’s lead to 13-30 midway through the second quarter, a second thrashing in a row - after losing 95-74 at Umana Reyer Venice last week – looked increasingly possible for Aris Midea Thessaloniki.

Yet, Aris fought back in the second half, tightened its defense and took its first lead of the game thanks to two free throws from Eleftherios Bochoridis, who put the hosts 46-45 ahead in the closing stages of the third quarter.

In his pre-game interview on EuroLeague TV, head coach Erdem Can stressed that the key to a potential win would be Turk Telekom matching Aris’s “aggressiveness” on the court, and that’s precisely what the guests did in the closing quarter. The hosts had managed to turn the game around and fans in the stands were buzzing in their bid to push Aris in what could be a morale-boosting comeback victory in Thessaloniki, but Turk Telekom unlocked its potential on defense to clinch the victory.

“In the last quarter we came back with our defense, we played smart offensively and we closed the game with a win,” Can said in the post-game press conference.

After conceding 21 points and scoring just 11 in a poor third quarter, the Turkish side kept Aris to 16 points and netted 21 in the fourth to clinch a narrow victory.

“We were rushing a bit on offense, but when we got our composure, we knew what we wanted to do and figured it out,” Kyle Alexander, who recorded 12 points and 14 rebounds – including a career-high 10 offensive boards – admitted in the post-game interview on EuroLeague TV.

Ismet Akpinar and Anthony Brown played a crucial role offensively, scoring 7 and 5 points, respectively, in the last quarter. A James Banks bucket from inside got Aris within 59-60 with 2:16 left on the clock, but Akpinar and Brown sliced through a rigid Aris defense on two occasions in crunch time to net a couple of hard-fought layups and sealed the road victory.

Turk Telekom will host Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana in Round 3 next week, but it has already proven that its defense, which has conceded 66 and 63 points, respectively, in the first two games of the season, provides them with the confidence and energy they need to crash any opponent either at home or on the road.

Kyle Alexander was a monster on the glass, grabbing 10 offensive boards – the second most in EuroCup history

Aris Midea Thessaloniki v Turk Telekom Ankara (2024-10-02T17:00:00.000Z)

Dolomiti Energia Trento chalked up its first win of the season in the BKT EuroCup after guard Jordan Ford produced a masterclass second-half performance to lead the Italian side to an 84-78 home victory over Polish rival Trefl Sopot.

Ford scored 18 of his game-high 20 points in the second half as he shot the lights out of the battling visitors, who had engineered a 4-23 run in the third quarter which turned a 44-36 halftime deficit into a 48-59 lead on the back of ironclad defense.

Anthony Lamb netted 13 points for Trento and Quinn Ellis added 12, while Selom Mawuge scored 9 and Saliou Niang chipped in with 7 to go with 8 boards. At the other end, Jakub Schenk and Aaron Best amassed 16 points each for Trefl, Marcus Weathers racked up 15 and 8 rebounds while Tarik Phillip and Jaroslaw Zyskowski scored 11 points each.

Lamb scored 9 of Trento’s opening 11 points as the home side dominated the first quarter to clinch it 25-15, with Niang making his presence felt in the paint. Despite Ford being tightly marked by Trefl's backcourt, Trento was able to keep up the momentum in the second quarter, taking an eight-point lead into the locker room at halftime.

However, the hosts went ice-cold from the floor early in the third, shooting just 5 of 19 from deep at that stage which allowed Trefl, galvanized by Best and Weathers, to turn the game on its head.

Ford then turned on the heat as he found his range from downtown, allowing Trento to slash the deficit to 61-64 at the end of the third quarter before the Italian outfit forced the final twist in the fourth.

Trefl lost its lead for good after Ford nailed a triple to give the hosts a 72-70 edge and then buried another on to make it 78-72, forcing the visitors into submission after a rip-roaring contest.

The American guard’s heroics apart, Trento edged Trefl in rebounding (40-38) and assists (16-14), having made 10 of 28 shots from beyond the arc while Trefl went 8 of 22.

