Aquila Basket Trento has now won three straight games in the EuroCup after beating Slask Wroclaw 75-84, with the speech of head coach Paolo Galbiati providing a boost to the players during the halftime break.

Coach Paolo Galbiati’s halftime speech inspired Trento to third straight win

Dolomiti Energia Trento started well against Slask Wroclaw on Wednesday night and took a narrow 16-19 lead into the second quarter. However, the Polish hosts reacted and outscored the visitors 23-17 to take a 39-36 edge into the second half.

Kendale McCullum had already scored 9 first-half points on his Slask debut in the BKT EuroCup, while Dusan Miletic had paired his 10 points with 7 rebounds. Everything indicated that the ‘new head coach bounce’ had worked its magic for Slask, as Jacek Winnicki was coaching his first game after replacing Oliver Vidin.

However, Trento has already proved this season that its players have a bounce-back mentality engraved in their hearts. The Italian side lost its first three games in the competition, meaning its losing run extended to 24 games, but it has been a very different team since then.

### Trento is on a roll

After [beating Slask 75-84 in Poland](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/news/trento-extends-winning-streak-by-beating-slask-75-84/), Trento is now on a three-game winning streak and has moved into the playoff places. On the road at Hala Orbita, Slask’s arena, Trento dug deep, changed its mindset at halftime and then proceeded to turn the game around in the second half.

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<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CzZjrkeM0NW/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CzZjrkeM0NW/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; 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overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CzZjrkeM0NW/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Aquila Basket Trento (@aquilabaskettrento)</a></p></div></blockquote> <script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>

What was the cause for Trento’s comeback? A speech from head coach Paolo Galbiati, who gave his players a boost in morale during the intermission.

“We feel good,” forward Davide Alviti said after the game. “It’s never easy to win on the road. They are a very good team. We struggled a little bit in the first half, but then after our coach’s speech in the locker room, we came back. I think we made too many turnovers. We have to work on \[this\]. But I think that in the end we played a solid game.”

Alviti was Trento’s most consistent performer on the night, finishing with 15 points after going 3-for-3 from inside the arc, 2-for-4 on triples and 3-for-4 from the free-throw line. He also paired his 5 rebounds with 3 assists and 2 steals for a team-high PIR of 25.

After winning two consecutive games for the first time in two years, Trento endeavour to bolster their postseason-push playoffs through rising star Quinn Ellis. Meanwhile, Slask remains at the foot of Group B but can take heart from a gutsy overtime loss at Ulm, where Lukasz Kolenda poured in 29 points.

Slask Wroclaw-Dolomiti Energia Trento | Round 6 Highlights | 2023-24 BKT EuroCup

### Two players helped see Trento over the line

However, the players who practically clinched Trento’s second road victory in a row were Prentiss Hubb and Kamar Baldwin, even though both of them struggled in the first half.

Hubb registered 3 turnovers and went 0-for-4 from downtown before the interval. He scored just 4 first-half points, yet he ended the contest with 15. Hubb sank some crucial baskets that inspired his team to a 0-12 run in the third quarter, before drilling a dagger three-pointer that gave Trento a 75-82 lead and effectively finished the game off with 00:44 left on the clock.

“We were not so brilliant, but this was because of Slask,” Coach Galbiati said during the post-game press conference. “They played well on defense to stop our flow and at the end of the game we were able to win it because of the talents of our players.”

As for Baldwin, the Trento guard scored just 3 points in the first half but finished the game with a team-high 17. Baldwin had 7 points 4 minutes into the fourth quarter, then he netted some crucial baskets to seal the victory.

A tough triple was followed by a layup in traffic and then a fade-away jumper, which made it 72-78 with less than 3 minutes remaining. Baldwin also made 3 free throws in crunch time to put the game to bed.

After disputing two games on the road, Trento returns to the Il T Quotidiano Arena, where it will face the 5-1 U-BT Cluj-Napoca next Wednesday. Given the way that Coach Galbiati has his team playing, you wouldn’t bet against Trento extending its winning streak to four games.

More Trento News

Dolomiti Energia Trento head coach Paolo Galbiati on the sidelines during a BKT EuroCup game.

