By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net
Joe Ragland jumped to fourth on the Basketball Champions League all-time assist list and also powered Hapoel Atsmon Holon to the sweep of the best-of-three series opposite Igokea m:tel.
The reigning champions of Israel’s Winner League notched the win, 91-80, in Game 2 of the Play-In series Tuesday. Automatically placed in Round of 16’s Group I, they will go up against directly qualified SIG Strasbourg and Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem.
Ragland, 33, scored a game-high 20 points in SD Laktasi. An early installment of his 13-assist effort lifted him over Tamir Blatt on the list of players with the most BCL assists, but the improved total of 317 dimes still trails Marcelo Huertas, Dusan Djordjevic, and David Holston.
Overcoming a sluggish start, the team coached by 51-year-old tactician Guy Goodes supported a comfortable lead for most of the second half at Laktasi. Setting the pace with 12 points in the first period, Marvin Jones finished with 18 points to his name. Duke product Javin DeLaurier chipped in ten points, nine rebounds, and two assists.
Suffering a sixth loss in a row between continental and regional competitions, the Bosnia-Herzegovina champions exited the Champions League. Moving forward in the 2022-23 campaign, they will be looking to improve the current W-L tally of 5-8 in AdmiralBet ABA League.
In the last BCL showing, Stefan Djordjevic went for 18 points behind 8/11 two-pointers but did not score in the second half. Nikola Tanaskovic followed with 15 points. Mario Nakic and Darko Talic were sidelined.
Postgame press conference:
Photo Credit: Basketball Champions League