By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net
Six players scored in double-digits, combining for 14 three-pointers in a lopsided win for Dinamo Banco di Sardegna Sassari.
Guided by Piero Bucchi, Giganti strolled past Cholet, 93-72, in Game 1 of the Basketball Champions League Play-Ins.
Returning to the BCL, Brandon Jefferson posted an 11-point, 10-assist double-double in La Meilleraie. The Metro State product signed with the Italian club shortly before the second opportunity to clinch a berth in the Round of 16 via a best-of-three series.
Greek import Vasilis Charalampopoulos tallied a game-high 19 points behind 5/8 from the field, including three triples. Croatian Filip Kruslin tucked in a game-high four three-pointers in a 14-point showing, including 11 points after the break. Ousmane Diop chipped in 13 points. Eimantas Bendzius (Achilles) was sidelined.
Sitting one game outside the relegation zone in Italy’s LBA UnipolSai with a 5-9 record and sneaking into the BCL Play-Ins with two wins over six outings in the Regular Season, Sassari is one win away from placing in Group I alongside Unicaja, SIG Strasbourg, and Tofas or PAOK mateco.
The French club was outmatched. Allowing 14/25 three-pointers, the hosts were limited to 10/32. Pulling down 27 rebounds versus 39 added to one-way traffic following an early three-point lead.
The deficit peaked at 27 points with Laurent Vila’s players failing to respond. Craig Randall II logged a team-high 15 points. Vojtech Hruban, the all-time leading scorer of the Champions League, followed with 14 points.
Postgame press conference
Photo Credit: Basketball Champions League