Roll Call

Look back at all the action in Round 10 of the 2024-25 BKT EuroCup season by checking out the best photos of the week! 

Top 10 photos from Round 10

Look back at all the action from Round 10 of the 2024-25 BKT EuroCup season by checking out the best photos of the week! 

Dimitris Itoudis's coaching and the play of Marcus Bingham and Yam Madar alongside guards Patrick Beverley and Antonio Beverley were all key as Hapoel Tel Aviv BC roared past Joventut Badalona 95-70 on Wednesday night at Samakov Arena in Bulgaria. 

Coach Itoudis has already made an impact at Hapoel Tel Aviv

It’s been a busy few weeks for [Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/hapoel-shlomo-tel-aviv/hta/) since [Dimitris Itoudis was appointed as head coach](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/hapoel-tel-aviv-appoints-dimitris-itoudis-two-time-euroleague-champ/). Soon after, the team acquired big man [Marcus Bingham](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/marcus-bingham/013506/), then signed guard [Yam Madar](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/yam-madar/011052/) and finally announced that star center [Johnathan Motley](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/johnathan-motley/011157/) was returning to the team.

Itoudis's coaching and the play of Bingham and Madar alongside guards [Patrick Beverley](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/patrick-beverley/001927/) and [Antonio Beverley](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/antonio-blakeney/013402/) were all key as [Hapoel roared past Joventut Badalona 95-70](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/hapoel-overpowers-joventut-95-70/) on Wednesday night at Samakov Arena in Bulgaria. It was Itoudis's – and Bingham's – second game and in their first, the team faltered late to lose [last week against ratiopharm Ulm](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/ulm-rallies-past-hapoel-80-81-on-sarafs-game-winner/). They learned a lesson from that and, with the help of Madar, corrected it.

"I think we were a much better team than the first game we played," Itoudis said in the post-game press conference. "We tried to create problems for ourselves again in the third quarter when we had a negative run. I said to the team at that moment that they need to help me not to use the timeout like we did against Ulm and then I didn't have a timeout in the end in a clutch moment. And then Yam Madar’s steal and three pointer at that moment helped the team get over this negative run. And we went back to us in a smooth way and the game plan was there."

Hapoel led by as many as 20 early in the third quarter before Joventut heated up behind [Ante Tomic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/ante-tomic/002507/) and went on a 0-11 run. That’s when Madar stood tall with a three-pointer and an assist to [Tomer Ginat](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/tomer-ginat/010550/) to kill the Joventut momentum. A minute later, he knocked down 2 free throws, scored a fast-break layup thanks to a Bingham rebound and outlet pass and then stripped [Keye van der Vuurst](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/keye-van-der-vuurst/013286/) for a layup and a 69-52 lead. Joventut would never challenge again.

Yam Madar's big third quarter against Joventut

Madar was just one of the players Itoudis praised after the game: "We are happy for AB \[Blakeney\], that the calls were for him. He managed to find his positions and make some shots for himself. Pat is playing very serious. He leads the team. Yam brought a different dimension to the game… Bingham, it looks like he’s been playing with the team a long period. His adjustment has been quick."

Just as quickly as he heaped praise, Itoudis started to get excited about what this team could become.

"We are trying to build on this and see what works good. For us, the biggest enemy is time. We don't have that much time between the games that the results matter to put some new things. We added a lot of things and also players are very concentrated, it’s not easy for them to learn all things…" he noted, though the clear understanding is that when the players all learn the new system – and Motley is back in uniform – Hapoel’s potential is vast.

"We have a hell of a coach," said Beverley after the game. "He's been getting us prepared since he's got here and he’s very detailed, he’s all about the small things, all about the right things. Our biggest thing was to come in and try to rebound, you know, try to win the rebound battle and we did that and that led to early offense."

Indeed, Hapoel outrebounded Joventut 33-30 despite the fact that both of its centers, [Bruno Caboclo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/bruno-caboclo/012096/) and Bingham, fouled out in a combined 26 minutes. It was a team effort as all 12 Hapoel players grabbed at least 1 rebound and no one had more than 4.

