Turk Telekom Ankara took an important step forward in the race to reach the playoffs from Group B by topping Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana 74-80 in the Slovenian capital in Round 13 on Wednesday.

Turk Telekom grabs pivotal win in Ljubljana, 74-80!

Turk Telekom Ankara took an important step forward in the race to reach the playoffs from Group B by topping Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana 74-80 in the Slovenian capital in Round 12 on Wednesday. Both teams now have 7-5 records in the standings. Turk Telekom has a 2-0 record against Cedevita, which could be critical for both teams in tie-break situations.

Yoan Makoundou led the winners with 22 points. Speedy Smith added 14 while Kyle Alexander totaled 11 points, 10 rebounds, 5 steals and 6 blocks. Devin Robinson paced Cedevita with 23 points. Devante Jones added 15 while DJ Stewart had 13 for the hosts.

Game Videos

Alexander got Turk Telekom going with a jump hook. Robinson made a triple, Stewart added a backdoor layup and Aleksej Nikolic erased Makoundou's tip-in with a step-back jumper. After Anthony Brown struck from downtown, Stewart answered with a put-back layup. Makoundou followed a jumper with a three-pointer in an 0-8 run that gave Turk Telekom a 9-15 lead. Robinson followed a jumper with a power basket, Brown nailed a mid-range shot and Alexander's put-back layup made it. Jones scored in penetration and Robinson dunked. Brown, Makoundou and Javon Bess each struck from beyond the arc to boost the visitors' lead to 19-28 after 10 minutes. 

Andrija Stipanovic stepped up with a driving layup early in the second quarter. Melih Tunca dunked at the other end and then Brynton Lemar buried a jumper off a spin move. Alexander made a mid-range shot and Smith added a floater, igniting a 0-10 run that Makoundou capped with an off-balance floater for a 23-40 Turk Telekom lead. Cedveita found a go-to guy in Robinson, who took over with a three-point play and followed Jaka Blazic's triple with a baseline jumper, causing the visitors to call timeout at 33-40. Olivier Hanlan and Ismet Akpinar each struck from downtown, but Robinson and Blazic drew Cedevita within 38-48 at halftime.  

Game News

Jones tried to change things with a driving layup right after the break and Robinson's dunk made it 42-48. Makoundou and Akpinar each buried a triple to give Turk Telekom fresh air at 44-54. Robinson downed another mid-range shot and Stewart dunked off a steal to bring Cedevita within 48-56. Hanlan rescued Turk Telekom with a floater, which Bess followed with a wide-open corner three-pointer. Jones struck twice from beyond the arc and followed Robinson's three-pointer with another big shot from downtown, bringing Cedevita within 60-63. Hanlan made it 60-65 at the end of the quarter.

Makoundou nailed a three-pointer early in the fourth quarter. Alexander added a layup that capped a 0-7 run that saw Turk Telekom restore a double-digit lead, 60-70. Stewart banked in a jump hook and downed a baseline jumper. Lemar scored off a midcourt steal to give Cedevita hope at 66-70. Blazic made free throws, then Stewart took over with three-point play that completed Cedevita's comeback, 71-70. Makoundou banked in an up-an-under layup off a spin move and Smith fired in a critical three-pointer, prompting the hosts to call timeout at 71-75. Alexander solved a broken play with an uncontested dunk, then Nikolic kept the hosts within 74-77 in the next-to-last minute. Smith split free throws for a 74-78 score with 44.4 seconds left. Jones missed a layup and Bess sealed the win with more foul shots.

Kyle Alexander posted a historic statline to lead the winners


Turk Telekom grabs pivotal win in Ljubljana, 74-80

Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana v Turk Telekom Ankara (2024-12-18T17:30:00.000Z)

The lengthy interview with Ty Harrelson touches on, among other things, his road to Ulm and coaching rising stars Ben Saraf and Noa Essengue.

