By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net
After being eliminated in the Play-Ins of the Basketball Champions League over the two previous continental campaigns, Pinar Karsiyaka looks good in a third bid.
A 17-point cushion was reduced to four points settling in a 89-85 victory against Rio Breogan in Game 1 of the best-of-three series on Wednesday.
Errick McCollum drew a game-high 25 points. The veteran guard registered 12 points in the second quarter pushing his side into a safe distance. Further contribution included seven of his side’s 16 points in the last ten minutes with the team coached by Ufuk Sarica struggling to make buckets and close out the game. Duke product Vernon Carey Jr. chipped in 16 points.
KSK notched a fourth consecutive Champions League win in Karsiyaka Arena, the first step toward moving into Group K of the Round of 16. A scary scouting report was delivered to early entries, Lenovo Tenerife and Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem, besides the 10-4 W-L tally to sit third in the Turkiye Sigorta Basketbol Super Ligi table.
Placed in the relegation zone of Spain’s Liga Endesa behind a poor 4-12 record combined with a potential ending to the BCL campaign. The Spanish club needs to win two in a row, from Lugo and back to Izmir, to punch in a ticket to the next round.
Serbian Stefan Momirov had a team-high 19 points in the Gameday 1 loss. Conner Frankamp was left out of Breo’s lineup alongside injured Mouhamet Diouf (left knee).
Postgame press conference
Photo Credit: Basketball Champions League