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Hapoel played most of the game with three-guard lineups and that speed and versatility were too much for Joventut. Blakeney led all scorers with 20 points; Beverley stood tall with 15 points and 6 assists; Madar contributed 9 points, 4 assists and 2 steals and [Joe Ragland](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/joe-ragland/005181/) was good for 8 points, 6 assists and 2 steals.

The team’s next two games are against the teams neck and neck with it [in the standings](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/standings/), [Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/wolves-twinsbet-vilnius/wol/) and [Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/besiktas-fibabanka-istanbul/bes/). If Hapoel continues to take on more of Itoudis's teachings and gets stronger with Motley back, the rest of Group A had best be prepared.

Game News

The 25-point victory over Joventut shined a light on plenty of positives 

Coach Itoudis has already made an impact at Hapoel

Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv v Joventut Badalona (2024-12-04T17:45:00.000Z)

A great performance in a tough road victory allowed Braian Angola of Turk Telekom Ankara to earn Round 10 MVP honors with a PIR of 34.

Round 10 MVP: Braian Angola, Turk Telekom Ankara

A great performance in a tough road victory allowed [Braian Angola](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/braian-angola/010465/) of [Turk Telekom Ankara](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/turk-telekom-ankara/ttk/) to earn Round 10 MVP honors with a PIR of 34.

Angola stood out in his team's 93-98 road win over 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys. He led Turk Telekom with 24 points on 3-of-4 two-pointers, 3-of-5 three-pointers and 9-of-11 free throws, adding 4 rebounds, 3 assists, a steal, a block and 10 fouls drawn to amass a PIR of 34, the highest in Round 10.

[Devin Robinson](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/devin-robinson/012042/) of Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana and [Chris Johnson](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/chris-johnson/013277/) of Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem each had a PIR of 28 in Round 13. Robinson led Cedevita to a 103-96 home win over U-BT Cluj-Napoca with 25 points on 9-of-12 two-pointers, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals and 5 fouls drawn. Johnson had 15 points on 6-of-8 two-pointers and 3-of-3 free throws, 12 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 fouls drawn in his team's 96-83 road loss against Valencia Basket.

[Anthony Cowan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/anthony-cowan-jr/012003/) of Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius and [Johnathan Stove](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/johnathan-stove/013503/) of Veolia Towers Hamburg, each with a PIR of 27, complete the top individual performances in Round 10.

### Individual highs: Landers Nolley, Aris, 4 steals

[Anthony Brown](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/anthony-brown/009025/) of Turk Telekom led all Round 10 scorers with 26 points. [Jared Harper](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/jared-harper/011970/) of Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem is first overall with 22.3 points per game.

Chris Johnson of Jerusalem pulled down 12 rebounds, more than anyone else in Round 10. [Mfiondu Kabengele](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/mfiondu-tshimanga-kabengele/012796/) of Umana Reyer Venice is the competition's top rebounder with 10.4 boards per night.

[Patrick Beverley](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/patrick-beverley/001927/) of Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv, his teammate [Joe Ragland](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/joe-ragland/005181/), [Martynas Varnas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/lt/eurocup/players/martynas-varnas/005521/) of Lietkabelis and [Rasheed Sulaimon](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/rasheed-sulaimon/011150/) of Buducnost VOLI Podgorica each had 6 assists in Round 10. [Zavier Simpson](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/zavier-simpson/013302/) of U-BT Cluj-Napoca leads the league in assists with 6.9 per game.

[Landers Nolley](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/landers-nolley/013249/) of Aris Midea Thessaloniki collected 4 steals in Round 10. [Andrew Albicy](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/andrew-albicy/003425/) is first overall with 2.1 steals per game. Albicy has 193 career steals and needs 21 more to lead the all-time standings.

Four players had 2 blocks in this round: [Artem Pustovyi](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/artem-pustovyi/004834/) of Joventut Badalona, [Sergio de Larrea](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/sergio-de-larrea/010750/) of Valencia, [Kur Kuath](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/kur-kuath/013313/) of Veolia Towers Hamburg and [Nico Brussino](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/nicolas-brussino/008121/) of Dreamland Gran Canaria. Kuath is also atop the overall standings with 2.0 per night.

