Aris 'invested their hearts' for first win

Aris Midea Thessaloniki ended a seven-year hiatus by returning to the BKT EuroCup this season and on Wednesday night the club ended another wait and got its first win in more than seven years. Aris battled hard and held on for a 68-66 victory over the visiting Turk Telekom Ankara.

"Our team gave everything, we hustled on defense ," game-hero Vassilis Toliopoulos summed up after the game. He finished with 22 points, making 4 of 11 triples and also collecting 5 rebounds and 4 assists to help Aris celebrate a deserved victory.

"We can simply say our guys invested their hearts tonight and we capitalized that with a great win," Aris head coach Ioannis Kastritis added.

Aris got the job done with its defense. After allowing more than 80 points in each of the first two games of the season, the Greek team not only held Turk Telekom to 66 points, but held the visitors below 40% shooting on both twos and threes. Turk Telekom was 38.9% on two-point shots, and 34.8% behind the arc.

"We know that our defense is a key factor for us," Kastritis said. "This is our standard, this is what we want to base our philosophy on, and our guys did a great job tonight."

Game News

What was unique in this effort, however, was that neither team managed to score in the final 3:06 of the game and that Aris allowed only one basket, a triple from Tyrone Wallace, in the final 6 minutes and 58 seconds.

What is even more important for Aris is that the players have obviously bought into the philosophy that defense is this team's forte.

"That's the idea for this team", Toliopoulos explained, saying the goal was to keep Turk Telekom's scoring low. "We kept them below 70 points. That's how we are going to get wins."

Game Videos

Aris Midea Thessaloniki v Turk Telekom Ankara (2023-10-18T17:00:00.000Z)

Paris marches to 69-105 victory in Hamburg

Paris Basketball dominated the proceedings on Wednesday in Germany to defeat Veolia Hamburg Towers 69-105 at Edel-Optics.De Arena. An 0-18 run that bridged the first and second quarters proved to be a knockout blow that the home team never recovered from as Paris improved to 3-0 to remain tied for the lead in Group A. Hamburg is left seeking its first win.

Collin Malcolm paced the Paris attack with 22 points and TJ Shorts tallied 14 points, 9 assists and 4 steals to lead the winners. Nadir Hifi also scored 14, Tyson Ward added 13 and Mikael Jantunen 12. Al Durham was Hamburg's top scorer with 18 points and Nico Brauner contributed 11.

### How it happened

The teams traded baskets – and leads – for much of the opening quarter with Shorts running the show for Paris and Lukas Meisner leading Hamburg. The hosts started to pay a price for mounting turnovers; they committed 7 of them in the quarter. Paris capitalized with an open 0-9 run – with points from four different players – to take a 15-26 lead after 10 minutes.

Shorts and Ward led a 0-9 charge to open the second quarters, which made it 18 unanswered points overall for a 20-point lead. William Christmas ended the 5-minute Hamburg drought with a putback and Durham provided a spark, too. Then Malcolm heated up for the visitors and Ward, with a triple and an alley-oop assist to Jantunen, helped Paris coast into the break ahead 26-52.

Durham scored the first 5 points of the second half as Hamburg looked to rally. Before long, a pair of scores from Leon Kratzer had Paris back on track. Hamburg was able to get within 49-67 thanks to some shots from Brauner, though it was never enough to threaten the visitors. Paris finished the third quarter with a 54-79 cushion.

Paris did not let up as the margin passed the 30-point mark early in the fourth quarter. The closing minutes saw both teams try to get their younger players some shots as Paris marched to victory.     

Paris pulled away early and never let up as it remained undefeated with an emphatic road win.

Veolia Towers Hamburg v Paris Basketball (2023-10-18T17:30:00.000Z)

Aris battles to beat Turk Telekom, 68-66

Aris Midea Thessaloniki registered its first win of the new BKT EuroCup season, pulling out a 68-66 decision over visiting Turk Telekom Ankara on Wednesday night. Both teams now hold 1-2 records in Group B after a hard-fought battle decided by defensive stops in the final 3 minutes of the game.

Vassilis Toliopoulos led Aris with 22 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists. Marcus Carr scored 13 points and Ismael Sanogo collected 12 points plus 9 rebounds in the winning effort. For the last season's runners-up, Tyrone Wallace led the way with 16 points and Jalen Adams scored 10.

