By Cesare Milanti / info@eurohoops.net
The 2024-25 Basketball Champions League Regular Season is finally underway, and the first two days of this year’s competition brought surprises and excitement to the table. Especially because some of the main protagonists belong to a whole new era for European and International basketball.
Saint-Quentin Basketball, for example, after gaining promotion to the LNB last season, made their European debut being dragged by a 2006-born point guard. A pretty good one, the future of his country in that position. His name is Nolan Traore and he delivered a 27-point performance with 0 (!) turnovers.
Another exciting young player to watch was Mouhamed Faye, who blocked 5 shots and helped tremendously Reggio Emilia get the home win over Rytas Vilnius at 19 years of age. Similarly speaking, the 2006-born Mario Saint-Supery brought Unicaja’s winning mentality to Manresa against Benfica.
Saint-Supery wasn’t the only reason to be happy about on the Catalan side. 27 years after his father gave eternal glory to BAXI Manresa, Derrick Alston Jr. powered his team’s victory with an impressive 25-point winning night: that was his Basketball Champions League debut.
The first Gameday of this year’s BCL Regular Season also saw an outstanding 36-point night by overseas newcomer Saben Lee for Manisa’s shocking away victory in Murcia. Moreover, Galatasaray went over the 100-point line to beat Rasta Vechta: keep an eye on the Turkish giants and Otis Livingston.
As expected, last year’s gold and silver medalists in the Basketball Champions League Final Four started the season with victories, both away from Spain: Unicaja had to suffer to beat Filou Oostende in Belgium, while Tenerife conquered yet again with another win over Karsiyaka in Izmir.
BCL Regular Season Round 1 Results
Group A
FIT/One Wurzburg Baskets 2 (1-0)
Igokea m:tel 2 (1-0)
Nanterre 92 1 (0-1)
Hapoel Netanel Holon 1 (0-1)
FIT/One Wurzburg Baskets – Hapoel Netanel Holon 85-76
Igokea m:tel – Nanterre 92 86-80
Group B
Aliaga Petkimspor 2 (1-0)
Unicaja 2 (1-0)
Filou Oostende 1 (0-1)
King Wilki Morskie Szczecin 1 (0-1)
King Wilki Morskie Szczecin – Aliaga Petkimspor 70-85
Filou Oostende – Unicaja 85-92
Group C
Saint-Quentin 2 (1-0)
La Laguna Tenerife 2 (1-0)
Karsiyaka 1 (0-1)
Kolossos H Hotels 1 (0-1)
Saint-Quentin – Kolossos H Hotels 84-54
Karsiyaka – La Laguna Tenerife 76-87
Group D
Galatasaray 2 (1-0)
ERA Nymburk 2 (1-0)
Rasta Vechta 1 (0-1)
Promitheas 1 (0-1)
Galatasaray – Rasta Vechta 103-91
Promitheas – ERA Nymburk 78-86
Group E
VEF Riga 2 (1-0)
AEK Betsson 2 (1-0)
Maccabi Ramat Gan 1 (0-1)
Telekom Baskets Bonn 1 (0-1)
VEF Riga – Telekom Baskets Bonn 86-72
AEK Betsson – Maccabi Ramat Gan 80-71
Group F
UnaHotels Reggio Emilia 2 (1-0)
Falco-Vulcano Szombathely 2 (1-0)
Rytas 1 (0-1)
Slask Wroclaw 1 (0-1)
UnaHotels Reggio Emilia – Rytas 77-67
Slask Wroclaw – Falco-Vulcano Szombathely 75-84
Group G
BAXI Manresa 2 (1-0)
Bertram Derthona Tortona 2 (1-0)
Niners Chemnitz 1 (0-1)
SL Benfica 1 (0-1)
Bertram Derthona Tortona – Niners Chemnitz 87-81
BAXI Manresa – SL Benfica 92-64
Group H
Manisa 2 (1-0)
FMP Soccerbet 2 (1-0)
UCAM Murcia 0 (0-1)
Peristeri Domino’s 0 (0-1)
UCAM Murcia – Manisa 97-103
FMP Soccerbet – Peristeri Domino’s 70-58
PHOTO CREDIT: Basketball Champions League
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