Led by the immaculate Jordan Ford, Trento ground out a hard-fought win after erasing an 11-point second half deficit 

Resilient Trento overpowers plucky Trefl in rollercoaster, 84-78

Dolomiti Energia Trento v Trefl Sopot (2024-10-02T18:00:00.000Z)

Valencia Basket showed why it is a contender to win the EuroCup with a dominant 105-78 win over the Hamburg Towers.

Valencia outlasts Hamburg in offensive exhibition, 105-78

Valencia Basket advanced to 2-0 by overcoming winless Veolia Towers Hamburg, 105-78, in a triumphant homecoming to La Fonteta for head coach Pedro Martinez.

Hamburg stayed close during a high-scoring first half, and initially hung in the game even after Valencia advanced into double-digit leads after the break. But Valencia finished the third quarter with a 17-2 run, taking control for good. Matt Costello excelled with 23 points on his Valencia home debut, while Stefan Jovic and Brancou Badio both scored 14, and Jean Montero had a double-double of 11 points and 11 assists. Billy Ivey led the way for Hamburg with 19 points, while Jaizec Lottie scored 14.

Nate Reuvers started the game by scoring under the basket and from long range, before Ivey netted twice to keep Hamburg close, 7-6. Semi Ojeleye added a coast-to-coast layup and one, but Ivey struck from deep and Lottie completed a 0-7 run for Hamburg’s first lead, 13-15. Lottie added a long-range strike, only for 5 points from Costello to force another lead change, 21-20. The fast scoring pace continued as Ethan Happ netted twice, but Hamburg responded with another Lottie triple, making it 30-29 after 10 minutes.

Patrick Heckmann sent Hamburg back ahead early in the second, but Ojeleye’s battling bucket and Badio’s triple reignited Valencia. Jovic and Jaime Pradilla completed a 9-0 run for a 39-31 advantage, before Ivey struck from deep for Hamburg’s first score in more than three minutes. Montero’s floater and Jovic’s triple kept Valencia ahead, and Costello’s triple made it 48-39. Keondre Kennedy deep strike and Lottie’s slashing layup made it closer, but Montero had the word of the first half with a layup to make it 52-44.

Costello opened the third quarter with a pair of triples, and Badio was also on target from deep, making it 63-51. Kuath scored twice to keeping Hamburg battling, and Ivey’s three-point play followed by Lottie’s reverse layup and Kennedy’s corner three pulled it back to 65-61. Benedikt Turudic completed a 0-10 run, but Montero’s steal and layup-and-one settled the host and Jovic’s fast-break score made it 73-63. Xabi Lopez-Arostegui’s three-point play and a dunk from Reuvers broke the game, giving Valencia an 82-65 lead after three quarters.

Costello and Josep Puerto widened the gap as Hamburg continued to run out of steam, and Badio poured in a trio of triples to keep the home team in cruise control, 97-69. With the outcome decided, the intensity understandably dropped before Valencia reached double figures with a put-back from Reuvers and a deep strike from Montero. Triples from Leif Moeller and Jordan Barnett made the scoreboard look a little better for Hamburg, but Valencia was more than comfortable.

The Spanish side showed why it is a contender to win the EuroCup

Valencia Basket v Veolia Towers Hamburg (2024-10-02T18:30:00.000Z)

JL Bourg-en-Bresse impressed during an 84-71 win over U-BT Cluj-Napoca in Round 2 of the 2024-25 EuroCup season.

Bourg rolls past Cluj, 84-71

Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse, last season’s BKT EuroCup finalist, improved to 2-0 with another strong showing as it downed U-BT Cluj-Napoca 84-71 at home in Group B. Bourg, which beat Veolia Towers Hamburg by 20 points on the road in Round 1, put the game away with a 26-10 third quarter and forced Cluj into 22 turnovers thanks to a club record 19 steals. 

