Trento achieved a victory in the opening game of the BKT EuroCup, defeating Neptunas away after a dramatic finish with a score of 76-73.
The hero of the victory was Quincy Olivari, who scored the decisive basket with 24 seconds left, giving his team a 75-73 lead. Neptunas had two chances to get back into the game, with Kristupas Zemaitis attempting a three-pointer in the last second, but he missed, allowing the Italian team to secure the win at the start of Group C.
Olivari was the top scorer with 23 points, while Darius Brown added 19 points. On the other side, Yannick Franke with 13 points and Donatas Tarolis with 12 points were the only double-digit scorers for Neptunas.
Wins for Hapoel Jerusalem and Tofas
Hapoel Jerusalem, one of the favorites for the tournament’s final stages, achieved a victory in the first round by defeating Rostock Seawolves with a score of 94-73.
Sasa Obradovic’s team had no problems, winning in all four quarters and ultimately securing an easy victory.
They were led by Kenneth Lofton, who scored 22 points, Jaleen Smith added 20, and Shake Milton contributed 14. For Rostock, TJ Crockett scored 22 points, while Zach Copeland added 15.
In the same time slot, Tofas also secured a win by defeating Chemnitz 82-69.
The hosts had a significant lead at halftime (46-30), and although Chemnitz managed to come back and make the game uncertain, Tofas ultimately resisted and secured two points.
Tyler Jones was the top performer for the team from Bursa with 13 points, Gabe Brown scored one less, and Jamuni McNeace also added 12 points and grabbed nine rebounds, while Zachary Nutall contributed 11. For Chemnitz, Phlandrous Fleming was the standout player with 18 points.