By Eurohoops Team / info@eurohoops.net
The Basketball Champions League classic, the most frequent matchup in the history of the competition, didn’t disappoint.
Filou Oostende welcomed SIG Strasbourg for the 10th time in the BCL and recorded the first home win over the French side, prevailing after 45 minutes, 87-84. Oostende improved to 2-3, while Strasbourg fell to 3-2 after a second consecutive loss in Group E.
The hosts were in the lead since midway through the first period, all the way to the final moments of the game, but Strasbourg refused to go down. With a 7-0 run, the guests cut the deficit to just a point. Then, Khalil Ahmad scored just one free throw with 11 seconds to go. Phil Booth used it to tie the teams at 79 with two seconds on the clock after an offensive rebound. Damien Jefferson tried a Hail Mary at the buzzer but missed by a little.
Ahmad then scored five straight points to give Oostende an edge. Strasbourg pushed once again but fell short. Tyrus McGee missed the tying three-point shot with two seconds left, and it was all over in the COREtec Dome.
Jean Salumu led the winning side with 18 points, while Damien Jefferson and Pierre-Antoine Gillet added 13 points each. Ahmad, who made the difference at the end, finished the match with 12 points.
Quinton Hooker had a great night for Strasbourg, scoring 25 points for a PIR of 26, but it wasn’t enough for the guests. Phil Booth followed with 13 points and seven boards, Tyrus McGee added 12, while Nysier Brooks scored 11, and Hugo Invernizzi had 10, being a rebound short of a double-double.
Postgame press conference
Photo: fiba.basketball