Xavier Castaneda led Bourg with 18 points, Adrian Nelson scored 11 points and both Mehdy Ngouama and Kevin Koklia added 10 points in the win. Cluj is left asking questions with a 0-2 record in the group despite Sasu Salin scoring 18 points and Zach Hankins picking up 17 points.

After Bourg opened the game with the first five points, Salin drained two three-pointers for a 7-8 lead. The hosts shut down Cluj for more than 3 minutes to build a 15-8 cushion. De’Shawn Stephens got Cluj within two points only to see Bourg close the first quarter with the final 7 points for a 24-15 advantage after 10 minutes. 

Hankins stepped up for the guests early in the second quarter with two scores, an assist on a Kevin Hervey three-pointer and a blocked shot as Cluj tied the game 24-24. Bourg needed more than 3 minutes to finally score, but Cluj continued its push with triples by Mihai Maciuca and Salin for the 28-30 lead. Bourg regained control thanks to getting to the foul line with 7 free throws in an 11-2 run for a 39-32 lead. And the cushion was 42-36 at the break.

After a first half with 11 turnovers, Cluj committed three more turnovers and Castaneda scored 5 points in an 8-0 start to the second half and a 50-36 lead. Cluj couldn’t get on the scoreboard until after more than 2 minutes. Two straight baskets from Adrian Nelson increased the margin to 17 points - 59-42 - and the advantage just kept growing and was 68-46 after 30 minutes. 

Ngouama tallied the first six points of the fourth quarter as the lead grew to 74-46. Bourg essentially took its foot off the gas and Cluj made it a bit more respectable with a 0-12 run to pull within 74-58 with 5 minutes left. The guests managed to get within 11 points in the final minute, but the result was never in doubt. 

Frederic Fauthoux's men are looking very impressive once again in 2024-25

Dreamland Gran Canaria looked as though it was going to see itself home on the road at Buducnost VOLI Podgorica when it led 63-75 with five minutes to go in regulation, but a late resurgence by the hosts saw the game head to overtime. In the extra period, the 2023 BKT EuroCup champion secured an 86-89 triumph on a John Shurna corner three-pointer – his first points of the night. 

With this victory, Gran Canaria maintained its perfect start to the season, while Buducnost now has a 0-2 record.

Caleb Homesley was Gran Canaria’s star man through the first three quarters, netting 20 of his team’s 62 points, before finishing with a game-high 23. He was joined in double figures by Nicolas Brussino (11 points) and Miquel Salvo (10), while George Conditt wasn’t too far off a double-double after posting 8 points and 7 rebounds.

Rasheed Sulaimon led a balanced Buducnost offense which saw the American score 16 points, Juwan Morgan add 15, with 13 coming in the first half, Fletcher Magee and Kenan Kamenjas chip in with 12 apiece, and Andrija Slavkovic contribute 11 points.

The opening quarter quickly became a personal matchup between Morgan and Homesley, with the former scoring 11 points to the latter’s 10. Buducnost never trailed in the opening stanza and even held a 10-point lead (22-12) after a Morgan three, but Gran Canaria did fight but to reduce the deficit to 25-20 after the first 10 minutes.

Gran Canaria continued its momentum from the late stages of the first quarter into the second, netting seven straight points to take the lead (25-27). An inspired Buducnost refused to let that affect how it wanted to play, however, and the hosts went up by nine points (44-35) with 1:50 to go before halftime after a 7-0 run of its own. Brussino’s triple ensured it was 44-38 at the break.

Following an 18-9 Gran Canaria run, the visitors retook the lead (53-56) in the third quarter before building on that further. By the time the first 90 seconds of the first quarter were in the books, Gran Canaria was up 58-69 and in complete control, forcing a Buducnost timeout. The story was remaining the same when there were five minutes to go (63-75), so Buducnost once again stopped the game. This time, though, McGee’s heroics allowed the hosts to cut the gap, then Ferrell hit three free throws with two seconds left to make it 81-81 and force overtime.