Aris opened the game with 3 triples in 2 minutes, one each from Roberto Gallinat, Toliopoulos and Sanogo. But the visitors answered in kind, with three-pointers from Adams, Wallace and Okben Ulubay to go in front 11-13 after just 4 minutes. Gallinat and Adams traded triples before Toliopoulos, Sanogo and Marcus Carr started taking it to the rim as the hosts went in front and held 23-20 after 10 minutes. Turk Telekom scored the first 7 points of the second quarter, a run sparked by James Palmer's triple, but Sanogo quickly restored the hosts' lead and a three-point play from Toliopoulos opened a 32-27 margin. However, Ulubay knocked down a corner triple to snap Aris's 9-0 run, starting another Turk Telekom spurt that the visitors used to take 34-38 lead into halftime.

Scoring slowed down after the break, but Silvio De Sousa and Carr gave Aris a boost by combining to score 10 points and putting the hosts in front again, 44-42. Toilopoulos stepped up then, hitting 3 triples to extend it the difference to 55-46. Turk Telekom had a reply with Steven Enoch and Markis McDuffie converting three-point plays and making it 55-54 after three quarters. The teams kept exchanging leads early in the fourth, with Gallinat and Ronnie Harrell each sinking a triple for the hosts, but Palmer had a pair of easy scores for the visitors, and McDuffie a corner triple to make it 61-63. No team scored for more than 2 minutes before Carr knocked down a three-pointer. Wallace answered with long ball on the other end to keep the game tied before Toilopoulos made a pair of free throws with 3:06 left. Those turned out to be game-winning points as neither team scored in the remaining time. Both Aris and Turk Telekom kept coming up with defensive stops, including Aris surviving game-winning shot attempts from both Wallace and Adams in the final 10 seconds to celebrate its first EuroCup win since February of 2016.

Aris returned to the win column in the EuroCup after seven years with a tense decision before its ever-appreciative home crowd.

Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul keeps flying high in its BKT EuroCup return with a third consecutive win, this one requiring staying power against Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana.

Besiktas turns back Cedevita to stay perfect

Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul used its sticky defense to deny repeated comeback attempts by Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana for a 73-66 home win on Wednesday. The victory kept Besiktas perfect at 3-0 in Group A while Cedevita continues looking for its first victory. Besiktas withstood an 0-11 Cedevita surge bridging the last two quarters without giving up the lead, then pulled away to the win. Jonah Mathews paced Besiktas with 18 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Matt Mitchell added 12 points and Berk Ugurlu 11. D.J. Stewart led four Cedevita scorers in double figures with 15 points. Justin Cobbs added 14, Sean Armand and Amadou Sow 10 each. The hosts's advantages of 17-10 advantage in offensive rebounds and 8-13 in turnovers supplied the extra possessions that made the difference.

Four starters scored as Besiktas staked an early 9-3 lead. Cobbs and Jaka Blazic drew Cedevita within 9-7 but Ugurlu kept the hosts ahead and Jonah Mathews struck from deep at 17-11. Armand and Sow answered for the visitors, but Yigit Arslan's first triple was enough to let Besiktas lead 20-17 after 10 minutes. Leyton Hammonds and Mathews kept Besiktas in charge until Luka Scuka and Armand, with a go-ahead triple, gave Cedevita its first lead, 25-27. Stewart's three-pointer made it 27-31 for the visitors but Samet Yigitoglu and Mitchell got Besitkas ahead again. Several lead changes later, Kerem Konan's basket sparked a 7-2 finishing run that kept the hosts in charge 43-38 at the break.

Derek Needham and Mitchell boosted the Besiktas advantage to 49-41 soon after halftime. Angel Delgado's layup supplied the first double-digit lead, 51-41. Karlo Matkovic and Stewart settled Cedevita, but Besiktas bent without breaking until Ugurlu and Matthews made it 59-47. Stewart and Shawn Jones scored the last 5 points of the third quarter, however, for a 59-52 scoreboard entering the fourth. Sow and Jones got Cedevita closer still, then a jumper by Cobbs at 59-58 forced a Besiktas timeout.  A goaltending call ended Cedevita's 0-11 run and Mathews dunked off a steal to calm the hosts at 63-58. Mathews matched the next basket by Cobbs to make it 67-60 with 3:17 to play, which proved enough to keep the visitors at bay the rest of the way.

