By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
After 11 lead changes, U-BT Cluj Napoca started the fourth quarter with eight unanswered points and went on to claim the win, 86-75, against Filou Oostende in the Basketball Champions League Game of the Week Monday evening.
BCL December MVP Brandon Brown delivered 12 points in the first quarter and added five more to fuel the key 8-0 run for a total of 25 points in the Regular Season Round of 16 Gameday 3 contest. The 32-year-old point guard tucked in six three-pointers and dished out eight assists as well.
Elijah Stewart tallied 11 of his 17 points in the last ten minutes and experienced swingman Patrick Richard added 16 more points for the Romania champions going up to 2-0 in Round of 16 Group K. The Belgium champions were forced down to 0-2.
The team coached by Mihai Silvasan is now 32-1 across all competitions this season, including 17-0 in Romania’s Liga Nationala. The team based in Cluj-Napoca turned the back-and-forth affair opposite Oostende to a double-digit advantage thanks to the fast start to the fourth period and from there held on to secure the win.
Former Alabama standout Levi Randolph logged a team-high 20 points in the losing effort at BTarena. Phil Booth scored 18 points and Ghanaian Amida Brimah ended up with 14 points. Brandon McCoy remains on the injury list for the team coached by Dario Gjergja, currently 15-0 in the betFirst BNXT League.
Next week on Gameday 4, the Romanian side will visit the Ukraine champion Prometey. Oostende is set to host Prometey in a must-win game to be held in two days, Thursday, at Versluys Dome.
Postgame press conference:
Photo Credit: Basketball Champions League