Johnson (15 points, 12 rebounds), Kabengele (18 points, 10 rebounds) and Bahcesehir College Istanbul’s [Tyler Cavanaugh](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/tyler-cavanaugh/009601/) (13 points, 11 rebounds) each recorded a double-double in Round 10.

Congratulations to Matej Karamarko, our eighth winner in the 2024-25 EuroCup Fantasy Challenge! Matej's team, 'm199', posted a score of 225.75.

EuroCup Fantasy Challenge: Round 9 winner

Congratulations to Yogev Tebulle, our 10th winner in the 2024-25 [EuroCup Fantasy Challenge](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/)! Yogev's team, 'Hapoel j', posted a score of 204.10.

Yogven had the following starting lineup: Jared Harper of Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem as team captain, then Umana Reyer Venice duo Tyler Ennis and Mfiondu Kabengele, and Turk Telekom Ankara pair Braian Angola and Anthony Brown. ratiopharm Ulm's Noa Essengue was his sixth man.

His team's head coach was Ulm's Ty Harrelson, while his four bench players were Ulm's Ben Saraf, 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys's Georgios Kalaitzakis, Jerusalem's Gabriel Chachashvili, and Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse's Maxime Courby. 

The prize for finishing first in Round 10 is a free subscription to Euroleague TV for the 2025-26 season, so congratulations, Yogev!

The leader in the overall standings remains Milos Mihajlovic and his squad, 'BallIsLife', which has a total of 1,705.80 points after the first 10 rounds. Trades are now open for Round 11. Remember, four trades are allowed before each round until the end of the regular season.

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

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

EuroCup Fantasy Challenge: Round 10 winner

For the third time in a row, Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul won its game on the road, and this time it need to give everything it got to hold off Buducnost VOLI Podgorica 88-90.

Besiktas has turned its 'disadvantages into advantages'

For the third time in a row, Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul won a game on the road, and this time it needed to give everything it got to hold off Buducnost VOLI Podgorica 88-90.

Kelan Martin scored 8 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter, and Dustin Sleva had 9 of his 16 points in the final stanza.

Jonah Mathews and Kyle Allman hit important shots, but none was more important than Derek Needham's triple with 35 seconds left that made it 85-89.

"The win is important for the standings, for team chemistry," Mathews said. "Important for everything."

Coach Dusan Alimpijevic agreed.

"This is an amazing win for us," the Besiktas head coach said. "We have been playing without a '5', and the main thing is we just turn our disadvantages into our advantages."

Due to their lack of size, Besiktas's bigs were stretching the floor more rather than rolling to the basket.

"I think that was a problem for Buducnost to find a solution," added Alimpijevic.

Looking at the box score, with Besiktas outrebounding the hosts 35-33, and 17-9 on the offensive glass, few would think Besiktas had a size disadvantage.

"Big congrats to my players for their desire. Without a '5', 17 offensive rebounds. A big game for them."

Besiktas now hosts the Group A leader and city rival Bahcesehir College Istanbul, then goes on a stretch of three more road games.

Considering how it has fared away from home lately, don't be surprised the team holding a 6-4 record continues its climb up the standings.

The Turkish outfit displayed its road warrior mentality once again

Buducnost VOLI Podgorica v Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul (2024-12-04T18:00:00.000Z)

The second part of the regular season might have started, but not much changed for Bahcesehir College Istanbul as it downed Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius 84-74 on Wednesday. It marked Bahcesehir's seventh consecutive win and the fifth time during this streak that finished with a double-digit margin.

Bahcesehir took care of business in the second half

The second part of the regular season might have started, but not much changed for Bahcesehir College Istanbul as it downed Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius 84-74 on Wednesday. It marked Bahcesehir's seventh consecutive win and the fifth time during this streak that finished with a double-digit margin.

"The second half was offensively total different than the first half, and that was the key for this win," Bahcesehir head coach Dejan Radonjic said in the post-game press conference.

What Radonjic was referring to is the fact Bahcesehir scored 50 points in the second half, after trailing 34-36 at halftime.

