CB Gran Canaria has signed Tom Digbeu on a three-year deal, but he will spend the remainder of this season on loan at CB Menorca.

CB Gran Canaria lands prospect Tom Digbeu

Dreamland Gran Canaria has confirmed the signing of [Tom Digbeu](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/ngt/players/tom-digbeu/007573/) on a three-year deal, although the promising guard will spend the remainder of the 2023-24 season on loan at CB Menorca in the Spanish second division. Digbeu (1.96 meters, 22 years old), the son of former Turkish Airlines EuroLeague forward Alain Digbeu, most recently played for ASA in the French second tier, averaging 16.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.0 steal in 24 games. A graduate of FC Barcelona’s youth academy, the Spanish-French playmaker has also played for Maciunai-KKSC in the Lithuanian top division and the Brisbane Bullets in the NBL.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">🖊 OFICIAL | El Dreamland Gran Canaria se hace con los servicios de Tom Digbeu.<br><br>▪ El exterior español, que firma por tres temporadas, militará cedido en el Hestia Menorca de LEB Oro este curso.<br><br>👀 <a href="https://t.co/npNdWDr63G">https://t.co/npNdWDr63G</a> <a href="https://t.co/TXDyDGRIsX">pic.twitter.com/TXDyDGRIsX</a></p>&mdash; Dreamland Gran Canaria (@GranCanariaCB) <a href="https://twitter.com/GranCanariaCB/status/1727772708665020822?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 23, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

More Gran Canaria News

New Dreamland Gran Canaria signing Tom Digbeu (left) after being named in the 2018 ANGT Valencia Best 5 during his time as an FC Barcelona youth player.

The 22-year-old returns to Spain after a few years away.

Gran Canaria lands prospect Tom Digbeu

These five players – Regimantas Miniotas of Wolves Vilnius, Yoan Mkoundou of Buducnost VOLI Podgorica, Issuf Sanon of Prometey Slobozhanske, Vytenis Lipkevicus of Liektabelis Panevezys, and Roko Prkacin of Dreamland Gran Canaria – impressed enough to earn their place in the roll call after another intense week BKT EuroCup action.

Round 8 roll call: The name of their game was impact

### Miniotas had his first EuroCup double-double

As Wolves Vilnius got back to the winning ways with a fourth win in the last five games, forward Regimantas Miniotas was the unlikely leader in [a 71-84 triumph over Veolia Towers Hamburg](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/veolia-towers-hamburg-wolves-vilnius/U2023/72/). Miniotas, who averaged just 4.3 points and 2.3 boards before this game, posted 10 points by making 5 of 8 two-point shots and pulled down 12 rebounds, including 5 on the offensive end. The big man also dished 4 assists after combining for just 3 in his first six appearances. He finished with a 21 PIR, improving upon his previous best of 15.

Wolves Vilnius got back to the winning ways, with their fourth win in the last five games and Regimantas Miniotas was the unlikely leader in a 71-84 triumph over Veolia Towers Hamburg.

Miniotas had his first EuroCup double-double

### Makoundou powered Buducnost

High-flying big man Yoan Makoundou had an outstanding individual performance in leading Buducnost VOLI Podgorica to [a 98-96 overtime home victory over Dolomiti Energia Trento](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/buducnost-voli-podgorica-dolomiti-energia-trento/U2023/79/). He shined with a PIR of 33, a personal best in his eighth appearance in the competition. Makoundou, who made 4 of 5 two-pointers and 5 of 7 three-pointers without going to the foul line, also set new personal-highs in points (23), rebounds (8), assists (3) and blocks (3), helping Buducnost snap a four-game losing streak.

Yoan Makoundou had an outstanding individual performance in a winning effort, leading Buducnost VOLI Podgorica to a 98-96 overtime home victory over Dolomiti Energia Trento.