Eurohoops interviews Ulm head coach Ty Harrelson

Three years before being hired by BKT EuroCup club [ratiopharm Ulm](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/ratiopharm-ulm/ulm/) of Germany, [Ty Harrelson](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/ratiopharm-ulm/ulm/harrelson-ty/) experienced a state of limbo in his career and life.

In August 2021, Harrelson resigned from his job as head coach of his alma mater Wayland Baptist in Texas. He was seeking greener, more endearing coaching pastures overseas, intrigued by the prospect of working with a professional team at a high level in Europe, where he spent some years during his playing days.

It wasn’t a journey into the complete unknown since Harrelson had some contacts that could help him at least get on the starting track of realizing his goal. But it was risky to leave a steady job and move away from home to another continent without any financial security and no guaranteed stability.

After struggling to get a spot at a pro organization, the jobless Harrelson became the coach of German fourth-division club TV Langen, one of the early teams in his playing career. It wasn’t much, but it was a necessity that would allow him to continue pursuing the dream.

Harrelson’s run with Rasta Vechta was the definition of instant success. The team won the 2023 ProA (German second division) to gain promotion to the top league and then became a pleasant surprise in the BBL, finishing sixth in the regular season and earning a direct ticket to the playoffs.

Harrelson's efforts with Vechta paid dividends when he received the offer from Ulm, which had won the German championship in 2023.

Three years after his risk-taking venture to Europe, Harrelson assumed the helm of one of the most ambitious German clubs at both the domestic and continental levels. He also took on the responsibility of coaching two of Europe’s brightest talents and NBA prospects: Israeli guard [Ben Saraf](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/ben-saraf/011437/) and French forward [Noa Essengue](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/noa-essengue/011391/), who are both projected as potential lottery picks in the 2025 NBA Draft.

In this interview with Eurohoops, Harrelson opens up on his tough first year in Europe while looking for a coaching job, the faith he retained in himself and the unwavering, positive mindset that drove him toward ultimately becoming the head coach of Ulm.

The American-born 44-year-old also discussed what it's like coaching the youngest team in the EuroCup, his first months in Ulm and the vision of the organization, his approach in guiding players like Saraf and Essengue and the characteristics that make them special.

Read more [HERE](https://www.eurohoops.net/en/trademarks/1758595/coaching-the-future-how-ulms-ty-harrelson-is-guiding-eurocups-nba-prospects/).

The lengthy interview touches on, among other things, his road to Ulm and coaching rising stars Ben Saraf and Noa Essengue

Aris BC was on a five-game losing run and had not won at home all season, but Trey Woodbury's career night saw him finish with 25 points and 8 rebounds as his team won 81-66 against Lietkabelis Panevezys.

Trey Woodbury came to the fore on an important night for Aris

With [Aris Midea Thessaloniki](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/aris-midea-thessaloniki/ari/) still missing star guard [Vassilis Toliopoulos](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/vassilis-toliopoulos/004292/) due to injury, it needed somebody to step up and address its slide in the BKT EuroCup. Coming into Tuesday night’s Round 12 clash against [7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/7bet-lietkabelis-panevezys/lkb/), Aris had lost five straight and failed to win at home all season long. Fortunately for coach Ioannis Kastritis, he could count on first-year guard [Trey Woodbury](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/trey-woodbury/013251/).

The 25-year-old set the tone early by scoring Aris’s first 5 points to give the hosts a 5-4 lead, before adding another 6 points in the final 4:11 minutes of the first quarter to move to 11 points personal. Lietkabelis, however, finished the first quarter with a slender 18-19 advantage.

While he netted just 2 points in the second quarter, with the score 32-34 at the break, Woodbury scored the opening basket of the second half and sparked a 7-0 run that put the wind back in Aris’s sails. He was also very active on the glass, grabbing 6 first-half rebounds, and he entered the fourth period with a stat line of 17 points, 8 rebounds and 1 assist.