Bahcesehir shot just 3 for 13 from three-point land in the first half, but shot 6 for 13 from deep in the second.

The team committed just 7 turnovers, but none in the third quarter when they jumped in front and started to control the contest.

More than anything, however, was Bahcesehir's dominance on the glass. For the night, the hosts had 39 rebounds, compared to 29 for the Wolves. The visitors had 7 offensive rebounds, but only 1 in the second half.

Meanwhile, Bahcesehir grabbed 8 of its 15 offensive boards in the third and fourth quarters.

Behind Axel Bouteille, who led the scoring with 19 points, and Tyler Cananaugh, who collected 13 points and 11 rebounds, Bahcesehir improved to 9-1 on the season and continued on its path as the top team in Group A.

Dejan Radonjic's men dominated after the break in another win

Bahcesehir College Istanbul v Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius (2024-12-04T16:00:00.000Z)

Anthony Brown, Braian Angola and Yoan Makoundou combined for a historical performance in Turk Telekom Ankara's win over 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys.


Turk Telekom's Big Three makes history against Lietkabelis 

Turk Telekom Ankara had to battle hard to beat 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys 93-98 on the road in Round 10, rallying from a double-digit deficit in the second half to record its fifth victory in Group B. By doing so, three of its players had an unprecedented combined performance never seen in 23 seasons of the BKT EuroCup.

Anthony Brown led the winners with 26 points. Braian Angola added 24 while Yoan Makoundou had 23. It is the first time that three teammates combine for 23 points or more in a non-overtime EuroCup game. It happened five times in the past, but all of those games went to one or multiple overtimes. U-BT Cluj-Napoca managed to do it last season in an overtime victory over Dreamland Gran Canaria, 111-113. Jarell Eddie had 24 points while Patrick Richard and Emanuel Cate each added 23.

Yoan Makoundou, Anthony Brown and Braian Angola each had 23 points or more in Turk Telekom Ankara's victory over 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys.

Makoundou, Brown and Angola combine for 73 points!

The first team to achieve that was Benetton Olympic Fribourg in a 106-102 double-overtime victory over Antwerp Giants. Harold Mrazek led the way with 29 points, Ken Johnson added 25 and David Estrekamp had 23. The list also includes an ALBA Berlin vs. Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius double-overtime game in which both teams had 3 players with at least 23 points each: Elmedin Kikanovic had 33, Dominique Johnson 24 and Peyton Siva 23 for ALBA. David Logan, Deividas Gailius and Corey Fisher each had 23 for Rytas. The list also includes the five-overtime, 141-127 legendary game between ALBA and Bosna Sarajevo. That day, Bobby Brown led ALBA with 44 points, Julius Jenkins added 33 and Goran Nikolic 31.

None of them did it in overtime, which makes Turk Telekom's victory even more special. Makoundou had 10 points in the fourth quarter, Angola had 8 in those 10 minutes and Brown scored his final 8 points in the final 7 minutes. They combined for 26 of Turk Telekom's 32 fourth-quarter points. Angola, Makoundou and Brown also combined for a PIR of 80.

After the game, Angola gave extra value to this victory. "I have been having a lot of struggles lately for personal reasons, but my teammates always trust me," he said after the game. "They believe in me, my coaching staff, and we are family. We just got to show that and just keep playing together and staying together every day."

Anthony Brown, Braian Angola and Yoan Makoundou combined for a historical performance


Turk Telekom's Big Three made history against Lietkabelis

7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys v Turk Telekom Ankara (2024-12-04T17:00:00.000Z)

Valencia Basket enjoyed another successful BKT EuroCup night after defeating the visiting Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem 96-83, confirming they are the team to beat in Group B. With this win, Valencia goes to 9-0 – still with a game less than its opponents – and continues to be the best offensive team in the competition.

Valencia used a nearly perfect first half to dominate Jerusalem

Valencia Basket enjoyed another successful BKT EuroCup night after defeating the visiting Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem 96-83, confirming they are the team to beat in Group B. With this win, Valencia goes to 9-0 – still with a game less than its opponents – and continues to be the best offensive team in the competition.

