MIES (Switzerland) - For the first time since they reached the Final of the Basketball Champions League, in May 2021, Karsiyaka have won three straight games in this competition. Elsewhere, BAXI Manresa won their first road game of the season, while Pallacanestro Reggiana completed the sweep over WKS Slask Wroclaw.
Karsiyaka 95-79 Kolossos H Hotels
Back in April and May 2021, coach Ufuk Sarica put together a strong run with his team, as Karsiyaka made it to the Final 8 in Nizhny Novgorod, and went on to reach the championship game, which they lost to Hereda San Pablo Burgos.
They waited for three and a half years, but as of Tuesday, they finally have another three-game winning run in the BCL.
In a game filled with highlight dunks, crossovers, blocks and assists, they were always a step or two ahead of Kolossos, cruising towards a 3-1 record in Group C, while keeping the Greek team without a win.
Errick McCollum continued his strong run, scoring a team-high 23 points, making this the fifth time in his last six BCL games that he has scored 20 or more.
Daron Russell came off the bench for 16 points and 6 assists, while Jerry Boutsiele needed just 17 minutes to collect 14 points, 6 rebounds and 4 blocks.
Gabriel Galvanini had 12 for Kolossos, but they need a minor miracle to reach the Play-Ins down at 0-4 with just two games remaining.
NINERS Chemnitz 78-89 BAXI Manresa
Since the start of the season, BAXI Manresa have given us their impression of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde - at home and on the road. They were a perfect 6-0 in their arena in all competitions, but also 0-4 as soon as they left the town.
That changed on Tuesday, thanks to the win in Germany, their first in any league since April 13, 2024.
The NINERS opened up a 13-point lead in the first quarter, but Manresa's big second quarter saw them take the lead for the first time, and they never looked back again.
Derrick Alston Jr was once again the best player on the court, finishing with 16 points, 6 assists and 5 rebounds. Alex Reyes scored 15, Cameron Hunt 13, and Bodian Massa added 10 points to the mix. A total of 11 different players scored for coach Diego Ocampo.
William Christmas had 19 points and 8 rebounds for Chemnitz.
Manresa completed what could be an all-important sweep, as they are now 3-1, two wins clear of Chemnitz in Group G.
Pallacanestro Reggiana 74-70 WKS Slask Wroclaw
For at least a day, the top of Group F belongs to Reggio Emilia. They were in control for the entire second half of the game, but never led by more than 10 points, and WKS Slask Wroclaw made it interesting by staying close until the final buzzer.
Luckily for Pallacanestro Reggiana, they have a man called Jamar Smith on the roster. One of the clutchest players in European basketball over the past ten years delivered once again on Tuesday, scoring 10 of his 13 points in the final stanza to keep Slask at bay.
Cassius Winston scored a team-high 22 points, while Jaylen Barford was also in double digits with 12.
Ajdin Penava had 14 points for the Polish side, but at 0-4, their chances of reaching the Play-Ins are getting slimmer with each week.