Prentiss Hubb and Kamar Baldwin came up big for the Italian side after the break.

Coach Galbiati’s halftime speech inspired Trento to third straight win

Slask Wroclaw v Dolomiti Energia Trento (2023-11-08T19:00:00.000Z)

Paris Basketball showed why it is considered one of the leading contenders for the title as it shattered a number of club offensive records and came close to two all-time EuroCup marks. Paris put on an offensive display in defeating Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv 114-87 to remain undefeated in Group A and hand Hapoel its first loss of the season. 

Paris shatters multiple club records in win over Hapoel

Paris Basketball showed why it is considered one of the leading contenders for the title as it shattered a number of club offensive records and came close to two all-time EuroCup marks. Paris put on an offensive display in defeating Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv 114-87 to remain undefeated in Group A and hand Hapoel its first loss of the season.

“We won through our depth. We played 40 minutes with very good intensity. Everybody who stepped on the floor kept their foot on the gas. This was the biggest improvement,” said Paris coach Tuomas Iisalo.

Game News

Paris set new club records with 114 points scored as well as 19 three-pointers made, a performance index rating of 140 as well as committing only 3 turnovers and dishing out 28 assists.

“When we win, the team wins. Every individual player wins,” said Collin Malcolm, who paced five Paris scorers in double figures with a new career high of 23 points.

Malcolm made 4 of Paris’s 19 three-pointers, which were 4 more than its previous best of 15 from last season. The 19 triples were also just one shy of the all-time EuroCup record of 20, held jointly by UNICS Kazan in 2009-10 and ASVEL Villeurbanne in 2017-18.

Game Videos

Paris nearly evened another EuroCup record as the team committed just 3 turnovers - the final one coming with 36 seconds left in the game. The club’s previous low was 7 turnovers - accomplished twice this season. But the EuroCup record is just 2 turnovers by Zenit St Petersburg in 2015-16 against Nizhny Novgorod in the eighthfinals. It was the eighth time a club committed 3 turnovers in a game.

Paris’s 114 points eclipsed the previous club mark of 106 points earlier this season against London Lions. It was also the fourth time this season that Paris scored at least 105 points in a game.

The club’s 140 PIR against Hapoel also set a new club record - besting the previous high of 136 from Round 1 this season against Wolves Vilnius.

Part of that outstanding PIR was the efficiency on offense thanks to 28 assists - yet another club record. Paris’s previous best was 24 earlier this season against Wolves and it was the fourth time Paris has registered at least 21 assists this season.

The club from the French capital made new entries into its record books for points scored, three-pointers, assists and PIR.

Paris Basketball v Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv (2023-11-08T19:30:00.000Z)

Aris BC beat Buducnost VOLI 63-65 thanks to an important fourth-quarter contribution by Dimitris Katsivelis.

Katsivelis comes alive in the fourth quarter to lead Aris past Buducnost

Only a few people would have believed in an Aris Midea Thessaloniki road victory midway through the third period of [its game against Buducnost VOLI Podgorica](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/news/aris-shocks-buducnost-in-podgorica-63-65/) on Wednesday night. At that point, the home team ruled 29-13, having exploited the visitors’ woes on offense. Moreover, Aris still trailed by double digits, 51-41, after 25 minutes and entered the last period leading 56-51.

But, Aris showed an incredible poise and faith, relying on a zone defense that collapsed its opponent in the last quarter, giving up just 7 points and holding Buducnost scoreless for 6 minutes.

“We controlled \[the game\] for 35 minutes. But the last quarter was really bad in our offense, especially,” repented Buducnost head coach Petar Mijovic right after the game. “\[We played\] without ideas. Their matchup zone defense \[made us\] play without confidence, and that’s the reason we lost the game.”

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overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CzZeeY8MuQw/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by ARIS B.C. 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### Dimitris Katsivelis came to the fore

Once Aris felt comfortable on defense, it began to feel confident on offense. And then, an unsung hero showed up. Before the last period, Dimitris Katsivelis had been a non-factor for Aris, going scoreless on 0-of-4 from the field. But, once he found his moment, he became decisive.