Another example of this was the first half, and especially the first 18 minutes of the game. At that moment, Valencia was dominating 57-30 after punishing Jerusalem with a 20-0 run in the space of 5 minutes.

To that point, the Spanish team had already converted 11 three-pointers coming from six different players and had also provided 11 assists in what seemed to be a prelude of another three-digit scoring night for Valencia.

The blowout was also represented by an absolute dominance of the stat sheet, with Valencia out rebounding Hapoel 20-15 and recording a 73 PIR against the visitors’ 33.

“We work hard every day. So it's just showing the hard work we put in every day,” affirmed Chris Jones right after the game. “We just gotta keep going and don't relax, you know, like I say just keep playing hard and keep winning as many games as we can."

But despite that big advantage, Valencia had to fight hard to prevent Jerusalem from getting close, as the visitors managed to reduce the distance to 10 points, both in the third and the fourth quarters.

“We are living in the present, we are not thinking in the future, and today, for example, we lost the second half,” regretted Valencia head coach Pedro Martinez when asked about the expectations a perfect record so far can build.

“We didn't share the ball in the right direction in the second half. Every game is different and today the first half was in one way, and the second was another. \[...\] We respect Hapoel very much, they are the best defense in the EuroCup, they play very hard and we had some problems adjusting, especially in the second half, to their defense.”

Hapoel won the last two quarters of the game and even got within 89-79 with 2:50 to play, showing great pride and putting in a tremendous effort to come back. But Valencia came back to the basics, to the things that had worked better so far, which was the three-point shooting and giving the ball to Chris Jones, who finished with 20 points and 5 treys to lead his team. He showed up with his fifth to make it 92-73, right before Matt Costello closed the outcome from the free-throw line.

“\[We\] just stuck to what we do,” he said to explain how his team showed personality when Hapoel got close. “Not really losing our composure. Basketball is a game of runs. They made a run, but we were able to slow them down and continue doing what we did and we finished the game pretty strong.”

The Spaniard side built a 57-30 lead that sent the visitors to the ropes in the second quarter

Valencia Basket v Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem (2024-12-04T19:45:00.000Z)

Valencia Basket confirmed its supremacy in Group B by defeating the visiting Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem 96-83 at La Fonteta on Wednesday night. The victory was the ninth in as many games for the Spaniard side, which is now two games ahead of second-placed Jerusalem, which slipped to 7-3. 

Valencia holds off Jerusalem to stay perfect, 96-83

Valencia Basket confirmed its supremacy in Group B by defeating the visiting Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem 96-83 at La Fonteta on Wednesday night. The victory was the ninth in as many games for the Spaniard side, which is now two games ahead of second-placed Jerusalem, which slipped to 7-3. 

Valencia set the foundations of another successful aftermath from the very beginning, scoring 8 triples in the first quarter, then punishing its opponent with a 20-0 spark in the second to blow the game open, 57-30. Despite several comeback attempts, Hapoel could never get closer than 10 points, allowing Valencia to celebrate a few minutes before the final whistle.

Chris Jones led the winners with 20 points on 5 triples. Jean Montero and Matt Costello followed with 13 apiece, while Brancou Badio and Semi Ojeleye provided 12 and 10, respectively. Khadeen Carrington chipped in 17 points in 22 minutes to pace Hapoel, while Chris Johnson contributed a double-double of 15 points and 12 boards. Jared Harper had 16 on his return to Valencia, and Yovel Zoosman finished with 13 in a losing effort.

Game Videos

The hosts showed deadly accuracy from long range from the very beginning, going for 5 three-pointers on just 7 attempts and from four different players. That allowed Valencia to build a solid margin, 19-10, midway through the first period, as Hapoel avoided a bigger punishment thanks to the duo of Harper and Johnson on offense. Ojeleye and Josep Puerto landed another two treys, but found Carrington in offense to reduce the margin to 25-23, with the American guard scoring 8 points in just 2 minutes. Valencia immediately stopped the game with a timeout, then Montero made a four-point play and provided another bucket soon after to elevate Valencia 33-26 at the end of the first quarter.

