MUNICH (Germany) – Nine teams have edged closer to the Second Round of the FIBA Europe Cup, having improved to 3-0 to conclude Gameday 3.
CSM CSU Oradea, PAOK mateco, Tofas Bursa, MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg, Cholet Basket, and Spirou Basket remained unbeaten with wins on Wednesday, while BC Kalev/Cramo, Bilbao Basket, and Banco di Sardegna Sassari all maintained their perfect starts 24 hours earlier.
Key Storylines
Manjon-Van Ewyk shines in final minute as MHP RIESEN remains perfect;
Spirou hit 10 three-pointers in victory over previously unbeaten Maroussi;
Kalev/Cramo, Sassari and Bilbao all won on Tuesday.
Weekly Highs
Efficiency: George Korsantia (BC Kutaisi 2010) - 31 Points: Leemet Bockler (BC Kalev/Cramo) - 30 Rebounds: Klavs Cavars (BC Sabah)/ Jesse Hunt (Petrolina AEK) - 14 Assists: Nathan De Sousa (Cholet Basket) - 10 Steals: Desmond Cambridge (BC Trepca)/ Monyea Pratt (CSM Constanta) - 5 Blocks: Multiple players - 3
MHP RIESEN, Spirou prevail in battle of unbeaten sides
In an enticing battle between the two undefeated teams in Group H, MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg came out on top with an 80-77 win over JDA Bourgogne Dijon. Ezra Manjon-Van Ewyk came up clutch in the last minute with four points to give the German side victory.
Spirou Basket also stood tall, hitting 10 triples, as they dealt a first loss to Maroussi BC, where Willem Brandwijk's 13 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists secured a 79-69 win in Group G.
Tofas Bursa powered to 3-0 in Group A with a 102-90 victory over Basketball Lowen Braunschweig. Marcquise Reed shot a solid 75 percent from the field for his 20 points and dished out 5 assists.
In an all-Romanian tie, CSM CSU Oradea made it three from three in Group E with a 78-74 win over Fotbal Club Arges. Trailing for most of the first half, Oradea raced away with a 23-12 third period to eventually get them over the line. Kris Richard led the victors with 16 points, supported by a 14-point, 13-rebound double from Donatas Tarolis.
PAOK mateco continued their dominant start to the Regular Season with an 82-68 win at home to NHSZ-Szolnoki Olajbanyasz. Jackson Kreuser led a balanced scoring effort for the Greek side, who move to 3-0, leaving their Hungarian counterparts winless.
Cholet Basket completed the list of unbeaten sides in the FIBA Europe Cup as they coasted past CSM Constanta 106-63 to go 3-0 in Group C. Stefan Smith led six Cholet players in double figures with 18 points, shooting 3-for-4 from three-point land.
Meanwhile, there was a first-ever win in the competition for Georgian side Kutaisi 2010 as they defeated BC Balkan 86-78 on the road.
Bockler boosts Kalev/Cramo as three sides move to 3-0
On Tuesday, a 30-point explosion from Leemet Bockler, including a dagger three-pointer with 2:02 remaining, sealed a 95-89 win for BC Kalev/Cramo over Alba Fehervar. The win kept the Estonian outfit unbeaten after three games in Group F as they had to survive a fightback that saw the visitors take the lead inside the fourth.
Meanwhile, ESSM Le Portel secured their second straight win in Group F with a convincing 80-60 victory over Rilski Sportist, who remain winless from three games. Deandre Gholston led the French side with 23 points.
Bilbao Basket also have three wins from three, in Group J, inflicting the first loss of the competition to BC Prievidza. Ruben Dominguez went 4-of-6 from three-point land for his game-high 19 points in his side's 84-61 victory on the road - pulling away after an even first quarter.
Banco di Sardegna Sassari completed a hattrick of 3-0 teams, as a first-half blitz led to an eventual 94-62 win over BC Dnipro. The Italian side raced to a 53-30 lead at the half and never looked back, as Giovanni Veronesi hit five triples in his 23 points to lead Sassari.
FIBA