By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Promitheas Vikos Cola opened the fourth Basketball Champions League campaign in team history with a home win. Compared to the previous bid, much has changed, but sinking 30 free throws on Tuesday shaped a similarity with the 2024-25 season.
In tectake Arena last March, Jordan Walker set a new record for the most points in a single BCL game with 54 for Promitheas against FIT/One Wurzburg Baskets. His outburst included 21/22 from the charity stripe, headlining a team total of 40/44. The overshadowed league record of the double-overtime nail-biter was the Patras outfit scoring the most free throws in a single BCL game.
Jelly is no longer around, moving his talents to fellow Champions League outfit Rytas during the offseason, but Promitheas began the 2025-26 continental challenge with 30/37 free throws to beat fellow German club MLP Academics Heidelberg. The second-most in team history, trailing only last season’s all-time league record.
The 30 connected free throws are tied for 19th on the all-time list for the most in a single BCL game.
List of teams with the most free throws
| Team | Opponent | Free Throws | Season |
| Promitheas Vikos Cola | FIT/One Wurzburg Baskets | 40 | 2024-25 |
| Galatasaray | ERA Nymburk | 35 | 2024-25 |
| UCAM Murcia | Nizhny Novgorod | 35 | 2018-19 |
| AEK | SIG Strasbourg | 34 | 2017-18 |
| Opava | Promitheas | 33 | 2023-24 |
| UCAM Murcia | Dinamo Sassari | 33 | 2017-18 |
| UCAM Murcia | Falco-Vulcano Szombathely | 32 | 2024-25 |
| Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem | Galatasaray EKMAS | 32 | 2023-24 |
| Darussafaka Lassa | UCAM Murcia | 32 | 2022-23 |
| U-BT Cluj-Napoca | Hapoel UNET Holon | 32 | 2021-22 |
| Sidigas Avellino | Banvit | 32 | 2018-19 |
| Ventspils | Banvit | 32 | 2018-19 |
| Manisa Divissa | FMP Soccerbet | 31 | 2024-25 |
| Limoges CSP | MHP Riesen Ludwigburg | 31 | 2022-23 |
| ERA Nymburk | Tofas | 31 | 2020-21 |
| Ventspils | MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg | 31 | 2018-19 |
| Neptunas | Filou Oostende | 31 | 2018-19 |
| Hapoel UNET Holon | PAOK | 31 | 2018-19 |
| Promitheas Vikos Cola | MLP Academics Heidelberg | 30 | 2025-26 |
| Igokea m:tel | FIT/ONE Wurzburg Baskets | 30 | 2024-25 |
| UCAM Murcia | Tofas | 30 | 2022-23 |
| Lenovo Tenerife | Dinamo Sassari | 30 | 2020-21 |
| Hapoel UNET Holon | AEK | 30 | 2020-21 |
| EB Pau-Lacq-Orthez | Hereda San Pablo Burgos | 30 | 2019-20 |
| Telenet Giants Antwerp | Teksut Bandirma | 30 | 2019-20 |
| AEK | CEZ Nymburk | 30 | 2018-19 |
| Sidigas Avellino | Nizhny Novgorod | 30 | 2018-19 |
| Pinar Karsiyaka | PAOK | 30 | 2017-18 |
| Hapoel UNET Holon | Pinar Karsiyaka | 30 | 2017-18 |
| Telekom Baskets Bonn | CEZ Nymburk | 30 | 2017-18 |
| AEK | AS Monaco | 30 | 2016-17 |
The latest addition to the above list was fueled by Kendale McCullum netting 9/13 free throws, with Nikos Plotas adding 5/6. The top scorer, Rob Gray, chipped in 3/4 en route to 20 points in Dimitris Tofalos Arena. “Coach told us to be aggressive, play with contact defensively, and let our defense lead to offense,” mentioned the 30-year-old combo guard in the postgame press conference, describing the team plan.
Back in the 2018-19 season, Promitheas entered the BCL, advanced through the Regular Season with an 8-6 tally, but fell to eventual finalist Iberostar Tenerife in the Round of 16. Bouncing back in the 2023-24 campaign, following four years in the BKT EuroCup, a 3-3 record led to the Play-Ins, a two-game sweep over Le Mans moved the team coached by Ilias Papatheodorou to the Round of 16, and a 4-2 run clinched the only team berth in the Quarterfinals, before falling to eventual champion Unicaja. Similar progress with two wins in six regular-season games and a two-game sweep of Karsiyaka last year was countered by elimination with a 1-5 tally in the Round of 16.
Despite nearly mishandling a 23-point advantage in Gameday 1 of the 2025-26 installment, protecting home court set the pace in the initial six-game double-legged round-robin schedule. Besides Heidelberg, Orlen Basket Liga champion Legia Warszawa and Rytas, featuring former star Walker, are the remaining opponents for the team guided by new head coach Giorgos Limniatis.