Yoan Makoundou's best plays vs. Trento

### Sanon came up big for Prometey

Point guard Issuf Sanon had by far his best game of the season in helping Prometey Slobozhanske to [an 89-82 win over Umana Reyer Venice](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/prometey-slobozhanske-umana-reyer-venice/U2023/71/). Prometey improved to 4-4 in Group A as Sanon made 3 of 4 two-point shots and 2 of 4 threes. Both of those triples came in the first 90 seconds of the fourth quarter, fueling a 10-2 run that opened up an 82-71 margin for Prometey. Apart from making those clutch shots, Sanon also tied personal bests with 5 rebounds and 2 steals. 

Issuf Sanon had by far his best game of the season in helping Prometey Slobozhanske to an 89-82 win over Umaan Reyer Venice.

Sanon came up big for Prometey

### Lipkevicius filled the stats sheet

Liektabelis Panevezys registered its third consecutive win [by holding off Slask Wroclaw 71-75](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/slask-wroclaw-7bet-lietkabelis-panevezys/U2023/77/). Veteran forward Vytenis Lipkevicus was all over the place for Lietkabelis. He filled the stats sheet, posting a career high with 8 assists and tied his best with 4 steals. He scored 8 points, and also pulled down a team-high 9 rebounds. Lipkevicius finished the contest with a game-high 23 PIR as Lietkabelis improved to 4-4 on the season.

Liektabelis Panevezys registered its third consecutive win, holding off Slask Wroclaw 71-75 and forward Vytenis Lipkevicus was all over the place for Lietkabelis.

Lipkevicius filled the stats sheet in Round 8

### Prkacin shined for Gran Canaria

Dreamland Gran Canaria remained the only unbeaten team in the competition with [a 70-92 win at U-BT Cluj-Napoca](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/u-bt-cluj-napoca-dreamland-gran-canaria/U2023/78/) in which young gun Roko Prkacin had his best performance of the season. The rookie big man, just a few days shy of his 21st birthday, had his first double-digit scoring game, finishing with 12 points by shooting 4-for-6 from two-point range and 4-for-4 from the foul line. Prkacin played a team-high 25:44 minutes and used it to collect 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals. Prkacin had a plus/minues of +22, the team's second-best of the night.

Dreamland Gran Canaria remained the only unbeaten team in the competition, and in a 70-92 win at U-BT Cluj-Napoca, young gun Roko Prkacin had his best performance of the season.

Prkacin shined for Gran Canaria

These five players impressed enough to earn their place in the roll call after another intense week BKT EuroCup action.

Aris Midea Thessaloniki v ratiopharm Ulm (2023-11-22T18:00:00.000Z)

Buducnost VOLI Podgorica v Dolomiti Energia Trento (2023-11-21T18:00:00.000Z)

U-BT Cluj-Napoca v Dreamland Gran Canaria (2023-11-21T17:00:00.000Z)

Slask Wroclaw v 7bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys (2023-11-22T17:00:00.000Z)

Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse v Turk Telekom Ankara (2023-11-21T18:30:00.000Z)

Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv v Joventut Badalona (2023-11-22T18:00:00.000Z)

Paris Basketball v Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul (2023-11-21T20:00:00.000Z)

London Lions v Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (2023-11-22T19:30:00.000Z)

Veolia Towers Hamburg v Wolves Vilnius (2023-11-21T18:30:00.000Z)

Prometey Slobozhanske v Umana Reyer Venice (2023-11-22T17:00:00.000Z)

Xavier Munford made sure that Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv's two-game slide would end on Wednesday as he erupted for a monster performance to earn MVP honor for Round 8. Munford scored 31 points, grabbed 3 rebounds, dished 5 assists and tallied 2 steals as Hapoel beat Joventut Badalona 103-99. The scoring guard made 5 of 7 two-pointers and 6 of 7 three-pointers in amassing a career-best performance index rating of 35, which led all players in Round 8.