The overtime period saw just five points scored in the first three and a half minutes, with all going the way of Gran Canaria, but a couple of free throws by Sulaimon and Kamenjas at least got Buducnost moving (83-86) entering the final 1:17 minutes. Ferrell caused a big roar from the crowd after hitting a three (86-86) with 41.3 seconds on the clock, but Shurna silenced the arena with a three-pointer from the corner (86-89) with 17.4 seconds left. Ferrell then missed two three-point shots in the final 12 seconds as Gran Canaria grabbed its second win of the campaign.

With his first points of the game, the Granca forward hit a timely three-pointer in the extra period

John Shurna the hero as Gran Canaria downs Buducnost in OT, 86-89

Buducnost VOLI Podgorica v Dreamland Gran Canaria (2024-10-02T17:00:00.000Z)

Turk Telekom maintained its 100% record in this season's EuroCup by beating the now 2-0 Aris BC on the road.

Turk Telekom hangs on to edge Aris on the road, 63-68

Turk Telekom Ankara recorded its second victory in the 2024-25 BKT EuroCup season by defeating Aris Midea Thessaloniki 63-68 at the Palais De Sports on Wednesday. The visitors bounced back thanks to their rigid defense after the break, despite trailing by 17 in the second quarter, as they turned the game around. Ismet Akpinar and Anthony Brown were clinical for Turk Telekom in the closing stages to clinch the win. The visitors improved to a 2-0 record, while Aris dropped to 0-2.

Brown led all scorers with 17 points and Vasilis Charalampopoulos added 15. Kyle Alexander paired his 12 points with 14 rebounds, with 10 – the second most all-time – coming on the offensive end. Akpinar also recorded 13 points, 7 of which were scored in the last quarter. Joshua Roberts paced Aris with 14 points off the bench, Landers Nolley had 13 and David DeJulius added 12 for the hosts.

Turk Telekom hit the ground running and took an early 4-8 lead thanks to three free throws from Vasilis Charalampopoulos, a Brown bucket and a triple from former Aris guard Hanlan. Then, Max Heidegger opened his account from deep, Alexander hit a couple of free throws and Akpinar drilled a corner triple to extend Turk Telekom’s lead to 7-16. Two straight baskets from Roberts were followed by another Akpinar three-pointer before Alexander netted a hard-fought bucket inside and the guests secured a 13-21 cushion heading into the second quarter.

Turk Telekom engineered a 0-9 run courtesy of 7 points from Brown and an Alexander basket, but Aris ended its six-minute scoring drought with a Roberts slam, closing the gap to 15-30. What followed was an exchange of blows from inside, with the hosts bringing themselves within 26-36 at the break.

Charalampopoulos and Nolley traded triples to start the second half before Aris went on a 7-0 run inspired by the latter and Vassilis Toliopoulos, who sank his first triple of the night to get the fans off their seats and cut the difference to 39-41 midway through the third quarter. Both defenses tightened up from that point on, with the two teams scoring a combined 6 points in the next 4 minutes before Eleftherios Bochoridis drew an unsportsmanlike foul and made 2 of 2 from the line to put Aris ahead for the first time, 46-45.

A Brown fadeaway jumper tied the game at 47-47 heading into the fourth quarter and a Charalampopoulos corner triple put Turk Telekom back in front, 49-50. Brown netted a tough bucket before setting up Akpinar for a triple, but Toliopoulos responded from beyond the arc to tie it at 55-55. A Hanlan step-back triple was followed by a James Banks bucket from inside to trim Turk Telekom’s deficit to 59-60 heading into crunch time. But Akpinar and Brown nailed one layup each to give their team a five-point cushion, one which they maintained until the final whistle.

The Turkish side remains unbeaten this season, whereas Aris is still looking for its first win

Check out what the protagonists are saying ahead of the second week of action in the BKT EuroCup.

Round 2: Pre-game quotes and injury reports

## Wednesday's games

### Aris Midea Thessaloniki vs. Turk Telekom Ankara

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

"It's our first official home game. Nothing has changed in our approach. We're playing in front of our fans for the first time, and we are very excited. Our motivation must always be high, especially when facing such a strong team like Turk Telekom. So, in order to be competitive, we need to stay fully focused for the full 40 minutes. We have to try to extend our good  periods during the game so that, with the support of our fans, we can fight for a positive result."

