In a few stats: The Basketball Champions League, Day 1

The last two weeks saw the start of the regular season of the Basketball Champions League (BCL).

During this day, the French clubs were full of success with three wins in three games. Only the Cholet match was postponed due to Covid.

The 3rd of the previous season, Dijon, received a qualifier, Keravnos Nicosia. Laurent Legname’s team was therefore a big favorite. However, the Cyprus champion made a perfect start and led 25-8 at the end of the first quarter. Dijon picks up almost at half-time then is won again in the 3rd quarter to regain the advantage in the last quarter. Brandon Rozzell will equalize at the end of regulation time with a 3-point shot. But the Burgundy team, thanks to its duo of leaders Axel Julien and David Holston, finally won this match.

Strasbourg traveled to Latvia to face VEF Riga there. After a hooked match, Bonzie Colson offers victory to his team with a 3-point shot at the buzzer. The Alsatian team was led by its American full-back DeAndre Lansdowne.

For its debut in BCL, CSP Limoges hosted KK Igokea. With an 8-2 in the last two minutes, Mehdy Mary’s team won the bet. The team leaders are Jerry Boutsiele and Philip Scrubb. The big offensive match of the first allows him to become the first French MVP of the BCL 2020-21. The second is the co-best passer of the day as well as the best European full-back.

In Group A, the top game pits Banco di Sardegna Sassari against Galatasaray Istanbul. Gianmarco Pozzecco’s team wins thanks to its 1-5 axis made up of Marco Spissu and Miro Bilan. The big match of the Italian leader (22 pts to 7/11, 5 rebounds, 8 wt) allows him to integrate the best European Five. In the other match, Tenerife easily defeated the Bakken Bears thanks to their Georgian pivot Giorgi Shermadini. His performance allows him to be named European MVP of the day.

In Group D, Casademont Zaragoza carried out a hold-up and won in Lublin thanks to a 3-point shot from DJ Seeley’s buzzer. The team leader was Italian-Argentinian winger Nicolas Brussino.

In Group E, Peristeri went to get a nice victory in Lithuania against Rytas Vilnius. This was facilitated by the XXL performance of American full-back Steven Gray, author of a rating of 47! This is the first MVP of the season in BCL. He is also the top scorer with 39 points.

In Group F, the clash opposed the two favorites, RetaBet Bilbao and Pinar Karsiyaka. It is also a French duel between Jonathan Rousselle and Amath M’Baye. After conceding only 26 points in the second half, the Turkish team won thanks in particular to its American winger DJ Kennedy.

In the other match, Brose Bamberg won overwhelmingly in Bologna against a very troubled Fortitudo Lavoropiu since last in Lega. Johan Roijakkers’ team thus places two players in the typical team of the day, Tyler Larson and Dominic Lockhart. They were well supported by Chase Fieler and Michele Vitali. The quartet has accumulated a rating of 109 out of 132 on their team.

In Group G, Türk Telekom Ankara won an attacking match against Hapoel Jerusalem thanks to a good third quarter. This match was reduced to a duel of strong winger between Kyle Wiltjer and TaShawn Thomas. The first wins this duel and becomes the best interior of the first day.

Finally, in Group H, Darussafaka had Belgian Filou Ostende with his interior Grant Jerrett.

Finally, it should be noted that 5 matches of this day have been postponed.

Here are the best statistical performances of the day:

MVP :

Best 5 :

European MVP :

Best European 5:

French MVP:

Rising star :

Best scorer:

Best rebounder :

Top passers:

Here are the rankings:

Group A:

1. Tenerife 1-0
2. Sassari
3. Galatasaray 0-1
4. Baking Bears

Group B:

1. Dijon 1-0
2. Tofas Bursa 0-0
3. Nymburk
4. Keravnos Nicosie 0-1

Group C:

1. Cholet 0-0
2. AEK Athènes
3. Hapoel Holon
4. Tsmoki Minsk

Group D:

1. Zaragoza 1-0
2. Nizhny Novgorod 0-0
3. Falco Szombathely
4. Start Lublin 0-1

Group E:

1. Peristeri 1-0
2. Strasbourg
3. VEF Riga 0-1
4. Morning Vilnius

Group F:

1. Bamberg 1-0
2. Pinar Karsiyaka
3. Bilbao 0-1
4. Fortitudo Bologna

Group G:

1. Limoges 1-0
2. Turk Telekom Ankara
3. Hapoel Jerusalem 0-1
4. Igokea

Group H:

1. Darussafaka 1-0
2. San Pablo Burgos 0-0
3. Brindisi
4. Ostende 0-1

Photo: Jerry Boutsiele (Limoges, FIBA)