Round 8 MVP: Xavier Munford, Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv

[Xavier Munford](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/xavier-munford/007759/) made sure that [Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv's two-game slide would end on Wednesday](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/hapoel-shlomo-tel-aviv-joventut-badalona/U2023/75/) as he erupted for a monster performance to earn MVP honor for Round 8. Munford scored 31 points, grabbed 3 rebounds, dished 5 assists and tallied 2 steals as Hapoel beat Joventut Badalona 103-99. The scoring guard made 5 of 7 two-pointers and 6 of 7 three-pointers in amassing a career-best performance index rating of 35, which led all players in Round 8.

Xavier Munford made sure that Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv's two-game slide would end on Wednesday as he erupted for a monster performance to earn MVP honor for Round 8.

Xavier Munford | Round 8 MVP | 2023-24 BKT EuroCup

[Yoan Makoundou](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/yoan-makoundou/011935/) of Buducnost VOLI Podgorica had the second-highest PIR of the round in leading his team to [a 98-96 victory](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/buducnost-voli-podgorica-dolomiti-energia-trento/U2023/79/) over Dolomiti Energia Trento. Makoundou went for 23 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 blocks in just his eighth EuroCup game. He made 4 of 5 twos and 5 of 7 triples for a PIR of 33. 

Next on the list of Round 8 stars was Joventut's [Andres Feliz](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/andres-feliz/011247/), who had 24 points and 7 assists against Hapoel. He made 4 of 6 three-pointers in accruing a PIR of 32. [Matt Mitchell](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/matthew-mitchell/012622/) of Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul posted a PIR of 31 in [leading his team past Paris Basketball 63-68](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/paris-basketball-besiktas-emlakjet-istanbul/U2023/74/). Mitchell posted 16 points and 10 rebounds. Rounding out the weekly top five was the London Lions' [Gabe Olaseni](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/gabe-olaseni/006600/). The center had 19 points, 12 rebounds and 5 assists for a PIR of 30 in [a 101-95 victory](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/london-lions-cedevita-olimpija-ljubljana/U2023/73/) over Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana. 

Here are the leaders in the main statistical categories for Round 7 of the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season. 

Round 7, individual highs: Gediminas Orelik, Lietkabelis, 31 points

[Points](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/stats/expanded/?size=1000&viewType=traditional&seasonCode=U2023&statisticMode=perGame&seasonMode=Single&sortDirection=descending&statistic=score)

Round 8 MVP Xavier Munford of Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv was also the top scorer for the week with 31 points in a victory over Joventut Badalona. Rasheed Sulaimon of Wolves Vilnius, who did not play this week, remains the competition's top scorer with 20.2 points per game.

[Rebounds](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/stats/expanded/?size=1000&viewType=traditional&seasonCode=U2023&statisticMode=perGame&seasonMode=Single&sortDirection=descending&statistic=totalRebounds)

Gabe Olaseni of London Lions and Regimantas Miniotas of Wolves Vilnius shared the top spot on the rebounding charts with 12 boards apiece. Trevion Williams of ratiopharm Ulm leads the EuroCup in rebounding by a whopping 2 per game with an average of 10.9.

[Assists](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/stats/expanded/?size=1000&viewType=traditional&seasonCode=U2023&statisticMode=perGame&seasonMode=Single&sortDirection=descending&statistic=assistances)

Juan Nunez of Ulm and Klemen Prepelic of Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana were the top assist-men in Round 8 with 10 assists apiece. Prepelic ranks first overall with 9.6 dimes per game.

[Steals](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/stats/expanded/?size=1000&viewType=traditional&seasonCode=U2023&statisticMode=perGame&seasonMode=Single&sortDirection=descending&statistic=steals)

Andrew Albicy of Dreamland Gran Canaria and Vytenis Lipkevicius of 7bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys each collected 4 steals in Round 8, which led all players. Albicy moved into a tie with Isiaha Mike of Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse for the competition lead with 2.4 steals per game.