Despite finishing with -1 PIR, Katsivelis’s contribution in the clutch moments was crucial. He scored for the first time with 6 minutes remaining to bring his team within 60-54. He fed Ismael Sanogo soon after and scored again from the free-throw line to reduce the gap to 60-57.

Dimitris Katsivelis appeared down the stretch to help Aris Midea Thessaloniki beat Buducnost VOLI Podgorica 63-65 in Round 6 of the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season.

Dimitris Katsivelis's big plays vs. Buducnost

A few moments later, right after Silvio de Sousa made it 60-59, Katsivelis emerged with two contested layups off the dribble that capped the comeback and granted the guests their first lead of the night, 60-63. What’s more, when Buducnost lost its chance to get back in charge in the last minute, Katsivelis sealed the outcome with a free throw with just 2 seconds remaining.

“We had to deal with a very difficult situation,” Ioannis Kastritis admitted in the post-game press conference. “But once again, the guys did a great job. Offensively and defensively, we played smart, focused, we sacrificed our body in every single possession and every 50:50 ball. I’m very proud of them.”

More Aris News

Dimitrios Katsivelis of Aris Midea Thessaloniki holds onto the ball under pressure from Colbey Ross of Buducnost VOLI Podgorica during their Round 6 clash in the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season.

The Greek team grabbed a crucial road win to improve to 3-3.

Buducnost VOLI Podgorica v Aris Midea Thessaloniki (2023-11-08T18:00:00.000Z)

London Lions roared to a brilliant 76-87 Group A victory at last season’s EuroCup semifinalist Joventut Badalona in Round 6 as Gabe Olaseni produced an effervescent performance for the visitors with 21 points and 9 rebounds. 

London Lions rip through Joventut on the road, 76-87

London Lions roared to a brilliant 76-87 Group A victory at last season’s EuroCup semifinalist Joventut Badalona in Round 6 as Gabe Olaseni produced an effervescent performance for the visitors with 21 points and 9 rebounds. A balanced Lions effort saw Matthew Morgan chip in with 15 points. Tarik Phillip added 13 points, 5 rebounds and as many assists, while Conor Morgan racked up 12 points and 8 boards for the visitors.

At the other end, Andrew Andrews paced Joventut with 20 points and 7 assists, Deshaun Thomas added 17 points and 8 rebounds, while Pep Busquets scored 10 points for the home team. The Lions improved to 4-2 in a fiercely competitive group while Joventus slipped to 3-3 amid a patchy start to its EuroCup campaign.

Joventut made a bright start and carved out a 28-20 lead in the first quarter thanks to free-flowing offense, having made 10 of 14 shots from two-point territory in the opening 10 minutes.  However, the home team’s firepower simply dried up in the second, as London turned the game on its head with a 17-4 run and never looked back.

The visitors led 36-44 at halftime as Olaseni dominated at both ends of the floor, having amassed 13 points and 5 rebounds by the interval. In contrast, Joventut shot a miserable 4 of 11 from two-point range and 0 of 6 from behind the three-point arc in the second quarter.

The home fans turned up the volume after the break in an effort to lift Joventut and Andrews carried the Spanish side with 9 third-quarter points, but the Lions stayed firm and maintained cruise control. The visitors led 55-64 ahead of the final 10 minutes, having had a 43-57 advantage late in the third quarter.

London engineered its biggest lead of the bight, 57-72, early in the fourth quarter but the home team refused to roll over, despite Andrews misfiring in the home straight. Aggressive full-court pressure from Joventut forced a few turnovers from the Lions, who were nevertheless out of sight after Donte Grantham netted in the paint and Olaseni sank a pair of free throws to make the score 68-80 in the closing stages.

Matt Morgan put the icing on the cake for the visitors with a long three-pointer in their final possession to delight his teammates and head coach Petar Bozic.

Big man Gabe Olaseni carried the Lions to an impressive win in Badalona.

Joventut Badalona v London Lions (2023-11-08T19:30:00.000Z)

Paris Basketball slowed down visiting Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv to register an impressive 114-87 blowout victory in the highly-anticipated battle of undefeated teams in Group A. 

