By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
UCAM Murcia traveled to Athens for Game 3 of this year’s Basketball Champions League Round of 16 on a seven-game winning streak, looking to extend it and leave AEK still winless at the bottom of Group L, hopeless to advance.
After the only past-matchup that came in the 2018 Basketball Champions League Semi-Finals, with AEK winning 77-75 and going on to win it all, the Spanish team found revenge in the Ano Liossia Olympic Hall by getting the 84-79 away victory.
Thanks to this win, UCAM Murcia has now tied their longest-ever winning streak in the BCL with eight games, as the latest one came between November 2018 and February 2019. It’s the first time AEK has lost four games in a row in the competition.
Reaching 50 games in the Basketball Champions League with his third team after Casademont Zaragoza and Galatasaray, Dylan Ennis went close to a double-double of 11 points and 9 assists. Continuing to grow for Sito Alonso’s team, Marko Todorovic added a team-high 21 points. Howard Sant-Ross had also an amazing night with 11 points, 6 rebounds, and 9 assists in his team’s win.
On AEK’s side, Jordan McRae had yet again another impressive night on offense, providing a losing effort of 20 points despite shooting only 0/1 from three. Chasson Randle scored in double-digits for the first time at home this season, adding 12 points and 3 rebounds in Ilias Zouros’ team’s defeat. However, he missed two crucial free throws in the final stretch of the encounter.
Despite outscoring UCAM Murcia by 20 points in the paint (52 vs 32), AEK couldn’t come out with the victory. The Spanish team keeps the lead in Group L at 3-0, while the black-and-yellow team is one foot away from elimination at 0-3 after having an easy route in the Regular Season at 5-1.
PHOTO CREDIT: Basketball Champions League