[Blocks](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/stats/expanded/?size=1000&viewType=traditional&seasonCode=U2023&statisticMode=perGame&seasonMode=Single&sortDirection=descending&statistic=blocksFavour)

The weekly blocked shots chart features Paul Biligha of Dolomiti Energia Trento and Yoan Makoundou of Buducnost VOLI Podgorica at the top with 3 rejections apiece. Biligha is now the competition leader with 2.2 blocks per game.

[Double-doubles](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/stats/expanded/?size=1000&viewType=miscellaneous&seasonCode=U2023&statisticMode=accumulated&seasonMode=Single&sortDirection=descending&statistic=doubleDoubles)

Six players had a double-double in Round 8. Two did so with assists; they were (23 points, 10 assists) and Nunez (14 points, 10 assists). The four who did so with rebounds were Steven Enoch of Turk Telekom Ankara (19 points, 10 rebounds), Miniotas (10 points, 12 rebounds), Matt Mitchell of Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul (16 points, 10 rebounds) and Olaseni (19 points, 12 assists).

Here are the leaders in the main statistical categories for Round 8 of the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season. 

Round 8, individual highs: Gabe Olaseni, London, 12 rebounds

Coach Danny Franco's men flashed their offensive credentials to outlast Joventut. 

Hapoel avenged quarterfinal loss in first game at new 'home' in Belgrade

After playing its last four BKT EuroCup games away from home, [Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv hosted Joventut Badalona on Wednesday](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/hapoel-shlomo-tel-aviv-joventut-badalona/U2023/75/) at Aleksandar Nikolic Hall – its temporary home due to security concerns amid the ongoing armed conflict in Israel. In front of a few Hapoel fans, the team sought to bounce back after losing its last two duels against Paris Basketball and Prometey Slobozhanske and managed to do so by beating the Spanish side 103-99. Head coach Danny Franco’s men had some extra motivation ahead of Wednesday’s duel, as Joventut beat them 82-74 in Badalona in last season’s EuroCup Quarterfinals.

That was the two teams’ only meeting in the competition ahead of the Round 8 game in Belgrade. Their second clash was destined to be an offensive showdown that featured a Hapoel side that had the best PIR (117.5), finest attack (97.0 ppg.) and most assists (24.5 apg.) in the competition heading into Wednesday’s encounter. This was Hapoel’s third three-digit scoring affair in 2023-24 and for yet another game, its shooting percentages were eye-catching.

### Hapoel was firing on all cylinders 

Hapoel came into the game as the team with the best three-point (44.8%) and third-best two-point (58.5%) figures in the competition. Against Joventut, it recorded a whopping 26-for-36 shooting (72.2%) from inside the arc and 9-for-17 (52.9%) on triples. Most importantly, it withstood Joventut’s comeback attempt at the end of the fourth quarter to clinch an important win. The visitors tied the game at 95-95 with 1:28 remaining despite trailing for most of the duel. Yet, Hapoel made some crucial baskets to seal the win.

“First of all, I’m happy that we stuck together when Joventut came back,” Franco said in the post-game interview. “We had an issue of runs against us in the last couple of games. I’m happy for the win and the guys that made an effort and stuck together.”

On a night where Hapoel’s starters scored 91 of their team’s 103 points, Xavier Munford had a season-high in points (31) and a career-best in PIR (35), while Jaylen Hoard scored 18, with J’Covan Brown and Kyle Alexander recording 17 each. 

“It was a very important win for us coming after two tough weeks on the road,” Franco said at the post-game press conference. “This game was a mental game of guys playing out on the floor, trying to fight and not giving up against a good Joventut team. I’ll take this win and the stubbornness of the guys. Even when we made mistakes, we supported each other.”

Injury-hit Badalona attempt to remedy consecutive home losses on-the-road at direct rival Hapoel, also bidding to restore winning ways afer disappointments versus Prometey and Paris, despite being loaded with a potent attack at 97.0 ppg - the second best in the competition.

Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv-Joventut Badalona | Round 8 Highlights | 2023-24 BKT EuroCup

What makes their achievement even more important is that the guests didn’t give up at any point and out-assisted 22-26 the league’s highest assist-contributors. 

Joventut saw four of its players producing outstanding performances and combined to score 82 of their team’s 99 points. Andres Feliz led his team with 24 points, Andrew Andrews netted 23, Deshaun Thomas 20 and Tyler Cook added 15 on his EuroCup debut.

### Promising debut for Cook

Cook joined the Spanish side to strengthen its frontcourt and he demonstrated from the off in his first game that he has what it takes to fill in for an injured Ante Tomic. The former NBAer made 5-of-9 two-pointers and 5-of-6 free throws. He also downed 5 rebounds and dished 3 assists in 29:26 on the floor. Joventut matched its all-time high of 16 triples made by going 16-for-30 (53.3%) from downtown and outrebounded the hosts 22-29, but didn’t manage to contain Hapoel’s stars.

The Spanish side will now look to bounce back and snap its three-game losing streak next Wednesday when it hosts Prometey Slobozhanske at Palau Olimpic De Badalona. Hapoel's upcoming game against Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul is a first-class opportunity to build some momentum and get a winning streak going.

EuroCup Fantasy Challenge offers weekly prizes to the top team manager, so get in the game and go for the gold!

EuroCup Fantasy Challenge: Round 8 winner

[EuroCup Fantasy Challenge](https://eurocupfantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/home) offers weekly prizes to the top team manager, so get in the game and go for the gold!

Congratulations to Istvan Csik, the Round 8 winner in EuroCup Fantasy Challenge! Istvan's team baskoman 3 posted a score of 243.9.

The team featured the following lineup: team captain Ondrej Balvin of Prometey Slobozhanske, Klemen Prepelic of Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana, Xavier Munford of Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv, Juan Nunez of ratiopharm Ulm and Donte Grantham of the London Lions; Andrejs Grazulis of Dolomiti Energia Trento as sixth man; Tre'Shawn Thurman of Wolves Vilnius; Donatas Sabeckis of 7bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys; Kevin Kokila of Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse and Jordi Rodriguez of Joventut Badalona as bench players; and Jaka Lakovic of Dreamland Gran Canaria as head coach.

His prize for finishing first in Round 8 is a free subscription to Euroleague TV for the 2023-24 season!

The overall leader after eight rounds is Demetrios Tsonis, whose Keravnos3 team is ahead of everyone with 1,465.0 fantasy points.

Trades are now open for Round 9. Remember, three trades are allowed before each round until the end of the regular season, and you can also trade your head coach.

Make new teams now or improve your existing ones and try to become EuroCup Fantasy Challenge's next winner!

Matt Morgan and Gabe Olaseni, as well as Conor Morgan late on, inspired the London Lions to a 101-95 win against KK Cedevita Olimpija in Round 8 of the 2023-24 EuroCup Regular Season.

Matt Morgan, Gabe Olaseni gave the London Lions crowd reason to cheer

There’s arguably no hotter team in Group A of the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup than the London Lions, who secured their third straight victory by [defeating Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana 101-95 at Copper Box Arena](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/news/london-lions-manage-to-hold-off-plucky-kk-cedevita-olimpija-101-95/) in Round 8 on Wednesday night.

Despite that, London has been one team on its home floor and another on the road, having gone 1-2 at Copper Box Arena heading into Round 8 and a perfect 4-0 on its travels. On Wednesday, though, Petar Bozic’s side made sure the home fans went home happy by ending a two-game losing streak at Copper Box and improving to a 6-2 overall record.