Paris routs Hapoel in top Group A showdown 

Paris Basketball slowed down visiting Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv to register an impressive 114-87 blowout victory in the highly-anticipated battle of undefeated teams in Group A. Paris took control of the game with a 33-point second quarter and never looked back in moving to 6-0 while Hapoel suffered its first loss to drop to 4-1.

Collin Malcolm led the Paris attack with 23 points, Tyson Ward had 20 and TJ Shorts collected 15 points and 10 assists. Paris set club records with 114 points, 19 three-pointers and a performance index rating of 140. Jaylen Hoard tallied 20 points and Tomer Ginat added 15 points for Hapoel, which had been ranked first in scoring at 101.5 points per game but was missing All-EuroCup playmaker J’Covan Brown for the game.

### Fireworks on display early

The expected shootout showed straight away as the teams made their first 6 combined shots and converted on the first 7 possessions of the game with Hapoel leading 7-12 after less than 4 minutes. Bandja Sy stepped up for the hosts with 8 points - including back-to-back three-pointers - to pull within 15-16. Both teams missed a number of shots for a couple of minutes with Hapoel managing a bit more offense in building an 18-24 cushion, which was down to 21-24 after 10 minutes.

### Paris pulls away

Paris started the second quarter with good defense, creating 2 turnovers and a blocked shot in a 10-0 run to move ahead 31-24. Ginat finally scored for Hapoel after nearly 4 minutes only to have Mehdy Ngouama and Malcolm knock down triples at the other end for a 39-28 cushion. Paris big man Michael Kessens scored back-to-back baskets and the margin extended to 45-32. Malcolm added 6 more quick points and the advantage swelled to 51-34. Another Malcolm three-pointer had Paris up 54-36 and it was 54-39 at the break.

Paris’s offense continued to roll in the third quarter with Sebastian Herrera, Ward and Mikael Jantunen knocking down three-pointers for a 65-43 lead. Hapoel tried to get back into the game but could not come up with stops with Sy and Nadir Hifi draining triples. Hapoel seemed to have a faint glimmer of hope with three-pointers from Xavier Munford and John Holland to trim the deficit to 75-57. But it was 82-59 after 30 minutes.

### Hapoel's charge is pushed aside

After a Herrera three-pointer to start the final quarter, Hapoel tried to at least make the result more respectable with a Braian Angola three-pointer and 6 points from Hoard. But Paris just continued to score - 5 points from Hifi - and led 97-70 with 5 minutes left and it was just Paris refusing to be stopped.

In the clash between the only two undefeated sides in the group, Paris prevailed in style. 

Aquila Basket Trento defeated Śląsk Wrocław 75-84 to record its third straight win in the EuroCup.

Trento extends winning streak by beating Slask, 75-84

Dolomiti Energia Trento extended its winning streak to three games by defeating Slask Wroclaw 75-84 in Round 6 of the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season. The visitors outscored Slask 16-19 in the first quarter, but the hosts bounced back and took a 39-36 lead into the second half. Trento responded with a 0-12 run in the third quarter and managed to stay ahead until the final buzzer. The guests improved to 3-3, while Slask dropped to 0-6.

Kamar Baldwin scored some crucial buckets in the last quarter and paced Trento with 17 points and 5 assists. Davide Alviti and Prentiss Hubb added 15 points each, while Andrejs Grazulis paired his 13 points with 9 rebounds. Dusan Miletic registered a double-double of 19 points and 11 rebounds, and Kendale McCullum netted 19 on his Slask debut. Slask duo Hassani Gravett and Jakub Niziol scored 13 and 12 points, respectively.

### A first half that narrowly went the hosts’ way

The hosts started strong, with Miletic netting a basket on the break and debutant McCullum scoring his first points on his Slask EuroCup debut for an early 4-0 lead. Trento prodigy Quinn Ellis was forced to head the bench after committing 2 early fouls, but Grazulis completed a three-point play and then sank 2 more baskets for an 8-9 Trento lead. Miletic took his scoring tally to 8 points, but Derek Cooke Jr. scored 4 straight points, Toto Forray drilled a triple from the corner and Baldwin added a couple of points as Trento maintained a narrow lead, 16-19, heading into the second quarter.