**James Banks, Aris Midea Thessaloniki center**

"We know that Turk Telekom is a very strong team. It will be a very tough game, but we want to win it. We know that we can improve in certain areas, and each of us can become better. We know which parts of the game we are good at and which need improvement. The coach has a specific plan for us that we need to follow. The key for tomorrow's game will be to play tough and take as many rebounds as we can. We must not allow them to score easy points and we need to play together on both defense and offense."

### Buducnost VOLI Podgorica vs. Dreamland Gran Canaria

**Andrej Zakelj, Buducnost VOLI Podgorica head coach**

"This is an important game for us, and I think we need to show a reaction after the first round. We showed it on Saturday \[in the ABA League\], so we need to keep it going. Gran Canaria is always a tough opponent, with good athleticism, aggressiveness, and strong individual players. So, we expect a difficult task ahead, along with some issues we are dealing with, but we have to grit our teeth and, with the support of our fans, try to win our first home game. Gran Canaria has kept the core of their team, especially Albicy, who is the engine of the team. They brought in Thomasson and Homesley at the two and three spots, who are really strong scorers. Under the basket, there's Tobey, whom we know from the region, and Conditt. We must not forget Shurna, a tricky, atypical player. They are an experienced team, but we have our own task to do, and we will do everything we can to win."

**Rasheed Sulaimon, Buducnost VOLI Podgorica guard**

Well, first of all, we've got to respond. I thought we did a great job of responding last game, but this is the next EuroCup game, so we have to respond again. It's another big-time team, but we have to protect our home court. I’m expecting a strong reaction from the team, good energy from the fans, and hopefully, we’ll get it done.

### Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse vs. U-BT Cluj-Napoca

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

"We want to launch the Eurocup season at home in the best way, we are focused and ready, it's up to us to impose our game."

**Xavier Castaneda, Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse guard**

"I am happy with the state of the team. We are focused on our upcoming opponent, Cluj who we know is a really good team. All Eurocup games involve great competitiveness and we have to be ready for Cluj tomorrow."

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

"We will play against the team that reached the finals last season. They are one of the favorites to win this group and even the BKT EuroCup. They play an aggressive type of basketball and they started this season very well. Unfortunately, we do not have the results we want so far, but we will try to play or chance. We will fight for a victory and we want to show better-quality basketball."

**Patrick Richard, U-BT Cluj-Napoca guard**

"We are ready to get back on the floor. We dropped the first two games of the season, so we want to bounce back. We are going to a tough place to play and win, especially in the last years. We continue to build, continue to improve and get better. We are taking it one game at a time. We are eager to get back on the court and we want to get a win on the road."

### Dolomiti Energia Trento vs. Trefl Sopot

**Eigirdas Zukauskas, Dolomiti Energia Trento forward**

"We will play our first home game against Sopot and we hope that many fans will come to support us, even though it is a midweek game. Sopot is a quality team, as demonstrated by their excellent performance against Ulm, where they lost only in overtime. They have a deep roster, with players capable of playing under the basket and outside the 6.75 line, making their game very dangerous."

**Zan Tabak, Trefl Sopot head coach:**

“They played their first game at Gran Canaria and were really close to winning on a difficult court. We really expect them to play fast and aggressive. We have to be able to control the defensive transition. They are a dangerous team to play.”

**Aaron Best, Trefl Sopot guard:**

“Trento is a tough, very talented team. We are going to have our work cut out for ourselves. We’re going dive into the film and travel up there and get ready for the next challenge. We have to play our brand of basketball. Be physical and tough, dictate the tempo from the defensive end the best we can and try to stick to our game plan.”