Despite Harper’s effort to sustain his team and prevent Valencia from pulling away, the home team quickly constructed a double-digit lead after Nate Sestina and Sergio de Larrea drilled back-to-back triples that increased the advantage to 43-30 after 14 minutes. Even though Hapoel called for an urgent timeout to stop the bleeding, a fast-break jumper and free throws by Amida Brimah and Montero saw the hosts' lead swell to 49-30. The run didn’t stop, as Valencia extended it to 20-0 and 57-30, as Hapoel remained scoreless for more than 5 minutes. Johnson was the one that broke the trend with 4 points in a row, boosting a 2-8 run to finish the first half with Valencia leading 59-38.

Carrington came out quite hot after the break, as he nailed three consecutive three-pointers and added an assist for Gabriel Chachashvili’s dunk that made it 62-49. Harper continued the rally with 5 points of his own to keep Hapoel’s momentum, good for a 66-56 score with still plenty of minutes to play. Despite having seen its difference being cut to less than a half, Valencia didn’t panic and even refused to use a timeout, as Badio and Sestina showed up to score from downtown once each and restore a safe margin. 74-58, for the hosts. Costello and Jones followed with an inside basket and a buzzer-beating trey to close the third period with the home team ruling 79-62.

Jaime Pradilla and Costello rebuilt a margin of 20+ points right after the game resumed, 83-62, but Hapoel kept fighting for its life and got within 83-73 with still 6 minutes remaining thanks to a 0-11 run in which Zoosman got 5 points. This time Valencia did stop the game, needing to regroup quickly to avoid any risk. Sestina converted an offensive rebound to help the hosts stay calm, and Badio provided a steal, a couple of free throws and a difficult layup to confirm the good vibes, 89-77, with 3 minutes to go. Jones hit from downtown soon after and Costello added a couple of free throws to put the game on ice entering the last 100 seconds.

A 20-0 run early in the second quarter helped the hosts keep the Israeli side under control

Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse was on the brink of reversing a nightmare first half against Hamburg Towers with some tough defense but was still lacking the offensive punch. Enter Hugo Benitez, the face of the franchise who turned the game around with a masterful final 15 minutes.

Hugo Benitez shined when Bourg needed him most 

[Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/cosea-jl-bourg-en-bresse/roster/bou/) was on the brink of reversing a nightmare first half with some tough defense but was still lacking the offensive punch. Enter [Hugo Benitez](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/hugo-benitez/010449/), the face of the franchise who turned the game around with a masterful final 15 minutes.

Benitez finished the game with a team-high 17 points to go with 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals in [Bourg’s 93-82 comeback win](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/bourg-rallies-from-14-points-down-to-beat-hamburg-93-82/) over [Veolia Towers Hamburg](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/veolia-towers-hamburg/roster/ham/). The French team gave up 58 points in the first half and needed to rally back from 14 points down to grab its first BKT EuroCup win since November 6 for a 6-4 record after having lost four of its last five games. 

“I want us to remember the second half. The first half was not high-level basketball. And it’s not acceptable. We did a good job in the second half,” said Bourg head coach [Frederic Fauthoux](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/cosea-jl-bourg-en-bresse/bou/fauthoux-frederic/). 

Hugo Benitez shined vs. Hamburg when Bourg needed him most 

Hugo Benitez shined vs Hamburg when Bourg needed him most

Bourg still trailed 58-66 midway through the third quarter when Benitez began to take over. He scored three baskets in a 13-0 run to claim the lead 71-66. And Benitez added another score to give Bourg its first double-digit lead 80-70 with 6 minutes left in the game. 

Hamburg answered with the next 4 points but Benitez punched back with a three-pointer and then stole the ball before assisting on a [Jordan Usher](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/jordan-usher/013265/) layup to make it 85-74. 

Hamburg was never able to get closer than 9 points the rest of the way 

“It’s all about the team. We showed a lot of character,” Benitez said. “We had a talk at halftime and showed our real team in the second half. The first half was terrible for us. They played really well. But afterwards, it was our rhythm. That is our team.” 