Alviti opened his account from behind the arc and Cooke Jr. threw down a slam, but McCullum and Gravett sank a triple each to reduce the deficit to 24-26. Niziol knocked down a three and McCullum netted a basket in transition after stealing the ball on the other end to tie the game at 33-33. Alviti responded to consecutive baskets from Niziol by sinking a triple to take his first-half tally to 11 points, but McCullum beat the half-time buzzer with a coast-to-coast layup as Slask took a 39-36 edge into halftime.

### Trento flipped the script after the break

Ellis completed a three-point play for his first points of the game and Paul Biligha scored a basket to bring Trento within 44-43. Miletic scored his seventh two-pointer of the night, but Hubb nailed a three, Grazulis scored an easy basket and Baldwin netted a layup to put Trento ahead, 48-50. Hubb converted 2 from the line and then sank a triple to extend his team’s run to 0-12 for a 48-55 lead. Then, McCullum scored a layup to end Trento’s momentum and completed a three-point play to make it a one-possession game, 55-57, heading into the final quarter.

Gravett scored back-to-back triples, but Mattia Udom nailed one, too, and Ellis added a three-point play to allow Trento to maintain a narrow lead, 61-65. McCullum and Baldwin exchanged triples and Alviti converted both free throws for a 64-72 cushion. Miletic dunked off a McCullum alley-oop pass and then sank a triple to trim the deficit to 72-76. Slask missed a couple of open triples and Hubb punished them on the other end, as he drilled a dagger from behind the arc to make it 75-82 with 0:45 left on the clock and practically put the game to bed.

Myles Stephens of Dolomiti Energia Trento has possession against Slask Wroclaw in Round 6 of the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season.

The Italian side secured its third straight victory on Wednesday night.

Beşiktaş Basketbol came out on top against Hamburg Towers, 90-78, with Angel Delgado's dominance up against fellow big man Aleksander Dziewa being one of the keys to the game.

Delgado won battle with Dziewa; Besiktas learned lesson from Hamburg

Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul needed more fight than expected to [fend off Veolia Towers Hamburg 90-78](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/news/besiktas-fends-off-hamburg-90-78/), thanks in large part to Angel Delgado winning the battle of the bigs against Aleksander Dziewa.

Delgado collected a triple-double of sorts with 16 points, 10 rebounds and 10 fouls drawn, with the Dominican Republic international being one of six Besiktas players in double figures in scoring. His excellence was needed, especially on the glass, as Hamburg did not look like a team coming into the game without a victory.

### Besiktas leaned on Delgado

Delgado helped Besiktas stay close in the second quarter, with fouls drawn thanks to his physical presence around the basket as the team struggled to score.

It was yet another strong game for the 28-year-old center. Delgado, who is making his EuroCup debut this season, picked his second double-double of the season following an 11-point, 11-rebound output in Round 2 against Prometey Slobozhanske. For the season, Delgado is averaging 11.8 points and 8.2 rebounds.

Angel Delgado of Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul and Aleksander Dziewa of Veolia Towers Hamburg went head-to-head in Round 6 of the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season.

Delgado vs. Dziewa

### Dziewa ensured Hamburg stayed alive

With Hamburg missing center Jonas Wohlfarth-Bottermann, Dziewa kept the German side close for the first 35 minutes and finished the game with 21 points, 8 rebounds and 6 fouls drawn of his own, leading to 8-of-10 free throws.

In fact, 4 of Dziewa’s rebounds came on the offensive glass as Hamburg snatched 13 offensive boards. Those extra possessions helped the guests have more energy to work on defense, which was Hamburg’s biggest weakness coming into the game, ranking last in the EuroCup in PIR allowed (133.0), points allowed (104.2), assists (22.0), two-point shooting (64.2%) and three-point accuracy (46.0%).

“This was not an easy game,” Besiktas head coach Dusan Alimpijevic admitted afterward. “They had 13 offensive rebounds. They scored 20 or more points in three quarters. This is not our game, but they gave us a lesson for the future.”

