By Stefan Acevski/ info@eurohoops.net
Igokea did not start the season in the Basketball Champions League in the best way, but the third-round match and the easy victory against Trieste (91-76) have restored hope to their fans that they can reach the second phase.
The credit for this goes to the American guard Breein Tyree, who is having an excellent season with Igokea so far, and it was he who toppled the Italians and secured his team’s first win.
The former basketball player of Oostende, Dinamo Sassari, and Petkim Spor is currently sixth on the scoring list after three rounds – currently averaging 20.7 points per game. He was impressive against Galatasaray in the opener with 23 points, less effective against Wurzburg with 12 points, while he scored 27 against Trieste.
What further enhances his performances is the fact that he is doing all this with excellent shooting averages – 50% from the field, 48% from three-point range, and he has not missed a single free throw so far.
With his performance against the team from Italy, he came close to equaling a BCL record. Namely, it was his sixth game in this competition with 25 or more points, and in the Basketball Champions League, only Kevin Punter, Levi Randolph, and Keith Langford have achieved this (all with seven times).
In addition, he became the ninth player with at least two games with 25+ points and 5+ assists – led by Marcelinho Huertas and T.J. Shorts with four such games.
Igokea now faces a very important match in Trieste, and a potential victory would 99% guarantee the second phase. It is clear that much will depend on Tyree, who has quickly become the team’s main scorer and someone on whom Igokea’s chances in a game largely depend.