<center>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="pl" dir="ltr">EURO W 🦁🦁🦁<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeAreLondon?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeAreLondon</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RoadToGreatness?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RoadToGreatness</a> <a href="https://t.co/RY1UPlpS5Y">pic.twitter.com/RY1UPlpS5Y</a></p>&mdash; London Lions (@LondonLions) <a href="https://twitter.com/LondonLions/status/1727454083441733972?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 22, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### Gabe Olaseni made his presence felt

The star man on the night was local hero Gabe Olaseni, who was born just over three kilometers away from Copper Box, as he posted a 19-point, 12-rebound double-double, in addition to dishing 5 assists.

It was a very complete performance from the London big man, and with each passing week he is making a bigger and bigger case that he should be an All-EuroCup selection. Olaseni may have started off slow against Cedevita, which was without Karlo Matkovic, but he ended up causing all sorts of headaches for the visitors inside.

“I started off pretty bad, I think I missed four or five shots I’d usually make,” Olaseni admitted in the post-game flash interview. “But the coaching staff trusts me, my teammates trust me to continue to make plays. I’m happy we got the win, I’m happy I was able to affect the game in a positive way.”

Gabe Olaseni had 19 points, 12 rebounds and 5 assists as the London Lions beat Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana 101-95 in Round 8 of the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season.

Gabe Olaseni's highlights vs. Cedevita

### Matt Morgan continued to amaze

Another player who is making a strong case to be named to one of the All-EuroCup teams is guard Matt Morgan, who scored a game-high 24 points and also had 2 rebounds and 5 assists.

Both Olaseni and Morgan have been two of the standout players in the EuroCup this season and, with Sam Dekker having missed six games this season with an injury, including Wednesday night, they are a big reason why London finds itself in third place in the standings.

For Morgan, he had a very consistent rate of scoring on his way to those 24 points, netting 5 points in the first quarter, 6 in the second, 6 in the third and then 7 in the fourth. The speed at which he can get downhill makes him a very dangerous threat, and his incredible ability to make off-balance layups was again on show against Cedevita in Round 8. Morgan even earned himself 'MVP' chants while at the foul line in the closing stages.

In a first-ever meeting between the sides, fast-rising London aim for a third straight triumph as it entertains a forlorn Cedevita (0-7) collective still awaiting a maiden win in European competition for 23/24. Will this play to form with an English roar or is there to be respite at last for the Slovenians?

London Lions-Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana | Round 8 Highlights | 2023-24 BKT EuroCup

### A special mention for Conor Morgan

Conor Morgan tends to go under the radar whenever London comes up in discussion, but the five-year EuroCup veteran effectively put Wednesday night’s win on ice with some crucial plays. First, with 0:49 left in the fourth quarter, Morgan drained a three-pointer from the corner to give London a 5-point lead, 94-89. Then, with 0:42 remaining, he recovered from the weak side and rose up to perfectly block Shawn Jones’s dunk attempt.

Add in the fact that Morgan finished with 18 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and a further block and it makes for a very impressive night by London’s No. 9.

Next week, London travels to Lithuania to take on the 4-3 Wolves Vilnius, with that game will officially mark the halfway point in the season. Yet, with the Lions continuing to put wins on the board, there appears to be no stopping Coach Bozic’s squad at present.

More London Lions News

Matt Morgan of the London Lions scores against Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana in Round 8 of the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season.

The English side got back to winning ways at home after losing back-to-back games at Copper Box Arena.

SC Prometey has now won back-to-back games in the EuroCup for the first time this season after beating Reyer Venezia 89-82 in Round 8 on Wednesday evening.

SC Prometey is 'like a phoenix rising from the ashes'

If you look at the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup standings, Prometey Slobozhanske’s 4-4 record doesn’t exactly jump off the page. But, Ronen Ginzburg’s side is coming along nicely and [downed Umana Reyer Venice 89-82 in Round 8](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/news/sc-prometey-goes-up-a-gear-to-down-reyer-venezia-89-82/) as it chained back-to-back wins for the first time this season.