Besiktas keeps flying high in its EuroCup return with a third consecutive win, this one requiring staying power.

Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul v Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (2023-10-18T17:00:00.000Z)

The London Lions are now 3-0 in the 2023-24 EuroCup Regular Season, following an 87-99 win on the road at Prometey Slobozhanske, with Matt Morgan, Sam Dekker and Donte Grantham leading the way on offense.

The London Lions flex their muscles to beat Prometey, 87-99

The London Lions improved to 3-0 in this season’s BKT EuroCup Regular Season after defeating Prometey Slobozhanske 87-99 at Arena Riga on Wednesday evening. The English visitors won each of the last three quarters to come away with an impressive victory, which maintains their 100% start to the campaign.

Matt Morgan led the way for London with a game-high 21 points, while Sam Dekker – playing his first EuroCup game this season after injury – and Donte Grantham both posted 17 points. Grantham also had 11 rebounds, meaning he finished with a double-double. Conor Morgan netted 15 points and Gabe Olaseni scored 10, too. For Prometey, Marcus Keene had a team-high 18 points, with Caleb Agada (16 points), Tai Odiase (13), Ronald March (12) and Ondrej Balvin (10) also getting into double figures.

Prometey started the game on fire and raced into a 9-2 lead on the back of 5 points from Agada. London managed to come back into the contest, but Balvin started to take over under the rim, forcing Josh Sharma into two quick fouls and hitting 3-of-4 free throws to make it a 25-17 ballgame. The hosts closed the first quarter 30-19 ahead after an Illia Sydorov triple and a quick pass by Prometey’s No. 55 on the fastbreak found Vyacheslav Bobrov for a layup.

Balvin reestablished a 13-point lead for Prometey, 32-19, early in the second quarter, but London – inspired by Dekker and Luke Nelson – soon cut the gap to single digits, 35-29. Prometey was trying to keep London at arm’s length, but a triple and 2 made free throws by Matt Morgan saw the visitors take their first lead of the night, 43-44, with 2:43 remaining before halftime. Tarik Phillip then added 4 points, before Conor Morgan ended a run of 22 made free throws in a row by going 0-for-2. March’s layup, the final basket of the half, ended a drought of almost 3 minutes for Prometey. London held a 45-48 lead at the break after outscoring Prometey 15-29 in the second quarter.

Just as he did in the first quarter, Agada opened the scoring in the second half, but 4 straight points from Dekker halted Prometey’s momentum, 47-52. London was able to pull away for the first time after going on a 0-8 run, with a layup from Gabe Olaseni and back-to-back three-point plays by Grantham and Matt Morgan, 53-62. The joy continued for London after a triple by Conor Morgan and a pair of layups by his namesake, Matt, 57-71. A late resurgence by Prometey cut the gap to 8 points, 65-73, after a quarter in which it was outscored 20-25.

 

A Dekker three-pointer maintained London’s 10-point lead, 66-76, in the opening minutes of the final quarter, but two triples in quick succession by Keene and then a March layup saw Prometey make it 74-76. Rather than let that 8-0 run affect the visitors, Olaseni, Conor Morgan and Grantham as London opened a 77-86 advantage. There was another surge by Prometey, which reduced the scoreline to 85-88 with just over 3 minutes to go, but Olaseni, Matt Morgan and Phillip gave London breathing room, 87-94, in the closing stages. Then, a dunk by Grantham and a last-second Dekker triple ensured it finished 87-99.

Matt Morgan of the London Lions drives to the rim during his team's Round 3 game against Prometey Slobozhanske in the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season.

The English team recovered from a slow start to record its third straight win.