In the end, it was Woodbury who helped put the game to bed in the final frame. After making it 67-70 to Aris with a layup halfway through the quarter, he appeared again shortly after by knocking down back-to-back threes to move the score to 75-62 and provide a gut punch to Lietkabelis. Once he saw his second three-pointer fall in quick succession, Woodbury celebrated by imitating Steph Curry’s night-night celebration and [Aris went on to win 81-66](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/aris-downs-lietkabelis-81-66-to-record-first-home-win-this-season/).

<center>
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Aris has certainly given itself a lot to do in its bid to make the EuroCup Playoffs, as the team is now 3-9 and in ninth place in Group B, but with Woodbury scoring a career-best 25 points and tying his personal best with 8 boards, he has shown that he is up for the task. 

Several players on Aris’s roster have displayed their quality in recent weeks, namely [Landers Nolley](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/landers-nolley/013249/) and new recruits [Sharife Cooper](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/sharife-cooper/013500/) and [Darral Willis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/darral-willis/010397/), but it has resulted in losses. Now that it has the monkey off its back, let’s see if Aris can make a late run towards the postseason, starting on the road at [Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/hapoel-bank-yahav-jerusalem/jer/) on January 2.

In beating Lietkabelis, the American’s team stayed alive in the playoff race

Aris Midea Thessaloniki v 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys (2024-12-17T18:00:00.000Z)

Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv announced early on Wednesday that point guard Noam Yaacov has suffered a small tear in his quadriceps muscle

Hapoel guard Noam Yaacov to miss time with muscle tear

Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv announced early on Wednesday that point guard [Noam Yaacov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/noam-yaacov/011386/) has suffered a small tear in his quadriceps muscle. He will be sideline for a minimum of one week at which point he will be reevaluated. Yaacov, 20, is on loan to Hapoel this season from Turkish Airlines EuroLeague side LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne. He has averaged 3.2 points and 2.0 assists in 12:33 minutes in five EuroCup appearances this season.  

More Hapoel Tel Aviv news

The Hamburg Towers beat Hapoel Jerusalem 82-80 in Round 12 to improve to 3-9, while the visitors dropped to 7-5.

Hamburg secures hard-fought win over Jerusalem, 82-80

Veolia Towers Hamburg improved to a 3-9 record in the BKT EuroCup by beating Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem 82-80 in Round 12 on Tuesday night, with the hosts still bottom of the Group B standings but now 3-3 on their home floor. Jerusalem, in third place in Group B, dropped to 7-5.

Jaizec Lottie netted 18 points, Kur Kuath had a 14-point, 11-rebound double-double, Brae Ivey and Niklas Wimberg scored 12 points apiece, and Johnathan Stove finished with 10 points. Jerusalem, which had just eight minutes play more than one minute, had Jared Harper net 26 points, Tarik Phillip score 13, Khadeen Carrington add 11, and Derek Ogbeide contribute 10.

Kuath got Hamburg going early by scoring 6 points to make it 10-4, with the hosts starting the game hot. Jerusalem showed glimpses of its talent, with an Ogbeide dunk and a Harper three-pointer quickly making it a one-point ballgame (10-9), but Wimberg’s 5 straight points gave Hamburg some breathing room once again at 15-9. However, the Harper-led Jerusalem outscored Hamburg 4-11 over the next four and a half minutes to lead 19-22 in the final seconds of the quarter, only for Wimberg to score off a smart out-of-bounds play by Lottie which made it 21-22 after 10 minutes.

Back-to-back threes by Lottie helped Hamburg regain momentum, and the hosts ended up staying in front until the final 2:30 minutes of the quarter. A big Ogbeide dunk saw Jerusalem take the lead for the first time in the period at 39-40, but Hamburg scored 4 straight before Harper tied it up at 43-43 entering the halftime break.

The lead kept changing hands in the third quarter, but Hamburg was finding ways to stay in front with Kuath, Stove and Lottie all heavily involved. When Lottie and Kuath combined for an alley-oop to make it 58-53 with 2:45 minutes to go, that was the biggest lead either team had in the quarter, and Jared Grey maintained that five-point lead with a backdoor cut and layup to push the score to 60-55. At the end of the quarter, five points by Phillip allowed Jerusalem to get within 62-60.