Last year was a bit of a fairy tale for Prometey as it reached the EuroCup Semifinals in its first year in the competition, but expectation levels are now higher for the displaced Ukrainian team, which plays its home games in Riga, Latvia.

### Mid-season changes

Frustratingly for Coach Ginzburg, one of his star additions in the summer – Arnoldas Kulboka – suffered a serious injury during training camp, which means that he will not feature at all this season. Then, two of the other notable signings, Marcus Keene and Rashard Kelly, have already parted ways with the club as Prometey looked to shake up its roster.

So, in short, things had not quite gone to plan for the 2022-23 semifinalist. However, since that decision to make changes to the roster, Prometey has gone 2-0 and appears to be on the way up again, with [mid-season addition Rob Gray](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/news/sc-prometey-seals-move-for-2020-21-eurocup-finals-mvp-rob-gray/) – the 2020-21 EuroCup Finals MVP – making his debut against Reyer on Wednesday evening.

### Leaning on what worked before

Yet, it was five players from last year’s team that helped Prometey get over the line in Round 8. Ondrej Balvin dominated inside with 15 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 block and 0 turnovers, while Caleb Agada, Issuf Sanon and Illia Sydorov had 12 points apiece. Oleksandr Lypovvy contributed 11 points, too. For Coach Ginzburg, it seems that he is tapping into what made the team tick during the previous campaign, which is something Balvin mentioned in his post-game flash interview.

“There’s no easy game \[in the EuroCup\],” said Balvin. “We’ve got to fight because, of course, we want to represent our club in the best way possible. The mentality that we have, with all the tough situations we’ve had, it seems like we are – I hope, I hope – like a phoenix rising from the ashes.”

After scoring 93 and 95 to earn consecutive victories, Reyer target three from three when travelling to a Prometey group that could hand a debut to exciting new signing Rob Gray, the 2021 EuroCup Finals MVP. This showdown is to break a tie between the teams as they share an equal record thus far.

Prometey Slobozhanske-Umana Reyer Venice | Round 8 Highlights | 2023-24 BKT EuroCup

It seems poignant that Balvin, Agada, Sanon, Sydorov and Lypovvy were the ones who stepped up most against Reyer, as this group knows exactly what it takes to reach the EuroCup Semifinals.

Ronald March, the leading scorer in the French League last year at 21.4 points per game, has blown hot and cold since joining the Ukrainian club in the summer, and the same goes for Tai Odiase, who remained in the EuroCup by switching Germani Brescia for Prometey. Then, in the case of Gray, he had 7 points on his debut in Round 8, so he will be hoping to find his feet in Coach Ginzburg’s offense as soon as possible, too.

“In the second half we shared the ball, we were more active on defense, but we need to play \[like that\] the whole game,” commented Coach Ginzburg afterward. “We started like last time, a little bit flat on defense.”

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### Reason for optimism at Prometey

The good news for Prometey and its Israeli head coach is that more recruitments could be on the way. One of the notable scenes from after the win against Reyer was the image of Gian Clavell, last year’s star guard, joining his teammates on the court in a Prometey tracksuit. Perhaps his return to the club is just a matter of days away.

“I believe that we will have some new players,” Ginzburg responded when asked about any possible signings. “We need to be stronger if we want to compete at the highest level.”

With Prometey finding its groove and starting to make some noise in the EuroCup once again, adding a player like Clavell who already knows the offense will go a long way. We are just eight rounds into the regular season, but Prometey is a team to look out for from here on out.

More Prometey News

Illia Sydorov of Prometey Slobozhanske has possession against Umana Reyer Venice in Round 8 of the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season.

After a slow start to the campaign, Ronen Ginzburg’s squad is starting to hit top speed.

Prometey is 'like a phoenix rising from the ashes'

The London Lions came out on top in a battle with KK Cedevita Olimpija, winning 101-95 at Copper Box Arena in Round 8 of the EuroCup to improve to 6-2, while the visitors fell to 0-8.