London flexes its muscles to beat Prometey, 87-99

Prometey Slobozhanske v London Lions (2023-10-18T16:00:00.000Z)

Game Center: Aris wins first, London rules road, three games in progress

[Prometey Slobozhanske 87-99 London Lions](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/prometey-slobozhanske-london-lions/U2023/21/)

The London Lions improved to 3-0 in this season’s BKT EuroCup Regular Season after defeating Prometey Slobozhanske 87-99 at Arena Riga on Wednesday evening. The English visitors won each of the last three quarters to come away with an impressive victory, which maintains their 100% start to the campaign.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">WHAT A WIN! 🦁 <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroCup?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@eurocup</a> <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/kFtyYw9uMh">pic.twitter.com/kFtyYw9uMh</a></p>&mdash; London Lions (@LondonLions) <a href="https://twitter.com/LondonLions/status/1714717119546319227?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 18, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 

[Aris Midea Thessaloniki 68-66 Turk Telekom Ankara](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/aris-midea-thessaloniki-turk-telekom-ankara/U2023/28/)

Aris Midea Thessaloniki picked up its first win of the new BKT EuroCup season, pulling out a 68-66 decision over visiting Turk Telekom Ankara on Wednesday. Both teams now hold 1-2 records in Group B after a hard-fought battle decided by defensive stops in the final 3 minutes of the game. Vassilis Toliopoulos led Aris with 22 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists. Marcus Carr scored 13 points and Ismael Sanogo collected 12 points plus 9 rebounds in the winning effort. For the last season's runner-ups, Tyrone Wallace led the way with 16 points and Jalen Adams scored 10.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">We host Turk Telekom for the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gameday03?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Gameday03</a> of the <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroCup?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroCup</a> <br>📌 Nick Galis Hall<br>🕰️ 20:00<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ARISTURKTELECOM?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ARISTURKTELECOM</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BKTEUROCUP?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BKTEUROCUP</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ARISBC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ARISBC</a><a href="https://twitter.com/EuroCup?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroCup</a> <a href="https://t.co/w36LpJ1DCi">pic.twitter.com/w36LpJ1DCi</a></p>&mdash; ARIS B.C. (@ARISBCgr) <a href="https://twitter.com/ARISBCgr/status/1714582835309236382?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 18, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[Besiktas Emlajket Istanbul 73-66 Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/besiktas-emlakjet-istanbul-cedevita-olimpija-ljubljana/U2023/25/)

Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul used its sticky defense to deny repeated comeback attempts by Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana for a 73-66 home win on Wednesday. The victory kept Besiktas perfect at 3-0 in Group A while Cedevita continues looking for its first victory. Besiktas withstood an 0-11 Cedevita surge bridging the last two quarters without giving up the lead, then pulled away to the win. Jonah Mathews paced Besiktas with 18 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Matt Mitchell added 12 points and Berk Ugurlu 11. D.J. Stewart led four Cedevita scorers in double figures with 15 points. Justin Cobbs added 14, Sean Armand and Amadou Sow 10 each. The hosts's advantages of 17-10 advantage in offensive rebounds and 8-13 in turnovers supplied the extra possessions that made the difference.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">After a hard fight <a href="https://twitter.com/BJK_Basketbol?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BJK_Basketbol</a> prevail and keep their 100% winning record 💯<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RoadToGreatness?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RoadToGreatness</a> <a href="https://t.co/LGL0zMGXes">pic.twitter.com/LGL0zMGXes</a></p>&mdash; BKT EuroCup (@EuroCup) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroCup/status/1714717293425340425?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 18, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 

[Veolia Towers Hamburg 69-105 Paris Basketball](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/veolia-towers-hamburg-paris-basketball/U2023/22/)

Paris dominated the proceedings in Germany to defeat Hamburg 69-105 at [Edel-Optics.De](file:///C:/Users/FRANKI~1.SAC/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_filelist.xml) Arena. An 0-18 run that bridged the first and second quarters proved to be a knockout blow that the home team never recovered from as Paris improved to 3-0 to remain tied for the lead in Group A. Hamburg is left seeking its first win. Collin Malcolm paced the Paris attack with 22 points and TJ Shorts tallied 14 points, 9 assists and 4 steals to lead the winners. Al Durham was Hamburg's top scorer with 18 points.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="fr" dir="ltr">Toujours invaincus en EuroCup 😤<br><br>La confiance qu’il nous fallait avant le derby à Nanterre ce samedi 🔜✊ <a href="https://t.co/xIMW4FOZkj">pic.twitter.com/xIMW4FOZkj</a></p>&mdash; Paris Basketball (@ParisBasketball) <a href="https://twitter.com/ParisBasketball/status/1714730664585531783?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 18, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[Dolomiti Energia Trento vs. Dreamland Gran Canaria](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/dolomiti-energia-trento-dreamland-gran-canaria/U2023/30/)