Hamburg stayed in front for almost the first nine minutes of the fourth, even if the lead never extended beyond four points, but Chris Johnson’s corner three with 1:12 minutes remaining to make it 78-79 almost took the air out of the arena. Jeremy Morgan went 1 for 2 from the line, 78-80, but Lottie scored an amazing layup while being fouled and then converted the and-one free throw to nudge Hamburg ahead once more, 81-80. Even if Kuath went 0 for 2 with seven seconds left, the ball ended up in the hands of Wimberg, who had a 1-for-2 trip to the line and put the 82-80 win on ice.

In a very tight game, it was the German side which managed to come out on top

Veolia Towers Hamburg v Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem (2024-12-17T18:30:00.000Z)

Aris BC improved to a 3-9 record in the EuroCup by beating Lietkabelis Panevezys 81-66, with Trey Woodbury netting a game-high 25 points.

Aris downs Lietkabelis, 81-66, to record first home win this season

Aris Midea Thessaloniki will be hoping that Tuesday night's 81-66 triumph over 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys kickstarts its season, with Ioannis Kastritis's men winning at Nick Galis Hall for the first time this season. The legendary Greek outfit is now 3-9 in Group B, while Lietkabelis – which has a game in hand – is 3-8. 

Trey Woodbury was Aris's star on the offensive end, netting 25 points. The hosts also had Sharife Cooper (12 points), D'Moi Hodge (11), and Landers Nolley (10) finish in double figures. Martynas Varnas was Lietkabelis's leading scorer with 11, while Dovis Bickauskis and Georgios Kalaitzakis had 10 apiece.

There was little to separate the two teams in the early going, but Woodbury scored Aris’s first 5 points to give the hosts an early 5-4 edge. Kalaitzakis, playing back in his native Greece, also had a strong start to the game, and his layup four minutes in saw him move to 6 points and give Lietkabelis a 5-11 lead. Woodbury scored 6 points in the final 4:11 minutes of the quarter to move to 11 overall, but Bickauskis’s tough layup made it 18-19 after 10 minutes.

The largest lead either team had in the second quarter was two points as the chess match continued; one score for Aris would be followed by one for Lietkabelis, and vice versa. It looked like they were going to head into the halftime break with the score tied at 32-32, but Bickauskis’s finger-roll layup on the fast break ensured it was 32-34 after the first two quarters.

Aris had a strong start to the third, with Woodbury moving to 17 points with a layup high off the glass to level it at 34-34 before Sharife Cooper reeled off 5 straight points to give the hosts a 39-34 advantage. Lietkabelis responded with two quick threes by Varnas and Danielius Lavrinovicius to retake the lead, 39-40. The lead kept changing hands the rest of the way, but after D’Moi Hodge gave Aris a four-point advantage, 56-52, in the closing stages, Bickauskis had a perfect trip to the line to make it 56-54 after 30 minutes.

Lietkabelis scored the first 4 points of the final frame, but things quickly went south for the visitors. In response to a Maldunas dunk, Roberts netted 4 straight points, Cooper added a three-point play, Woodbury scored a layup, and Roberts had another big dunk to give Aris a 69-60 lead with 4:48 minutes remaining. Varnas’s mid-range make made things interesting at 69-62, but back-to-back three-pointers by Woodbury all but put the game to bed at 75-62, with the Aris guard doing the Steph Curry sleeping celebration after the second. The hosts then coasted towards an eventual 81-66 victory.

Trey Woodbury scored 8 of his game-high 25 points in the fourth quarter to keep the Greek side's faint playoff hopes alive

Coach Dejan Radonjic's team stayed out of trouble 


Bahcesehir's focus leads to key victory 

In a battle of giants in Group A, [Bahcesehir College Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/bahcesehir-college-istanbul/roster/bah/?season=2024-25) kept full control of the game to [claim a 73-65 victory](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/bahcesehir-beats-gran-canaria-73-65-to-take-control-in-group-a/) over [Dreamland Gran Canaria](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/dreamland-gran-canaria/roster/can/?season=2024-25) and take sole possession of first place.