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tr" dir="ltr">BKT EuroCup’ta, Akatlar’da 4️⃣. Maç 4️⃣. Galibiyet 😎<br><br>Üçlü, Kerem Konan&#39;dan! 🤫<br><br>🦅 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Be%C5%9Fikta%C5%9FEmlakjet?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BeşiktaşEmlakjet</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Potan%C4%B1nKartallar%C4%B1?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PotanınKartalları</a> <a href="https://t.co/OtreDvIIrI">pic.twitter.com/OtreDvIIrI</a></p>&mdash; Beşiktaş Emlakjet (@BJK_Basketbol) <a href="https://twitter.com/BJK_Basketbol/status/1722333181192339590?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 8, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Besiktas came into the game as one of the top defenses in the league, ranking first in points allowed (71.2), assists allowed (13.6) and three-point shooting (26.7%).

Alimpijevic knows his team is becoming a target in the competition, though.

“We have become a challenge for everybody, as they want to beat us. We respect that and have to adjust to that,” the coach said.

Having a force in the middle like Delgado certainly helps with any game plan adjustments Besiktas might need to make.

More Besiktas News

Angel Delgado of Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul shoots of Aleksander Dziewa of Veolia Towers Hamburg during the two teams' Round 6 matchup in the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season.

The Turkish team advanced to 5-1, which leaves it second in the Group A standings.

Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul v Veolia Towers Hamburg (2023-11-08T17:00:00.000Z)

Aris Midea Thessaloniki escaped from Moraca with a valuable 63-65 win over host Buducnost VOLI Podgorica on Wednesday in Round 6 of the BKT EuroCup.

Aris shocks Buducnost in Podgorica, 63-65

Aris Midea Thessaloniki escaped from Moraca with a valuable 63-65 win over host Buducnost VOLI Podgorica on Wednesday. Aris trailed by as many as 16 points before halftime, but never gave up, stuck to a zone defense that collapsed Buducnost's offense and managed to come back with a 0-12 run in the last period before Dimitris Katsivelis hit the winning free throw with 2 seconds to go. 

Roberto Gallinat paced Aris with 15 points, Kristeon Bankston posted 14 points and 6 boards, Surtan Sanogo had 11 and 8, and Silvio de Sousa provided 10 and 9. The win improved Aris's record to 3-3.

Buducnost was led by Yoan Makoundou, who chipped in 20 points - 14 in the first half, and Jacorey Williams, who tallied 10 points and 6 rebounds in the losing effort as Buducnost slipped to 2-4.

### Makoundou and Williams rule in the beginning

Buducnost had a strong start relying on Makoundou and Williams, who combined for 8 points and ruled the paint to grant the hosts an early 8-2 lead. Aris struggled in offense, unable to hit shots from the outside and finding problems moving the ball. Bankston tried to help Aris with some energy that turned into a couple of buckets that reduced the gap to 12-9 after a timeout, but Williams and Makoundou showed up again to help Buducnost finish the first period ahead 20-11.

### Buducnost escapes, Aris reacts

Marvin Jones established a double-digit advantage for the home team early in the second quarter and Makoundou later extended it to 26-11. A free throw by Andrija Grbovic set a game-high margin, 32-16, soon after, with the guests again struggling to find their offensive momentum. Lefteris Bochoridis finished the drought with the first triple for Aris after 15 minutes, waking his team up. Sanogo followed with another of his own, and Bochoridis hit again from downtown to make it 35-27. Despite Buducnost finding Fletcher Magee as a new scoring weapon, the visitors continued pushing through Gallinat and Bankston to reach halftime trailing 37-32.

### Aris make it a new game

The Aris rally didn’t stop after the intermission, as Gallinat came up with another bomb from downtown and Sanogo continued scoring to make it 42-41 after 23 minutes. Buducnost prevented the visitors from capping the comeback going back to the weapon that had worked better so far; Makoundou. The French forward contributed 5 quick points in a 9-0 spark that restored a double-digit margin, 51-41, for the home side. Far from waiving the white flag, Aris didn’t step back thanks to De Sousa, who showed up with his first 8 points of the night to close the third quarter with a 56-51 edge for the hosts.