Red-hot reigning champ Gran Canaria (2-0) will look to make it three wins out of three when it travels to Trento (0-2), which remains in search of its first victory. The Italian team will have to find a way of slowing down a Gran Canaria offense which erupted for 111 points in Round 2's thrashing of Ulm, with six players scoring a double-digit number of points, led by Ferran Bassas (21 points on 6-of-8 three-pointers). Trento, in contrast, has suffered from irregular backcourt play so far and needs to take better care of the basketball after averaging more turnovers (19.0) than assists (18.0).

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">🏀 ¡DÍA DE PARTIDO!<br>📍 Il T Quotidiano Arena<br>🆚 Dolomiti Energia Trento<br>⌚ 19:00h<br>📺 <a href="https://t.co/G1VhHnuk8d">https://t.co/G1VhHnuk8d</a><br>🏆 J3 BKT EuroCup<br>✊ <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VamosGranca?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VamosGranca</a> <a href="https://t.co/2lpA4sOPWL">pic.twitter.com/2lpA4sOPWL</a></p>&mdash; Dreamland Gran Canaria (@GranCanariaCB) <a href="https://twitter.com/GranCanariaCB/status/1714554886535201220?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 18, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[Joventut Badalona vs. Wolves Vilnius](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/joventut-badalona-wolves-vilnius/U2023/24/)

Joventut (1-1) will defend its home court against a Wolves team (0-1) looking for its first-ever win in the competition. The Lithuanian competition debutant was unable to play its scheduled game against Hapoel last week and will hope its extra freshness can allow do-it-all forward Rasheed Sulaimon (15 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists in Round 1) to inspire a road win. Joventut will look to build on last week's narrow win at Cedevita through the leadership of guard Andres Feliz, who had 12 points (including the dramatic buzzer-beating winning basket), 5 assists and 5 steals in that Round 2 victory.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Evening in Badalona 🏀 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeAreWolves?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeAreWolves</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RoadToGreatness?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RoadToGreatness</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BKTEuroCup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BKTEuroCup</a> <a href="https://t.co/qEBtjlWEk6">pic.twitter.com/qEBtjlWEk6</a></p>&mdash; BC WOLVES (@wolves_bc) <a href="https://twitter.com/wolves_bc/status/1714389402284089412?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 17, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### **Tuesday, October 17**

[Buducnost VOLI Podgorica 103-89 Slask Wroclaw](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/buducnost-voli-podgorica-slask-wroclaw/U2023/27/)

Buducnost used a fine offensive performance and six scorers in double figures in dismissing visiting Slask at its Moraca on Tuesday. JaCorey Williams starred for Buducnost, which improved to 2-1 in Group B, while Slask dropped to 0-3 in the season. Williams scored 10 of his 18 points in the third quarter, helping the hosts pull away to a double-digit lead. Williams also had 11 rebounds. Colbey Ross added 19 points and 6 assists for the winners. Dusan Miletic finished as Slask's top scorer with 17 points and 8 rebounds.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">6️⃣ <a href="https://twitter.com/KKBuducnostVOLI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KKBuducnostVOLI</a> players with 12 or more points tonight in Round 3!<br><br>Teamwork to get a home W✅<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RoadToGreatness?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RoadToGreatness</a> <a href="https://t.co/HSqLZtGWLQ">pic.twitter.com/HSqLZtGWLQ</a></p>&mdash; BKT EuroCup (@EuroCup) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroCup/status/1714373123674448328?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 17, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 

[ratiopharm Ulm 99-74. Lietkabelis Panevezys](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/ratiopharm-ulm-7bet-lietkabelis-panevezys/U2023/29/)

ratiopharm Ulm bounced back from a humbling defeat a week ago to remain perfect at home by soundly beating 7bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys, 99-74, on Tuesday. The victory lifted Ulm's record to 2-1 in Group B and gave the German champions a share of third place. Lietkabelis dropped to 1-2. Dakota Mathias downed 4 of Ulm's 17 three-pointers on the night to lead all scorers with 20 points. Trevion Williams was huge with 15 points, 11 rebounds and 4 assists, while Karim Jallow scored 15 points, Maximilian Langenfeld 14 and Georginho De Paula 10. Lietkabelis got 13 points from Gediminas Orelik, 11 from Paulius Valinskas and 10 from Gabrielius Maldunas. 