The performance was Benitez’s best of the season - topping the 11 points, 3 rebounds and 6 assists he had in the Round 9 loss to Valencia Basket. 

The 23-year-old is really starting to shine more with the 2024 EuroCup runner-up.

The face of the franchise scored 11 of his 17 points in the final 15 minutes

Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse v Veolia Towers Hamburg (2024-12-04T18:30:00.000Z)

In a thriller that went down to the wire, Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul edged Buducnost VOLI Podgorica 88-90 on Wednesday night in the Montenegrin capital. Besiktas improved to a 6-4 record, tied for a third-best in Group A, while Buducnost dropped to 4-6.

Besiktas wins drama over Buducnost, 88-90

In a thriller that went down to the wire, Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul edged Buducnost VOLI Podgorica 88-90 on Wednesday night in the Montenegrin capital. Besiktas improved its record to 6-4 which is tied for a third-best in Group A, while Buducnost dropped to 4-6.

Besiktas took the lead with a 4-17 run that opened the third quarter and never trailed again, but also never had a lead bigger than 8 points. In the final seconds, Buducnost had two shots to win, but first Fletcher Magee and then McKinley Wright missed would-be game-winning three-pointers. Jonah Mathews and Kelan Martin scored 20 apiece in a victory. Dustin Sleva added 16, Kyle Allman 11 and Derek Needham had 10 points for the visitors. Kenan Kamenjas was Buducnost's top scorer with 21 points, Mateo Dreznjak had 17 points and Juwan Morgan 13 in a loss.

Besiktas started well on the offensive boards, which led to baskets from Sleva and Kerem Konan. Wright hit a triple for the hosts, but back-to-back threes from Allman and Needham opened a 5-10 lead. Andrija Slavkovic answered with a three-pointer of his own, and a three-pointer from Magee got Buducnost ahead, 13-12. Alen Omic extended the margin to 19-14, but Martin's basket and Berk Ugurlu's triple tied it at 19-19.

Martin had a corner three and a tough basket inside to give Besiktas a 19-24 lead. Juwan Morgan snapped a 0-10 run, but another basket in the paint from Martin made it 21-28. However, three-point plays, one by each Dreznjak and Rasheed Sulaimon, restored Buducnost advantage, 29-28. Back-to-back threes from Dreznjak and Juwan Morgan made it 35-30. Allman and Conor Morgan got the visitors within a single point, only for Buducnost to put together an 8-0 run fueled by Sulaimon and Kamenjas, 43-34. Sleva and Mathews managed to cut it to 45-39 going into the halftime.

The visitors opened the third quarter strong, with Mathews hitting a three and Needham a long two. A basket from Sleva put Besiktas ahead and Mathews extended the lead from the free throw line to 47-51 after only 3 minutes. Sleva's three-pointer followed by a tough jumper from Mathews made it 49-56. Things slowed down, with many stoppages, as Kamenjas scored a three-point play, but Mathews had a pair of jumpers and Martin a triple to make it an 8-point game, only for Dreznjak's layup to make it 60-65 after 30 minutes.

Martin opened the fourth quarter with a triple, but Morgan and Kamenjas did the work inside, the latter with a three-point play that got Buducnost within 67-68. Martin and Sleva each hit a three-pointer, then Sleva added a three-point play and another triple to keep Besiktas ahead, 75-80. Dreznjak dunked and Juwan Morgan muscled in a basket, but Mathews netted a long two to keep it at 79-84 entering the final 2 minutes. Magee's second-chance three-pointer got the hosts within a single point, allowing for a dramatic finish. Needham made a three with 35 seconds to go, but Sulaimon answered the same way 11 seconds later to make it 88-89. Mathews split free throws, and Buducnost had two chance to win, but Besiktas survived.

Besiktas pulls out its third straight road win

[DeVante' Jones](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/devante-jones/013260/) experienced a European debut that very few basketball players do. The [Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/cedevita-olimpija-ljubljana/lju/) guard was part of almost a rock-star show that included games in Las Vegas and meeting Kylian Mbappe. And it was all because of Victor Wembanyama.