London Lions manage to hold off plucky KK Cedevita Olimpija, 101-95

The London Lions managed to come out on top in a battle with Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana in Round 8 of the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season, winning 101-95 at Copper Box Arena. Petar Bozic’s squad improved to 6-2 following this triumph, while Simone Pianigiani’s men fell to 0-8, despite playing well on the night.

Matt Morgan led the way for London, scoring a game-high 24 points. Gabe Olaseni added a 19-point, 12-rebound double-double, while Conor Morgan had 18 points and Luke Nelson contributed 17. Crucially, one of Conor Morgan’s 2 blocks helped all but wrap up the victory. For Cedevita, Klemen Prepelic netted a team-high 23 points, with Justin Cobbs contributing 19, DJ Stewart 16 and Jaka Blazic 15.

Game News

### An equal first quarter

Buckets were hard to come by at first, with Matt Morgan’s mid-range jumper being the only make inside the opening 3 minutes, but after that the two teams began to find their groove. London kept going to Olaseni as the hosts looked to make the most of Cedevita missing Karlo Matkovic, but it was Conor Morgan and later Nelson who helped Coach Bozic’s stay ahead, 11-9. The introduction of Prepelic with 3:12 remaining offered another weapon in Cedevita’s offense, but Cobbs, Amadou Sow and Blazic were the ones who helped nudge the visitors ahead, 17-19. However, Nelson’s floater moved him to 7 first-quarter points – the joint most, along with Blazic – and made it 19-19 after 10 minutes.

 

### London weathered Cedevita’s storm

The second quarter got off to a great start for Cedevita, despite Nelson draining a triple to set a 22-19 scoreline, as a pair of three-pointers from Gregor Glas and Prepelic were followed by a reverse layup from Sow, 22-27. That was as far ahead as Cedevita would get, though, as Olaseni and Matt Morgan quickly hit back for London, 27-27. Not long after, another triple from Nelson regained the lead for London, 35-32, before Conor Morgan scored a corner three and Olaseni scored back-to-back baskets – first a dunk, then a layup – to make it a 10-point ballgame, 42-32. Stewart and Blazic tried fighting back for Cedevita, but London went into the halftime break with a 50-43 advantage.

Game Videos

### Cedevita refused to go away

As much as London tried to pull away from Cedevita, the visitors continued to fight back. In particular, after Matt Morgan went 2-for-2 from the line to make it 57-49 with 7:30 remaining in the quarter, Prepelic hit 3 threes to breathe life into Cedevita, 59-58. Then, Cobbs scored a layup to give Cedevita the lead, 59-60, but London fought back through Conor Morgan, Grantham and Matt Morgan, 67-62. Prepelic and Blazic kept impressing for the visitors, reducing the deficit to 69-68 and 71-70, respectively, but Josh Sharma completed his second alley-oop dunk in quick succession and then had a big block on Blazic as London led 73-70 after three quarters.

 

### The two Morgans saw London over the line

London may have led for the entire fourth quarter, but it was anything but easy. Cobbs helped give Cedevita a chance, twice making it a 4-point game, 76-72 and 82-78, before even cutting the gap to 86-84 with a layup with 3:08 left. Jordan Taylor then went 2-for-2 from the charity stripe, but Blazic’s triple made it a 1-point game, 88-87, forcing a London timeout. From there, Matt Morgan scored a layup and went 1-for-2 on free throws, 91-89, before Conor Morgan stepped up with a huge three-pointer from the corner, 94-89, and had an incredible block to stop Shawn Jones from scoring a dunk. The rest of the game was made up of London going to the line, with Matt Morgan going a perfect 4-for-4 inside the final minute, as Cedevita could not get close enough to cause a nervy finish inside Copper Box Arena.

Matt Morgan of the London Lions in action against Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana in Round 8 of the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season.

The hosts continue to impress in this season’s BKT EuroCup, while the visitors are still in search of their first win.