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Big win at home for <a href="https://twitter.com/ratiopharmulm?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ratiopharmulm</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RoadToGreatness?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RoadToGreatness</a> <a href="https://t.co/rcIwdkcuLJ">pic.twitter.com/rcIwdkcuLJ</a></p>&mdash; BKT EuroCup (@EuroCup) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroCup/status/1714361798361514372?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 17, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 

[Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse 92-88. U-BT Cluj-Napoca](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/mincidelice-jl-bourg-en-bresse-u-bt-cluj-napoca/U2023/26/)

Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse continued flying high in Group B by turning back hard-charging visitors U-BT Cluj-Napoca with a thrilling 92-88 decision on Tuesday. Bourg now boasts a 3-0 group record while Cluj fell to 2-1. Bryce Brown drilled 5 three-pointers among his game-high 25 points for Bourg. Jeremy Morgan and Isiaha Mike added 15 each while Zaccharie Risacher scored 11, including the free throws that sealed the victory with 7 seconds left. Cluj, which rallied from 19 points behind late in the first half but never tied or led, got 22 points from Dennis Seeley, 12 from Jarell Eddie and 11 from Adam Mokoka.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="fr" dir="ltr">𝙻𝙸𝚅𝙴 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️<br><br>JL Bourg 92 🆚 88 <a href="https://twitter.com/UBTCluj?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UBTCluj</a><br><br>Une grosse bataille jusqu&#39;au bout, un coup de stress dans le money time, mais les efforts sont récompensés ➡️ la JL Bourg confirme ce soir, 𝟑/𝟑 !! 🔥 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RoadToGreatness?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RoadToGreatness</a> <a href="https://t.co/uyrB7qu6Rd">pic.twitter.com/uyrB7qu6Rd</a></p>&mdash; JL Bourg Basket (@JLBourgBasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/JLBourgBasket/status/1714370213452427310?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 17, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 

[Umana Reyer Venics 81-97 Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/umana-reyer-venice-hapoel-shlomo-tel-aviv/U2023/23/)

Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv picked up its second victory in two attempts in the BKT EuroCup as it knocked off Umana Reyer Venice 81-97 on the road thanks to a balanced effort. Tomer Ginat paced five Hapoel players in double figures with 21 points while Jaylen Hoard added 19 points and Xavier Mumford chipped in 15 points in helping Hapoel move to 2-0 in Group A after a bye week in Round 2 due to the postponement of its game against Wolves Vilnius. Reyer dropped its second straight home game to fall to 0-3 despite Barry Brown scoring 23 points and Rayjon Tucker 20.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Big win away from home for <a href="https://twitter.com/HapoelTLVBC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HapoelTLVBC</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RoadToGreatness?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RoadToGreatness</a> <a href="https://t.co/x06koseva9">pic.twitter.com/x06koseva9</a></p>&mdash; BKT EuroCup (@EuroCup) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroCup/status/1714370426309058609?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 17, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 

Get ready for the third round of the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup regular season!

Game Center: Aris wins first, London rules road

ratiopharm Ulm v 7bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys (2023-10-17T17:30:00.000Z)

Buducnost VOLI Podgorica v Slask Wroclaw (2023-10-17T16:00:00.000Z)

Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse v U-BT Cluj-Napoca (2023-10-17T17:30:00.000Z)

Umana Reyer Venice v Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv (2023-10-17T18:00:00.000Z)

Dolomiti Energia Trento v Dreamland Gran Canaria (2023-10-18T18:00:00.000Z)

Joventut Badalona v Wolves Vilnius (2023-10-18T18:30:00.000Z)

Dolomiti Energia Trento (0-2) and Dreamland Gran Canaria (2-0) come into Round 3 from a very different place where the visiting Gran Canaria is the reigning EuroCup champion aiming to become first team ever to win back-to-back EuroCup titles, while Trento has won just five of its last 37 games in the EuroCup dating back to the 2020-21 campaign. Trento was a big underdog a year ago, too, but that did not stop it last season to pull out a 75-72 victory.

