Relive the first day of BCL with the Courtside 1891 BCL Day 1 Recap
- → SIG Strasbourg win in Germany as they edge Oldenburg in overtime thriller.
- → Darüssafaka Lassa secured the only other away win of Gameday 1.
- → King Szczecin stun Dinamo Sassari in high-scoring affair.
- → Le Mans Sarthe Basket impress with blowout win over Peristeri.
- → Lenovo Tenerife come back from 19 points down to secure home win over Cholet.
The BCL started with seven drama-filled games, including overtime wins and unexpected upsets. Check out the main actions and watch the BCL online on Courtside 1891 or check live basketball scores from the Basketball Champions League and more via our Game Centre.
VEF Riga - Darüssafaka Lassa 75-84 Recap
It was not the debut Bertāns and co expected at the Arena Riga, where Turkish side Darüssafaka Lassa ran away with the game after an impressive 33-point first quarter, after which they led by 15.
The visitors were led by a familiar face, ex Vefin Kyle Allman Jr, who scored 21 points, 15 of which during a brutal first quarter. Dairis Bertāns was held scoreless during his BCL debut for VEF Riga. David McCormack added 19 points and 12 boards, establishing board dominance, and playing perfect second for Allman Jr.
A start to forget for the Latvians, who have now lost their fourth consecutive BCL opener and remain winless against Turkish sides.
AEK – MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg 84-79 Recap
The Queen secured a precious opening win after trailing to Ludwigsburg for large parts of the game. Veteran Mindaugas Kuzminskas was solid, bringing 15 points and contributing 6 boards to the cause. Ben McLemore’s debut was positive too, with 13 points, 3 boards, and 3 dimes.
The visitors were three points up with one minute to go before Randle’s drive to the rim; the Stanford product converted after drawing the foul and made the free throw to tie the game. Randle had a part to play in every point of the 9-0 run the Greeks went on to win the game.
For the visitors, painfully close to the upset, Graves was outstanding with a near triple double of 17 points, 11 rebounds, and 7 assists.
Pinar Karsiyaka – Filou Oostende 94-77 Recap
Pinar Karsiyaka remain undefeated in BCL openers after their comfortable win over Filou Oostende, taking advantage of their superior roster and experience.
The top performer for the home side was Errick McCollum, racking up 22 points with 50% from the field. Darrun Hilliard added 17, and BCL debutant Vernon Carey Jr. contributed with his paint presence, not only scoring 18 on the offensive end, but gathering nine rebounds and offering rim protection with three blocks.
Pinar Karsiyaka are now 6 wins and 0 losses in their BCL openers.
King Szczecin - Dinamo Sassari 93-85 Recap
King Szczecin debuts in the BCL with a bang, dominating for most of the night at the Netto arena and going to 1-0 in the BCL. Led by debutant Morris Udeze, MVP with a 19-point, 10-rebound double-double.
Behind the Wichita state and New Mexico product, Avery Woodson and Tony Meier added 14 and 13 points, respectively. The Polish champions started with poise, as they went on a lead as big as 26 points in the third quarter.
Despite only scoring eight in the final quarter, King Szczecin held on to their lead, securing a crucial debut home win. For the Giganti, 15 points apiece from Ousmane Diop and Kruslin were not enough to get back in the game.
EWE Baskets Oldenburg 83-85 SIG Strasbourg Recap
The most spectacular game of this Gameday 1 of the 23-24 BCL saw SIG Strasbourg secure a thriller win over Baskets Oldenburg after overtime.
Sixteen lead changes took place in this close contest at the Grosse EWE Arena, as SIG Strasbourg earned overtime thanks to Phil Booth’s floater with 0.6 seconds to go, the most important two of his 15 points for the night.
Leo Cavaliere took matters into his own hands during overtime with 5 points out of his 15 (half of Strasbourg’s 10), and Strasbourg secured the win despite missing Sofiane Briki and Jamarr Sanders.
For the Germans, DeWayne Russell orchestrated the offense, scoring 17 points and dishing out six assists, while Charles Manning Jr scored 16 points. This makes six losses in their last seven games for EWE Baskets Oldenburg.
Le Mans Sarthe Basket – Peristeri BWIN 96-68 Recap
Careless night from Vassilis Spanoulis’ Peristeri BWIN, obliterated by Le Mans Sarthe Basket, making their return to the BCL and currently 12th in the Pro A.
The French side dominated on the fast break, scoring 19 points, and converted Peristeri’s turnovers in 25 points. The Greek side, in comparison, were only able to score three.
Le Mans’ Nate Mason scored 17 points and dished out 5 assists, with DeVante’ Jones adding 18, but a key part of the win was D’Shawn Schwartz’s instant impact from the bench, with an incredible tally of 13 points and 4 rebounds in 14 minutes.
Le Mans was able to lead by 12 after just the first quarter and ensured Peristeri never got close despite Jaylen Hands’ 18 points.
The French outfit dominated the paint with 40 points (Peristeri only had 20) and went on to a lead as big as 30 points in a night to forget for Spanoulis and his team.
Lenovo Tenerife – Cholet Basket 95-75 Recap
When looking at the scoreline, one would not think Lenovo Tenerife would be down as much as 19 points early in the game.
It took a lot of trying (and a near individual record in three-pointers in a BCL Game) for the Canarians to take back control of the game. Sasu Salin – current all-time leader for three points in the BCL – went 8/9 from behind the arc, two triples short of setting a new BCL record.
The Finnish shooting guard came off the bench to score a game-high 25 points which makes him top scorer of this year’s first night of BCL. Huertas masterminded Lenovo’s offense with 13 assists, while Joan Sastre added 15 points on 75% from the field.
For the visitors, Tidjane Salaun impressed at only 18 years old, with 15 points on 6/11 from the field to mark his BCL debut.
