By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
There will be a new Basketball Champions League winner. Iberostar Tenerife arrived at the game with a 5-point lead that they earned on the road (71 – 66) but UCAM Murcia got their first ever victory in La Laguna (83 – 72) to upset the champs. Tenerife’s head coach Fotis Katsikatis was eliminated against his former team.
Brad Oleson, who finished with 20 points, made clear from the beginning that the series wasn’t over. The shooting guard started “red hot” and at the break, he was leading Murcia with 5 three-pointers (40 – 33).
Mateusz Ponitka (16 points) and Mike Tobey (12 and 13 rebounds) tried to answer back during the third quarter but the visiting side found in triples a way increased their lead (56 – 46). Murcia was being very superior to the reigning champions while former Real Madrid player Augusto Lima (10 points and 9 boards) dominated the paint.
With 4 minutes left, Ibon Navarro’s men reached their biggest lead of the game (67 – 53). Alex Urtasun’s late eruption sealed the deal and the upset (149 – 143 on aggregate). The Spanish player finished with 14 points while Charlon Kloof added 15 for the winners.
Photo Credit: BCL