By Stefan Acevski/ info@eurohoops.net
Salon Vilpas is the first finalist of Qualification Tournament 1 for the FIBA Basketball Champions League, as they defeated Bakken Bears 90-72 in Samokov.
After their victory against Levica, Salon Vilpas played another very strong match and are now one step away from qualifying for the FIBA BCL.
Leland Walker scored 33 points in Salon’s victory, Mikael Aalto added 13, and DJ Jeffries contributed 12 points. On the other side, Djahi Binet scored 18 points, one more than Sylvester Berg, and only these two were in double figures for Bakken.
From the very start, Salon dominated, and the Finnish team won all four quarters. With an 11-0 run transitioning from the second to the third quarter, Vilpas gained a 53-40 lead, continued to increase the margin, and ultimately secured an easy victory.
In the final (Sunday, 17:00 CEST), they will play against CSM Oradea, who defeated Batumi 93-77.
Batumi caused an upset in the previous round by defeating Fribourg Olympic, but they couldn’t pull off another surprise, so CSM Oradea will compete for a spot in the FIBA Basketball Champions League.
Daniel Akin had 16 points and eight rebounds, Josh Jefferson added 15 points and nine assists, while David Nichols recorded a double-double with 11 points and 11 assists. For Batumi, Larry Howell was the top scorer with 23 points, one more than Giorgi Ochkhikidze.
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