Falco Vulcano triumph over Szolnoki Olaj in emotional all-Hungarian Group H clash

SZOMBATHELY (FIBA Europe Cup) - Falco Vulcano celebrated their first win in the FIBA Europe Cup after coming out on top against Szolnoki Olaj in an emotional all-Hungarian clash in Group H on Wednesday.

The Srecko Sekulovic-coached side decided the 84-74 thriller in their favor with a perfect stretch at the end of the fourth quarter, as they closed out the contest with an 11-0 run in the final two and a half minutes.

"Congratulations to my team, because they won a really important game. Not just because this is the FIBA Europe Cup, but also for the prestige," the Falco Vulcano head coach said in the press conference after the game. "I think Szolnok is the strongest team in Hungary and I hope beating them will give my team self-confidence again."

Darrin Govens collected a team-high 24 points and 6 assists for the Falcons, with former Szolnok player Milos Borisov posting a 19-point and 11-rebound double-double with 5 steals.

After opening the season with a big win against Karposh Sokoli, Olaj couldn't carry over their momentum against a tougher opponent, in spite of captain David Vojvoda scoring 26 points.

With the Hungarian teams locked together with identical 1-1 records, Nizhny Novgorod moved atop the Group H standings with a 101-67 win over Sokoli in Karposh, as big man Stevan Jelovac posted 20 points and 7 rebounds.

The Russian side shot the lights out from three-point range, going 19-of-30 from beyond the arc for a remarkable 63.3 percent accuracy, while their opponents connected on just 4-of-21 attempts.

Earlier in the day, Belfius Mons-Hainaut bounced back from last week's heart-breaking last-second defeat with an 84-79 road victory against Demir Insaat, while Sigal Prishtina moved to 2-0 in Group G with a 76-65 win against Khimik.

The Ukrainian side will play their second game of the double-header against their Kosovar hosts in Prishtina on Friday after it was rescheduled for logistical reasons.

Tsmoki-Minsk notched up their first win of the season in Group F, emerging as the victorious side in a 69-63 defensive-minded contest against Bnei Rav-Bariach Herzliya, with both teams now sharing a 1-1 mark.

"It was a very important win for us after losing the last game against Charleroi, we needed a good result here. We had big problems with rebounding, but I think we played well in the second half and controlled the game," offered Tsmoki head coach Aliaksandr Krutsikau after a bounce-back win.  

Meanwhile, U-BT Cluj-Napoca added another double-digit victory in Group E, breezing past Dinamo Tbilisi 87-73 on the road in Georgia, with 11 different players getting on the scoresheet. In the other game in the group, Istanbul BBSK defeated Lukoil Academic 81-69 for their first win of the Regular Season.

Paced by Mohamed Abukar's 25 points and 6 rebounds, Keravnos kept their Group D record clean with an 88-69 triumph over BC Balkan, while Kataja Basket did the same in Group C, holding off FC Porto for an 88-84 victory in Joensuu.

Elsewhere, Bakken Bears demonstrated their strength by getting their first win in Group B with an impressive 95-76 scoreline against SL Benfica, as high-flyer DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell finished the contest with a game-high 25 points.

Donar Groningen had plenty to smile about as well, after they blew out Bosna 72-43 on the road in Sarajevo for their second win in Group A, with Even Bruinsma leading the charge with a 15-point effort.

FIBA