Despite a valiant effort, Buducnost couldn’t contain the overwhelming offensive display from Trento, as the Italian team earned the 11-point win
Trento overcomes Buducnost in high-scoring clash, 96-107



The MORACA Sports Center came alive on Wednesday night, as Dolomiti Energia Trento secured its first victory of the BKT EuroCup campaign at Buducnost VOLI Podgorica in a back-and-forth affair. The result moves both teams to 1-1 so far this season.
Piling in an incredible 52 points more than it managed last week, Trento stepped up impressively. Bouncing back from a disappointing performance last time out, DeVante Jones dazzled throughout, earning his EuroCup career high with 24 points, dishing out 7 and finishing with a PIR of 29. Five of Jones’s teammates finished on double figures also, most notably 17-year-old Cheickh Niang and 18-year-old Patrick Hassan, who stepped up in the absence of multiple key pieces.
To top off a jubilant night, veteran guard Toto Forray became the first player to compete in 150 EuroCup games.
Game Videos
Both teams made energetic starts, attacking each other relentlessly to begin a high-paced quarter. DeVante Jones set the standard for the visitors early, carving his way through the lane at will and inspiring his team with transition baskets. Buducnost responded by feeding Nikola Tanaskovic inside, in turn creating space for shooters to let it fly from deep. Key players for both sides picked up concerning early fouls, but the foundation had been laid for an entertaining contest. Trento snatched the advantage at the end of the opening period, 21-25.
Cheickh Niang and Fletcher Magee traded triples to open the second quarter, with the former reaching double-digit points in doing so. Jones didn’t get his foot off the gas either, pushing the pace and continuing to pull the strings for the Italian team. Buducnost were far from done, however. Skylar Mays took hold of the game, forcing his way through the key and creating multiple scoring opportunities out of nothing. The momentum had shifted and the hosts found themselves on top midway through the quarter. The home team managed to sustain the lead for the remainder of the half, but Trento wouldn’t go away. When they split for the locker rooms, Buducnost held a 56-53 advantage.
Trento came flying out of the blocks at the restart and when Jones enjoyed a successful trip to the line, the visitors edged ahead again. Mays plugged away for Buducnost, but his team totally fell apart defensively. Trento took advantage of that, piling in the points in an impressive scoring surge, led by Andrej Jakimovski and Jordan Bayehe. Massimo Cancellieri’s team couldn’t be stopped, playing highly impressive team basketball offense and scoring 30 in the penultimate quarter, which it finished on top, 68-83.
Everything went Trento’s way as the fourth quarter began, from smooth shot-making to stubborn defensive resistance that forced poor shot selection from the home team. Patrick Hassan joined the party, driving speedily for the visitors and boosting the scoreline in his first meaningful EuroCup appearance. Missed layups and turnovers became an issue for Buducnost, as the hosts saw their chances start to slide away. Andrej Zakelj’s team wouldn’t surrender and even slimmed the deficit down to five with just minutes remaining, but it wasn’t to be. Trento showcased its much-improved offense down to the final second and when all was said and done, it picked up the 96-107 victory.