**Injury report**: Trefl Sopot reports that all player are ready to play.

### Valencia Basket vs. Veolia Towers Hamburg

**Hamburg injury report:** Zsombor Maronka (ankle joint injury), Jared Grey (broken arm), Niklas Wimberg (broken leg).

## Tuesday's games

### 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys vs. Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem

**Yonatan Alon, Hapoel Jerusalem head coach:**

"We are coming in very focused. The way we played against Valencia is still on our minds and we don’t want to perform like that in the EuroCup. We will face a tough and determined opponent who knows us very well, but we are coming with the goal of getting the job done. We must be sharp and win all the 50-50 balls, especially in the rebounding aspect, and offensively, we need to get good shots."

**Noam Dovrat, Hapoel Jerusalem guard:**

"Last week’s loss is on our minds and we are determined to correct the impression. It won’t be easy against a talented team with a home-court atmosphere, but as long as we implement everything we learned from the last loss, I believe we can win and bring some comfort to our dear fans who are supporting us from afar."

### Bahcesehir College Istanbul vs. Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul

**Dejan Radonjic, Bahcesehir College Istanbul head coach:**

“It is going to be our first EuroCup game at home. Beşiktaş is a good team and they showed it in their first game against Buducnost at home. They are an aggressive team on both ends of the floor and we have to respond to their aggressiveness. It will be a tough game. We practiced well and we have to focus for all 40 minutes.”

**Jaleen Smith,** **Bahcesehir College Istanbul guard:**

“This game is going to be tough. Besiktas is an aggressive and tough team. We need to limit their transition plays and figure it out on the offensive end to get the win.”

### ratiopharm Ulm vs. Joventut Badalona

\--

### Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv vs. Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius

**Stefanos Dedas, Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv head coach:**

“Wolves is our first game at home in a competition that we want to do great things this season. It’s a difficult and crucial game. We want to react and show character after the first tough game in Badalona. So it’s an opportunity to win, gain confidence and continue working as a team. We are a new team with good players and winning this game is going to give us time to continue building and connecting the players and hopefully we will be able to give our fans a first win.”

**Bar Timor, Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv forward:** 

"We all know how important the next game is for our journey in the EuroCup and we want to show that we can play better as a team and win. We still have a long way to go this season and we will do everything we can on the court and hope the fans can be proud of us."

### Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana vs. Umana Reyer Venice

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

"We are going to Ljubljana to face Olimpia Ljubljana, which plays much better than what the results suggest. In Cluj-Napoca, they showed how well they can play and how serious and organized they are as a team. Both teams lost their last game and are approaching this challenge with only one day of rest, which is very difficult under these conditions. But it is what it is, and we will do our best. Olimpia has a new roster, with a lot of talent, and like us, they are trying to find the best chemistry."

**Mfiondu Kabengele, Umana Reyer Venice center:**

"To best prepare for the game against Ljubljana, we each need to be aware that we must do our jobs to the best of our abilities. I'm not just talking about made or missed shots, but about defense, rebounding, and off-ball work. In short, doing the things that help the team win, like supporting each other."

**Injury report:** Reyer's Xavier Munford will not play, while Juan Fernandez is a game-time decision.

Check out what the protagonists are saying ahead of the second week of action in the BKT EuroCup

Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv v Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius (2024-10-01T17:45:00.000Z)

ratiopharm Ulm v Joventut Badalona (2024-10-01T17:00:00.000Z)

Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana v Umana Reyer Venice (2024-10-01T18:00:00.000Z)

7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys v Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem (2024-10-01T16:00:00.000Z)

Bahcesehir College Istanbul v Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul (2024-10-01T16:00:00.000Z)

Bahcesehir College Istanbul is making plenty of noise in the 2024-25 EuroCup after winning its first two games, including a dominant win in the Istanbul derby against Besiktas.

Bahcesehir means business in this year's EuroCup

Bahcesehir College Istanbul has made a flying start to the 2024-25 BKT EuroCup season as it [steamrolled to an 87-66 home win over its archrival Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/bahcesehir-blows-away-besiktas-in-istanbul-derby-87-66/) in Round 2, which came after its opening 69-80 victory at Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius.

