By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Bahcesehir College Istanbul is not just a fluke; it has been proved beyond doubt against Besiktas Fibabanka in a game that ended with Bahcesehir dominating and getting a 2-0 start in Group A.
The final score was 87-66 as the winning side got a 47-32 halftime lead, which was transformed into a 20-point advantage (47-37) early in the second half. Besiktas had no answers against Jaleen Smith (12 p.), or Tyler Cavanaugh (17 p.), familiar names from their past EuroLeague presence.
Marko Simonovic scored 14, Tai Osiase added 12 points in a total team effort, and Mateusz Ponitka finished the night with 11, while Sehmus Hazed had 13.
Former Panathinaikos and Crvena Zvezda coach Dejan Radonjic is building something good in Turkey, while the unit of Dusan Alimpijevic was competitive only in the first quarter (23-21).
On the other early game of the night for Group B, Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem passed the test in Lithuania against 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys.
The final score was a 20-point win (94-74), but the game was decided in the last quarter with the Israelis getting there with a four-point lead (60-56). Jared Harper with 23 points led the charge and Yovel Zoosman added 20. Liektabelis simply didn’t have enough firepower with Dovis Bickauskis being the top scorer of his team with 13 points.
Ulm got the 87-83 win over Joventut with Boston Celtics president Brad Stevens stealing the show since he attended, obviously for Ulm’s Israeli guard Ben Saraf who scored 15 points.
Celtics president Brad Stevens in Germany watching the #BKTEuroCup game between Ulm and Joventut pic.twitter.com/WLjg3kYLS7
— Eurohoops (@Eurohoopsnet) October 1, 2024
The game was a close one, even if Ulm led from wire-to-wire. The Spaniards tried to steal the game and trimmed the lead to four (84-81) but it was too late. Nelson Weidemann with 17 points was the top scorer of the winning side, while Badalona got 18 points by veteran Ante Tomic.
After losing to Joventut in the opener, Hapoel Tel Aviv secured their first win by defeating BC Wolves 89-84.
Jonathan Motley was the standout player with 16 points, six rebounds, and six assists, while Patrick Beverley scored just two points less, also recording six assists and grabbing the same number of rebounds. On the other side, Tre’Shaun Truman almost played alone, scoring a remarkable 29 points.
Cedevita Olimpija improved to 2-0 after defeating Reyer Venice in Ljubljana 87-82, led by Devin Robinson’s 17 points and nine rebounds, while captain Jaka Blažič also scored 17.
On the losing side, Tyler Ennis scored 23 points, and Mfiondu Kabengele recorded a double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds, while the third Canadian on the Italian team, Kyle Wiltjer, also scored 14 points.
BKT EuroCup 2024-25 – Round 1
Group A
Bahcesehir College Istanbul – Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul 87-66
ratiopharm Ulm – Joventut Badalona 87-83
Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv – Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius 89-84
Buducnost VOLI Podgorica – Dreamland Gran Canaria (2/10)
Dolomiti Energia Trento – Trefl Sopot (2/1o)
Standings
- Bahcesehir 2-0
- Ulm 2-0
- Gran Canaria 1-0
- Hapoel Tel Aviv 1-1
- Besiktas 1-1
- Joventut 1-1
- Trefl Sopot 0-1
- Trento 0-1
- Buducnost 0-1
- Wolves 0-2
Group B
7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys – Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem 74-94
Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana – Umana Reyer Venice 87-82
Aris Midea Thessaloniki – Turk Telekom Ankara (2/10)
Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse – U-BT Cluj-Napoca (2/10)
Valencia Basket – Veolia Towers Hamburg (2/10)
Standings
- Cedevita Olimpija 2-0
- Bourg-en-Bresse 1-0
- Valencia 1-0
- Turk Telekom 1-0
- Venezia 1-1
- Hapoel Jerusalem 1-1
- Aris 0-1
- Cluj Napoca 0-1
- Hamburg Towers 0-1
- Lietkabelis 0-2
PHOTO CREDIT: BKT EuroCup