### Aris uses zone, completes the comeback

An unsportsmanlike foul on Ronnie Harrell slowed down Aris entering the last quarter and allowed Buducnost to rebuild a safe margin, 60-51. Nevertheless, the visitors kept trusting their zone defense, which ended up collapsing the home team’s offense. Aris kept Buducnost scoreless for the next 6 minutes, good to make up for its scoring problems and complete the rally. Sanogo lit the fire with a couple of buckets and Katsivelis followed with another two of his own to cap a 0-12 run that gave Aris the first lead of the night, 60-63, entering crunch time. 

The game entered in a free-throw exchange at that moment, with Makoundou missing a three-pointer that could have returned the lead to the home team when it was 62-63, and McKinley Wright missing from the line when it was 63-64 entering the last minute. Even though Aris was unable to find the net in the last possession, Wright missed a short jumper right after that and Katsivelis sealed the outcome with a free throw with 2 seconds to go.

Strong play down the stretch lifts Aris to its second straight road win.

U-BT Cluj Napoca scored 51 first-half points while holding ratiopharm Ulm to 24, before coming away with an 86-75 triumph in Round 6 of the 2023-24 EuroCup Regular Season.

U-BT Cluj Napoca exploded on offensive end en route to ratiopharm Ulm victory

There was no stopping U-BT Cluj-Napoca in the first half of its Round 6 clash against ratiopharm Ulm in the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season. After leading 51-24 at the halftime break, [Cluj ended up coming away with an 86-75 triumph](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/news/ubt-cluj-napoca-downs-ratiopharm-ulm-in-statement-win-86-75/), which improved its record to 5-1.

Those 51 Cluj points came from eight different scorers, which showed the variety in the hosts’ offense. D.J. Seeley had 14 points at the interval, including shooting 7-of-8 from the charity stripe, while Karel Guzman was also in double figures after netting 11 points through the first 20 minutes.

Elsewhere, Jarell Eddie’s 3 triples in the second quarter saw him move to 9 points, while Emanuel Cate and Bryce Jones both had 6. Patrick Richard and Andrija Stipanovic sat on 2 points apiece, and Adam Mokoka went 1-of-2 from the line to give him 1 point.

U-BT Cluj-Napoca scored 51 points in the first half en route to a 51-24 halftime lead against ratiopharm Ulm in Round 6 of the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season.

Cluj's first-half points explosion

### Historic numbers, but not a record

While Cluj certainly made its fans happy with its first-half explosion on the offensive end, it is not the most points the team has scored in a first half. Back on December 14, 2022, Cluj took a 51-57 lead into the break on the road at Prometey Slobozhanske, although it went on to lose that game 105-82.

Also last season, Cluj had 53 points in the second half of an 88-85 loss to Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse and also 52 on two occasions: a 98-82 win at home to Joventut Badalona and a 95-90 road win at Umana Reyer Venice.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">High five! 🫸🫷 another win bites the dust! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UBTCluj?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UBTCluj</a> 86-75 <a href="https://twitter.com/ratiopharmulm?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ratiopharmulm</a><br> // <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroCup?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@eurocup</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RoadToGreatness?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RoadToGreatness</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/eurocup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#eurocup</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cluj?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#cluj</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/haideU?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#haideU</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BKTEuroCup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BKTEuroCup</a> <a href="https://t.co/iWh9one2yR">pic.twitter.com/iWh9one2yR</a></p>&mdash; U-BT Cluj-Napoca (@UBTCluj) <a href="https://twitter.com/UBTCluj/status/1722348259186737562?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 8, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

As such, Wednesday evening’s 52 points against Ulm is the second most scored by Cluj in the first half of a EuroCup game, its fifth-highest total in a half and the most it has netted in a half this season.

Cluj ended up being outscored 35-51 by Ulm in the second half of their Round 6 matchup, but its 52-point outburst in the first 20 minutes – and its 27-point lead – ultimately was too much for the visitors to overturn.

More Cluj News

Karel Guzman of U-BT Cluj-Napoca dunks during his team's Round 6 game against ratiopharm Ulm in the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season.

Mihai Silvasan’s squad scored 51 points in the first half.

Cluj exploded on the offensive end en route to Ulm victory

U-BT Cluj-Napoca v ratiopharm Ulm (2023-11-08T17:00:00.000Z)