The impressive start will surely get the club’s fans dreaming of glory as Bahcesehir returned to the EuroCup for the first time in four seasons. On Tuesday, its effervescent performance saw last season’s semifinalist Besiktas get picked apart at Sinan Erdem Dome.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tr" dir="ltr">📸 Galibiyetle ayrıldığımız Beşiktaş Fibabanka maçından kareler<br><br>❤️💙 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FlyHighTogether?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FlyHighTogether</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroCup?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@eurocup</a> <a href="https://t.co/qAdicnKsIC">pic.twitter.com/qAdicnKsIC</a></p>&mdash; Bahçeşehir Koleji Spor Kulübü (@BKBasketbol) <a href="https://twitter.com/BKBasketbol/status/1841192809350537547?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The visitors were unable to keep up with Bahcesehir’s torrid pace from start to finish, as the hosts thoroughly outplayed their rivals in every department. Most of all in the paint, where an athletic Bahcesehir outfit grabbed 33 boards to 22 collected by Besiktas.

The home team was also clinical from downtown as it made 6-of-10 three-pointers, forcing low percentages from Besiktas which made 10 of 27. The visitors also struggled from inside, hitting a mere 13-of-27 shots against a steely Bahcesehir defense marshalled by former Besiktas forward [Marko Simonovic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/marko-simonovic/012711/).

The 24-year-old Montenegrin resembled a wall in his own paint in the opening three quarters and then took off in the fourth to haunt Besiktas offensively, scoring 12 of a team-high 14 points in the final 10 minutes.

Boasting several high-profile new recruits added to the roster during the offseason, Bahcesehir look well balanced and structured with the likes of [Jaleen Smith](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/jaleen-smith/011192/) and [Mateusz Ponitka](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/mateusz-ponitka/004172/) adding steel and experience acquired during their time in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, most recently at Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade.

Smith dismantled Besiktas with a flawless first-half performance in which he racked up 12 points and 4 assists, while Ponitka’s tireless work at both ends of the court made sure Bahcesehir kept going at full throttle right until the end, having led by as many as 27 points (81-54) in the closing stages.

Simonovic’s energetic display, illustrated by 6-of-9 shooting from the floor to go with 5 boards and 2 blocks, personified Bahcesehir’s selfless approach which saw six players score double figures. The forward made it clear in no uncertain terms after the game that although he was elated to claim bragging rights over his former teammates, Bahcesehir would be ill-advised to get carried away.

“Besiktas is a really tough team, I know that because I was there last season,” Simonovic said in a courtside interview. “I want to congratulate my teammates and the coaching staff for this incredible win, which means a lot to me and to all of us.

“It’s just the beginning, we have to build on this and keep working hard in order to make forward progress. It’s our second win in a row and the first one at home, so we’ll be focused on our next game and keep this intensity.”

Bahcesehir head coach Dejan Radonjic echoed his compatriot’s words as he stressed that his players must keep their feet firmly on the ground.  “Congrats to my players for both the win and the performance,” he said. “We were outstanding at both ends but our defense was the key throughout the 40 minutes. We need to start thinking about the next practice session and the next game immediately.”

Expectably, Besiktas head coach Dusan Alimpijevic was unhappy with his team’s effort, which came as quite a shock to most fans and pundits after a smooth 94-76 home win over Buducnost VOLI Podgorica in Round 1. 

“Bachesehir absolutely deserved to win while we have to work on our mistakes because we did not leave a good impression with this kind of performance,” he said.

In Round 3, Bahcesehir faces a stern test of its newly found credentials with a visit to Dreamland Gran Caaria, the competition’s 2022-23 winner, while Besiktas has an equally tough task at home against Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv in another heavyweight clash.  

Bahcesehir College Istanbul's Tai Odiase looks to score against Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul in Round 2 of the 2024-25 BKT EuroCup season.

If the opening two rounds in the EuroCup are anything to go by, Bahcesehir has every chance of being the surprise package of the season