Trento looks to repeat history vs Gran Canaria

Dolomiti Energia Trento (0-2) and Dreamland Gran Canaria (2-0) come into Round 3 from very different places. Visiting Gran Canaria, the reigning BKT EuroCup champion, is aiming to do something this season that no other team has ever done: win back-to-back titles.

On the other side, Trento has won just five of its last 37 games in the EuroCup dating back to the 2020-21 campaign.

That run of defeats for Trento includes a pair of losses to open this season. Meanwhile, Gran Canaria dominated like no other team in the EuroCup the past two weeks, winning two games by a combined 45 points, including [a 111-82 home blowout of ratiopharm Ulm](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/dreamland-gran-canaria-ratiopharm-ulm/U2023/17/) in Round 2. In that game, Gran Canaria scored 62 first-half points while making a remarkable 17 of 18 two-point shots. 

Dreamland Gran Canaria made 17-of-18 two-point shots in Round vs. ratiopharm Ulm

Gran Canaria's two-point dominance vs. Ulm

So, at first glance, this Group B fixture between Trento and Gran Canaria in Round 3 looks like it could be a one-way street. However, the same game on the same BLM Group Arena court almost one year ago tells us different..

Last season, Trento was winless after five games as first-place Gran Canaria, holding a 4-1 record at the time, came to town. A status of big underdogs entering the game did not stop Trento in generating an upset and [pulling out a 75-72 victory](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2022-23/dolomiti-energia-trento-gran-canaria/U2022/60/).

Trento's most productive player that night was Mattia Udom, with 9 points, 6 rebounds and 2 steals. Fellow big man Andrej Grazulis came off the bench and scored 6 points, Toto Forray had 5, including a key three-point play in the fourth quarter, and Luca Conti scored 5, as well.

Dolomiti Energia Trento - Gran Canaria | Round 6 Highlights | 2022-23 7DAYS EuroCup

Of Gran Canaria returning players, Andrew Albicy stood out that night with 8 assists, while Nico Brussino scored 8. A.J. Slaughter was 1-for-7 from long range in Trento last season and John Shurna 1-for-5.

Can Trento help history repeat itself?

For Trento, limiting those two Gran Canaria stars would again go long ways to being competitive on Wednesday. Also, it will need its key newcomers – sharpshooter Davide Alviti, playmaker Prentiss Hubb and center Paul Biligha – to be on top of their games.

On the other side, Gran Canaria seems to be clicking on all cylinders, especially offensively. Yet, one has to think that last year's outcome will force head coach Jaka Lakovic and his men to approach this clash with a lot of caution.

At first glance, Group B fixture between Dolomiti Energia Trento and Dreamland Gran Canaria in Round 3 looks like it could be a one-way street, but recent history between two teams tells us otherwise.

Trento looks to repeat history vs. Gran Canaria

After getting thrashed a week earlier, ratiopharm Ulm let out all its frustrations with fearless shooting on Tuesday to move up the charts in BKT EuroCup's Group B.

 Ulm's three-point onslaught was one for the books 

German League champion ratiopharm Ulm had a whole week contemplate what happened when it visited Dreamland Gran Canaria, the defending BKT EuroCup champion in Round 2. That long trip resulted in a 29-point defeat for Ulm, the fifth-worst defeat of the club's 10 previous EuroCup seasons.

Back home in Round 3 to host 7bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys on Tuesday, Ulm's shooters took out their frustrations on the ratiopharm Arena nets they know so well, burying the most three-pointers of any team in the EuroCup so far this season. The result was [a resounding 99-74 victory](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/ratiopharm-ulm-7bet-lietkabelis-panevezys/U2023/29/#boxscore) that may prove even more important when the points are counted up at tiebreaker time in Group B much later in the season.

[L. J. Figueroa](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/lj-figueroa/012603/) set the pace for the hosts by hitting the game's first shot from deep. By the time Ulm was finished, its shooters had drilled 17 three-pointers. What's more, Ulm's 53.1% success rate from the arc on 32 attempts was the highest accuracy of any EuroCup team yet this season.

ratiopharm Ulm Top 3-pointers vs. Lietkabelis Panevezys, 10/17/2023

ratiopharm Ulm's top three-pointers vs Lietkabelis Panevezys

Everyone followed Figueroa right away, with six different players total combining on 7 three-pointers in the first quarter, matching the club record for any quarter in its .