Bahcesehir used an outstanding start of the game to get a 20-point lead, 36-16, making 8 of 13 two-pointers and 6 of 8 three-pointers in the opening 12 minutes. Sehmus Hazer led the way with 10 points in those opening minutes but Bahcesehir got a solid contribution from everybody that stepped on the court.

Indeed, Bahcesehir shot 1 for 14 from beyond the arc the rest of the way but its ball circulation and a rare ability not to foul when being in the penalty allowed the hosts to control the game until the final buzzer. Its main players stepped up, too. [Axel Bouteille](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/axel-bouteille/003840/) finished the game with 15 points and a PIR of 18. [Tyler Cavanaugh](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/tyler-cavanaugh/009601/) had his third double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 rebounds for a PIR of 19.

"I think it was a tough game, very intense. We played a good first half and I think in the second half they came back, but we didn't go back, we still play our game," Bouteille said. "We tried to fight for the whole game and are very happy with this win."

Tyler Cavanaugh and Axel Bouteille led Bahcesehir College Istanbul to a pivotal 73-65 home victory over Dreamland Gran Canaria in Round 12 of the 2024-25 BKT EuroCup Regular Season.

Cavanaugh, Bouteille step up in big home win

Bahcesehir finished the game with just 8 turnovers and committed only 3 in the first half as it built a double-digit lead, 44-32. It also had 17 assists, 2 more than Gran Canaria, which also finished with 13 turnovers.

Despite finishing the game with the same number of fouls, Bahcesehir went to the foul line a lot more (17 attempts) than Gran Canaria (10). Bahcesehir was in the foul penalty in all foul quarters, having 4 or more team fouls for a total time of 13 minutes and 14 seconds throughout the game. During that time with the foul bonus, Gran Canaria only went to the foul line 6 times. Being able to play strong defense without sending its opponents to the foul line allowed Bahcesehir to use its initial lead and keep it for the better part of the game.

In addition to the win, Bahcesehir also earned the head-to-head tiebreak advantage over Gran Canaria, which had beaten Coach Radonjic's team 66-53 earlier this season.

"It was a good game for us and also very important because we won by more than 4, so it is some kind of a double win. After two, I can say, bad defensive games, today it was totally different. Our focus was good, we did a lot of good things defensively," Coach Radonjic said. "Offensively we lost a little bit of control during the second quarter but anyway, we won."

Coach Dejan Radonjic's team started strong and stayed out of trouble 


Bahcesehir's focus led to key victory 

Bahcesehir College Istanbul v Dreamland Gran Canaria (2024-12-17T16:00:00.000Z)

Bahcesehir Istanbul also claimed the head-to-head tiebreaker against Gran Canaria, its closest rival in the standings

Bahcesehir beats Gran Canaria, 73-65, to take control of Group A

In a battle for first place in Group A, Bahcesehir College Istanbul downed Dreamland Gran Canaria 73-65 at Sinan Erdem Sports Hall in Round 12 on Tuesday. Bahcesehir improved to 10-2 and earned the tiebreak advantage over Gran Canaria, which dropped to 9-3. 

Tai Odiase led the winners with 16 points. Axel Bouteille added 15, Mateusz Ponitka had 11 while Tyler Cavanaugh and Sehmus Hazer each scored 10 for Bahcesehir. Cavanaugh added 10 rebounds for a double-double. Joe Thomasson paced Gran Canaria with 17 points, Mike Tobey netted 16 and Pierre Pelos had 11 for the visitors.

