SAMOKOV (Bulgaria) - After two days of action in the Round of 16 of the Basketball Champions League Qualification Round Tournament 2, four Quarter-Finals took place in QRT1.
As it already happened in the first two game days in Samokov, thrillers occurred on Wednesday as well. Among upsets and game-winning three-pointers, let's dive into the four clashes that took place in Bulgaria.
Patrioti Levice 87-90 Salon Vilpas
In September 2025, Patrioti Levice made history in Samokov by winning the BCL Qualification Round Tournament 1, making sure Slovakia became the 30th country represented in the competition's history.
They did it in an incredibly amazing fashion, as Will Carius beat the buzzer after a double-overtime win in the Final against Bakken Bears Aarhus. The yellow-and-green side delivered an outstanding tournament, earning their way into the BCL Regular Season through three challenging matchups.
Levice hoped they could repeat their extraordinary feat heading to Season 11 as well, but Salon Vilpas pulled a "Patrioti Levice" to enter the Semi-Finals in QRT1 and got the 90-87 eventful victory.
The Finnish side opened the game fearlessly, went up by 17 points (36-19) to enter the second, went down -9 (80-71) midway through the fourth, and eventually won with a 12-0 run in the last two minutes of the game.
Leland Walker (29 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists) and D.J. Jeffries (26 points, 8 rebounds, 4 steals, and 3 assists) were crucial and made big-time plays throughout the 40-minute clash.
Five players ended up scoring in double digits for Levice, including Chuba Obams (15 points and 11 rebounds) and Jalen Brooks (21 points and 6 rebounds). But that wasn't enough.
If you're not entertained, then we're deeply sorry for you. But Wednesday really started in fantastic and shocking fashion, with the two teams living a roller-coaster experience in Bulgaria.
Vilpas will now face Bakken Bears Aarhus on September 18 at 17:00 CET in the QRT1 Semi-Finals.
Fribourg Olympic Basket 85-86 BC Batumi 2010
The Finnish team's victory to start Wednesday's action in Samokov wasn't the only thrilling one. During the day, BC Batumi 2010 almost blew their 16-point deficit against Fribourg Olympic Basket, but survived.
Aiming to become the first team from Georgia to qualify for the BCL Regular Season, Batumi had to give their best on the defensive end to stop Joe Toussaint's last-second attempt, winning 86-85.
They sealed the deal with Giorgi Ochkhikidze's heroic three-pointer with 19 seconds to play.
Batoumi's playmaker led the team with a double-double of 17 points and 10 assists, while Valdy Zephir was the Georgian side's highest scorer with 18 points and 7 rebounds.
The Swiss team fought until the end and tied at 83-83 with 40 seconds to play after a 10-3 run, propelled by Deyton Albury (22 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists) and Izan Le Meut (15 points and 14 rebounds).
However, they won't advance to the QRT1 Semi-Finals, where Batumi will go up against CSM CSU Raiffeisen Oradea on September 18 at 19:30 CET.
Bakken Bears Aarhus 89-78 Landstede Hammers
While one of last season's QRT1 finalists couldn't advance to the 2026-27 QRT1 Semi-Finals, Bakken Bears made the best of their Quarter-Final clash against Landstede Hammers, 2025-26 Dutch champions.
The Danish team came back by taking the lead midway through the third quarter and never lost control, going all the way to the 89-78 victory. They imposed their game in the paint, outscoring the opponents 44-28.
Myles Corey led Bakken Bears with a 21-point winning effort, while Boyd van der Vuurst de Vries had 22 points and 6 assists, shooting 6-of-11 from beyond the arc in a losing effort.
The Danish side will now try to get back to another QRT1 Final game for a spot in the Group Stage, facing Vilpas on September 18 at 17:00 CET.
CSM CSU Raiffeisen Oradea 95-87 Petrolina AEK Larnaca
Unlike what happened in the first games played on Wednesday, Oradea had a pretty comfortable success outcome against Petrolina AEK Larnaca to complete the Quarter-Final picture in QRT1.
The green-and-yellow Cypriot team had the lead in the first five minutes of the game, but the opponents immediately fought back. Once they gained the advantage, they went all the way to the 95-87 win.
David Nichols' spectacular double-double of 19 points and 12 assists, joined by Malik Osborne's 21 points, led the way for Oradea; on the other side, Myles Tate's 21-point losing effort wasn't enough for Larnaca.
The Romanian side, which played in the opening season of the Basketball Champions League back in 2016-17, will now square off against Batumi on September 18 at 19:30 CET.