Jones’s connection with the current NBA sensation goes back to their mutual trainer, Tim Martin. Jones and Wembanyama worked out at the same gym in the summer of 2022 in Dallas.

“I was like, is that the guy everybody's raving about? So I walked over and had a talk with him and we hit it off right away,” Jones remembered.

And when Jones’s agent told him of the opportunity to play with Wembanyama at Metropolitans 92, he jumped at it.

“The first day I got the Paris I went over to Victor and it was like we've been together all the time, our whole lives. He was one of the best teammates I ever played with, just very unselfish,” said Jones.

The 2022-23 season was a great ride with Metropolitans. In October 2022, the team flew to Las Vegas to play against the G League Unite team in two exhibition games. It was a chance for the world to see Wembanyama go up against the player most people thought had the best chance to get picked number one in the 2023 NBA Draft over him – Scoot Henderson. And Wembanyama didn’t disappoint with games of 37 and 36 points.

“It was amazing. The stars in Vegas: LeBron \[James\], Chris Paul, Anthony Davis, etc. They came just to support Victor. But just being able to see guys that you look up to or you watch every day, it was kind of amazing,” Jones said.

“I think being in Vegas, that's when Victor really solidified himself being the number one pick… He was just doing some crazy things that you were just not used to seeing. And he had the whole crowd cheering his name and things like that. So it was great. Just having the opportunity to play in front of LeBron James. Just having all that media attention. Staying in a great hotel. Just being able to enjoy Vegas, just being out there for a week, really just enjoying it.”

The Wemby Show also gave Jones a chance to meet some of the biggest stars in the world. There was an NBA Draft Lottery watch party held at the Nike facility in Paris and world football stars like Mbappe and Neymar were there – in addition to Jones.

“Victor did a great job just making us feel famous as well,” he said.

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The French League season ended with Metropolitans losing to AS Monaco in the finals, falling 3-0 to the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague team. That didn’t go over well with Wembanyama.

“Man, he cried so much. He was just so hurt,” Jones said. “After we lost that last game, we got in a circle and Victor says: I will never be swept again. And just hearing that come from somebody that young, just the competitiveness he had, and the maturity he showed throughout the whole season, that's something you don't really see.”

The two parted ways after the season. Wembanyama, of course, went on to be the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft and won the 2023-24 NBA Rookie of the Year award for an outstanding first season with the San Antonio Spurs.

Jones left Metropolitans but stayed in France, moving to Le Mans. He ranked second in the league in scoring with 15.9 points per game, taking on a different role while also dishing out 5.2 assists per game – the fifth-best average in the French top flight.

“I didn't play with as much talent and in order for us to get some wins and compete, I had to take more of that scoring role. Also, while being a playmaker as well,” Jones said. “When it comes to me, I can adjust and adapt to any situation. If I need to score, I score. If I need to be able to make reads, make passes, I do that as well.”

Le Mans ended up taking 11th place in the league and missing the playoffs.

This season, Jones is debuting in the BKT EuroCup with Cedevita, which poses him a different challenge since he is playing in a different league and also facing teams from throughout Europe.

"What stands out is the pace of the game. It's very special,” he commented. “Valencia is very fast. They get the ball out quick. They shoot the ball within five seconds sometimes of the shot clock. Each game is different, though. Every team brings something different. And it's fun because you just never know who you're going to play against.”

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Looking back, Jones enjoys talking about that first year in France with Wembanyama. There are a lot of things he remembers of the Frenchman’s star talent: how he worked out in the weight room with no socks or shoes to help strengthen his feet; his preparation, including getting to practice early to mentally get himself together; the way he carried himself as the first to be in the gym and the last to leave; seeing him just to hate losing; having to play him one-on-one over and over again.

“It's not normal. So just seeing that, such a competitive nature at his age is like, I like this. So it started rubbing off on me and the whole team. So, I learned a lot from Victor.”

It’s fair to say Jones enjoyed his wild, season-long ride with Victor Wembanyama.

The EuroCup rookie enjoyed a memorable season playing alongside the current San Antonio Spurs superstar

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DeVante' Jones and his wild European debut with Victor Wembanyama

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