Hazer got Bajcesehir going with a driving layup. Nico Brussino made a triple and Thomasson added a floater for a 2-5 Gran Canaria lead. Jaleen Smith and Hazer each struck from downtown in an 8-0 run that Cavanaugh capped with a layup. Pelos downed a five-meter jumper and Tobey's jump hook kept the visitors within 10-9. Cavanaugh and Bouteille each had 5 points in a 12-0 run that Odiase capped with a put-back basket for a 22-9 lead. After Odiase matched Pelos's layup with a dunk, Bouteille insisted from beyond the arc and Ponitka added an off-balance basket. Jovan Kljajic beat the buzzer with a layup that fixed the score at 29-16 after 10 minutes.

Hazer took over with a backdoor layup and a three-pointer early in the second quarter. CJ Massinburg soon added a layup in transition that made it a 20-point game. John Shurna nailed a corner triple off a Gran Canaria timeout. Carlos Alocen added a driving layup and Mike Tobey's tip-in gave the visitors hope at 36-23. Tobey capped a 0-10 Gran Canaria run with a bomb from downtown. Odiase dunked and Cavanaigh soon gave Bahcesehir fresh air at 40-26. George Conditt and Odiase traded tip-ins, then Bouteille buried a fallaway jumper for a 44-28 score. Thomasson scored in penetration and Brussino's dunk brought the visitors within 44-32 at halftime.

Thomasson swished a jumper soon after the break. Odiase improved on that with a three-point play. After Pelos scored down low, Massinburg restored a 15-point Bahcesehir margin. Thomasson scored in penetration, Odiase buried his trademark jump hook and Caleb Homesley's three-pointer got Gran Canaria within 54-41. Pelos buried a step-back jumper and Homesley soon made it a 10-point game. Bouteille hit a jump hook in the lane, getting help from Odiase and Smith to keep Bahcesehir in control, 61-45, after 30 minutes.

Thomasson took over with a put-back layup early in the fourth quarter. Ponitka answered with consecutive backdoor layups for a 65-47 score with 7 minutes left. Thomasson kept pacing Gran Canaria with a fastbreak layup and followed Tobey's close basket with a three-pointer in transition that prompted the hosts to call timeout at 65-54. Thonasson capped a 0-9 run with free throws, as Odiase buried another jump hook. Tobey struck from beyond the arc and Alocen got the visitors within 67-61 with 4:10 remaining. Bouteille buried a critical jumper and Ponitka added a put-back basket, but Tobey drew Gran Canaria within 71-65 with 1:16 left. Ponitka made a floater to seal the outcome.

The Turkish club also claimed the head-to-head tiebreaker against its closest rival in the standings

Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem announced on Monday that it signed swingman Egor Koulechov. 

Jerusalem inks swingman Egor Koulechov to short-term deal

Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem announced on Monday that it signed swingman Egor Koulechov. The deal is for three months with an option for the remainder of the season. Koulechov (1.96 meters, 30 years old) started the season with Russian side Avtodor Saratov where he averaged 4.4 points on 37.2% three-point shooting and 2.2 rebounds in 16 VTB United League this season.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="iw" dir="rtl">הפועל ״בנק יהב״ ירושלים שמחה להודיע על החתמתו של הגארד/פורוורד איגור קולשוב (30, 1.96) על חוזה לשלושה חודשים עם אופציה עד סוף העונה. קולשוב פתח את העונה הנוכחית באבוטדור סראטוב ברוסיה ויצטרף לאימוני הקבוצה מייד כשתחזור מגרמניה.<br><br>מאמן הקבוצה יונתן אלון אמר: ״איגור יוסיף לנו עומק,… <a href="https://t.co/BM9lYRWOrF">pic.twitter.com/BM9lYRWOrF</a></p>&mdash; Hapoel Jerusalem BC (@JerusalemBasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/JerusalemBasket/status/1868679783879409935?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Born in Russia, Koulechov’s family moved to Israel when he was six years old and he has played professionally in the country for Maccabi Rishon Lezion, Hapoel Holon, Ironi Nahariya, Hapoel Tel Aviv and Hapoel Beersheba and in Russia for UNICS Kazan. He also played college basketball in the United States at Arizona State, Rica and Florida.  

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