Manresa still undefeated in FIBA Championsleague
After a tough test in Poland, BAXI Manresa remained unbeaten in the FIBA Championsleague.
After losing to SIG Strasbourg, Kalev/Cramo dropped out of the competition, and Igokea complicated things in Group E.
Darussafaka defeated Hapoel U-NET Holon to avoid an Israeli double in Turkey this week after Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem defeated Pinar Karsiyaka on Monday.
Manresa’s perfect record tested in Poland
BAXI Manresa remains the only unbeaten team in the BCL, even though Arged BM Stal Ostrow Wielkopolski put up a fight in front of a packed house in Poland. But Manresa escaped with an 88-75 win, climbing to 5-0, while the Polish champions fell to 1-4.
Pedro Martinez’s men came out on a mission to prove they won’t be taking the foot off the gas pedal in the last two games, despite being the only team to advance to Round of 16 so far. They weren’t impressed by the loud fans, either.
Arged BM Stal Ostrow Wielkopolski will face Pinar Karsiyaka in Poland on the last Gameday. A win could send them through to the Play-In series.
Manresa, meanwhile, has a duel with Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem at home. With the way the Israeli squad bounced back over their last two games, it promises to be one of the most fun games of the season. Luckily for BAXI, they are safe and sound in first place, no matter what happens.
Pineiro comes up big for Dacka
In Group G, there was a reunion between former teammates that made the BCL so much more enjoyable just a season ago. Michale Kyser had 13 points and five rebounds for Hapoel U-NET Holon, but his ex-VEF Riga teammate stole all of the attention on Tuesday.
Isaiah Pineiro had 18 of his team-high 25 points for Darussafaka in the second half, going 9-of-10 from the field with eight rebounds to his name, leading the hosts to an 86-79 win.
U-BT Cluj Napoca will be the happiest with this outcome. They remain alone at the top of the group with a 3-1 record. Darussafaka and Holon will meet again in Israel next week, tied at 2-2, while Happy Casa Brindisi remains bottom of the group with a 1-3 record.
Estonian champs out
Kalev/Cramo was beaten on a last-second dunk in Strasbourg. They stole a game from group leaders Tofas Bursa on the road, but after losing consecutive games to Filou Oostende and then dropping another close one to SIG Strasbourg 93-86, they are out of the fight for the next Round.
With a 1-4 record, they cannot catch 3-1 Tofas, nor 3-2 SIG Strasbourg. They could finish in a tie with Filou Oostende at 2-4, but the Belgian champs own the tiebreaker, meaning the road ends here for the Estonian newcomers in the BCL.
New name, same old Igokea
ERA Nymburk seemed to be having fun in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the first half, led by Jerrick Harding, who scored 21 before the break. But Igokea m:tel switched through gears after the break, winning 76-69, erasing the four-point defeat from their first matchup, which could be important in the battle for the next Round.
Galatasaray Nef will be the happiest with this result – a win over PAOK mateco would send the Turkish giants to the Round of 16 already on Wednesday.