SAMOKOV (Bulgaria) - There were plenty of expectations as the Basketball Champions League Qualification Round Tournament 1 tipped off in Bulgaria, but the champions of Estonia stayed calm in front of the home team fans.
Kalev/Cramo are now a step closer to the Regular Season Group F, where AEK, VEF Riga and NHSZ-Szolnoki Olajbanyasz await. Joining them on that path are Patrioti Levice, easing to a win over Petrolina AEK Larnaca.
Kalev/Cramo 93-84 Rilski Sportist
The hosts of all three Qualification Round Tournaments dreamed of being the last team standing, but instead had to settle for an early exit at the SamElyon Arena.
Kalev/Cramo were in control from start to finish in this one, not panicking even when Rilski closed in to just four points midway through the fourth quarter.
Instead, a couple of three-pointers pushed the gap back to double digits, sending the perennial Estonian champions to the Semi-Finals.
Severi Kaukiainen and Tyson Acuff combined equally for 40 points on 7-of-13 shooting from beyond the arc, and they had a lot of support in Kregor Hermet, who got 19 points on the day.
The Bulgarian champions saw Kamau Stokes score 22, while Miroslav Vasov made six triples for 21 points, but it was not enough. Estonians won the bench points by 15, more than enough to sail on.
Patrioti Levice 90-69 Petrolina AEK Larnaca
The other game of the program in this group was between the title holders from Slovakia and Cyprus. It was all about the Patriots, as they claimed an early lead and never looked back, opening a 12-point lead at the break.
The lead ballooned to 74-53 after three quarters, and there was no way back from that deficit for the Cypriots. It finished 90-69, keeping Levice's dream of reaching the Regular Season for the first time alive.
Gabe Dorsey led the scoring with 20 points, Will Carius had 17 with 10 rebounds, while Aatu Kivimaki had 14 points and 7 assists. Rickey McGill was also in double figures with 16.
Talon Cooper scored 22 in a losing effort for AEK.
Patrioti will face Kalev/Cramo in the Semi-Finals of this tournament.
The other pairing will come from the matchups of Bakken Bears Aarhus vs. Kutaisi 2010 and Heroes Den Bosch vs. Trepca. Those two games will be played on Monday.