Another 10 triples over the rest of the game kept Lietkabelis consistently at bay and allowed Ulm to demoralize its guests and eventually pull away to its second-widest victory margin in 65 previous EuroCup victories.

[Dakota Mathias](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/dakota-mathias/012629/) buried 4 of his 6 attempts from downtown to lead the way. [Karim Jallow](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/karim-jallow/005422/) was a perfect 3-for-3. [Georginho De Paula](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/georginho-de-paula-/012703/), [Trevion Williams](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/trevion-lamon-williams-/012604/), [Maximilian Langenfeld](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/maximilian-langenfeld/012066/) and [Pacome Dadiet](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/pacome-dadiet/011457/) all hit 2 apiece, while [Thomas Klepeisz](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/thomas-klepeisz/010582/) joined Figueroa with 1 each. 

Only three other times more than 4,200 EuroCup games this century have other teams had more than the six players with at least 2 three-pointers made each that Ulm could boast on Tuesday.

All in all, it was a nice way to react to a blowout.

Ulm's three-point onslaught was one for the books

Few teenagers play with games on the line at a level such as the BKT EuroCup. Then again, not too many teens belong in that situation as much as Zaccharie Risacher of Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse.

Risacher saved Bourg's roller coaster ride at the end

Few teenagers play with games on the line at a level such as the BKT EuroCup. Then again, not too many teens belong in that situation as much as [Zaccharie Risacher of Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse.](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/zaccharie-risacher/010718/)

A lot of eyes are on the skinny forward this season not just because he is the son of former Euroleague Basketball star Stephane Risacher, but because he is one of the most promising prospects in the world. Bourg head coach Frederic Fauthoux gave Risacher his first start of the EuroCup season in a [head-to-head battle of undefeated teams with visiting U-BT Cluj-Napoca ](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/news/bourg-outlasts-cluj-92-88-to-stay-unbeaten/)on Tuesday.

Risacher delivered right away, scoring the game's first 5 points with displays of what everyone admires so much in his game: smoothness in the open court, great handles, and a knack for finding creative solutions for himself and his teammates. He added 2 rebounds and a steal before the game was 5 minutes old, by which time his team led 17-8. Bourg's older guard took it from there, shooting the team to a whopping 55-38 lead at intermission as Risacher sat out the rest of the first half.

Upon his return after the break, Cluj mounted its expected comeback while Risacher struggled with a couple of turnovers. Still, Bourg led 57-43 when he took a seat again, not to be heard from until early in the fourth quarter, when Cluj was still threatening. Risacher soon combined a block and a fastbreak finish to take Bourg up 77-63 with 5 minutes left, but he missed his fifth free throw already as Cluj kept charging. As such, he was maybe the last person you would have expected on the floor after he left with 2 minutes remaining and the score at 83-78.

Zaccharie Risacher (11 points) Highlights vs. U-BT Cluj-Napoca, 10/17/2023

Zaccharie Risacher's highlights vs U-BT Cluj-Napoca

But Coach Fauthoux had better ideas. When Dennis Seeley's triple got Cluj as close as 87-85 with 24 seconds left, back came Risacher and sure enough the ball found the way into his hands. Cluj fouled him and Risacher missed the second of his attempts fora 90-86 scoreboard with 14 seconds left. After Cluj added free throws with 7 seconds left, Risacher was immediately fouled again. Any miss would have given Cluj a chance to tie.

This time, looking like his 3-for-9 performance at the foul line until then was the furthest thing from his mind, Risacher calmly drilled both of his opportunities to put the game away. Like that, Bourg was still undefeated at the top of Group B and its young future star was one game smarter for having taken responsibility when it mattered most. 

In the end, he led Bourg in rebounds (5) and blocks (1) in less than 16 minutes on the floor while scoring 11 points, none more important than the only pair of free throws he really needed to make.

If an 18-year-old can learn a whole lot in one game, Bourg's Zaccharie Risacher did just that in a heart-thumping win over Cluj on Tuesday.