SAMOKOV (Bulgaria) - It's been quite a week so far in Samokov for the Basketball Champions League Qualification Round Tournaments, hasn't it?
Monday opened with one of the week's most unpredictable upsets, as Manchester Basketball beat Fitness First Wurzburg Baskets; Tuesday saw RASTA Vechta survive a thrilling game against Yukatel Denizli Basket, while Wednesday featured phenomenal comebacks and a one-point win.
Thursday had to live up to the expectations, and there couldn't have been a better way to conclude the Quarter-Finals and enjoy the last days of action in Bulgaria. Let's focus on the latest four clashes in QRT2.
Promitheas Patras BC 94-93 Biotekno Korfez Basket
As said, everybody was waiting for Thursday to deliver. Well, the last 80 seconds of action between Promitheas Patras BC and Biotekno Korfez Basket are proof that the QRT2 Quarter-Finals didn't disappoint at all.
Down by seven points (91-84), the Greek side fought back and had a last chance to win the game and advance to the Semi-Finals. With only 5.7 seconds on the shot clock, running down fast, they had to rush.
Shannon Evans, who has been shining with the Guinean national team over the past few years, brought the ball up the court. Boo Buie III tried to contain him, but the No. 11's step-back three was crucial for the 94-93 win.
Overall, Promitheas' playmaking leader had a huge all-around night, providing 22 points, 7 assists, and 5 rebounds while shooting 6-of-12 from deep. Zac Cuthbertson added 15 points off the bench.
Six players scored in double digits for the Turkish team, which won't return to the BCL Regular Season. Jonathan Davis concluded his QRT2 as Korfez's highest scorer with a 21-point losing effort.
Aiming to participate in the BCL Group Stage for the fifth time in their history, Promitheas will now have to go up against RASTA Vechta in the Semi-Finals on September 19 at 19:30 CET.
SL Benfica 88-98 RASTA Vechta
We said it in the beginning: RASTA had to go through a battle and an outstanding ending in the Round of 16 to make their way into the Semi-Finals, and the same happened on Thursday.
Against SL Benfica, however, it wasn't necessary to survive on the last possession of the game. Trailing until midway through the fourth, the Germans had a 13-0 run to escape all the way to the 98-88 final victory.
RASTA found energy from back-to-back buckets by Lars Thiemann, who had a great night at the rim with 13 points and 13 rebounds. The team's captain, Tommy Kuhse, was everywhere, delivering 27 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists.
The Portuguese team's backcourt, composed of Luther Muhammad (22 points and 4 assists) and Geno Crandall (18 points, 7 assists, and 4 rebounds), gave their best but couldn't avoid Benfica's defeat. Brandon Slater added 21 points.
VEF Riga 95-102 Dziki Warszawa
Entering the week of action in Samokov, no team among the two Qualification Round Tournaments had more Group Stage appearances than VEF Riga, which previously participated in seven consecutive BCL campaigns.
Permanently qualified for the BCL Regular Season since 2019-20, the Latvians won't be able to reach eight straight seasons internationally, as they suffered a rough 102-95 defeat to Dziki Warszawa.
The QRT2 Quarter-Final featured 40 minutes full of drama, with 14 lead changes and an extra push by the Polish team in the final three minutes of action. Dziki dominated in the paint, outscoring Riga 52-30.
Joseph Girard III (25 points and 5 assists) propelled Dziki to the Semi-Finals with clutch plays throughout the game, including a cold-blooded three-pointer. Zane Waterman contributed with a 24-point winning effort.
On the Latvian side, Jordan Sears had another stellar performance with 33 points and 6 assists, but it wasn't enough to push his team to the Semi-Finals in QRT2. Caleb Asberry added 15 points and 5 boards for Riga.
Marco Legovich’s group, which is now two victories away from becoming the 10th different Polish team to play in the BCL Regular Season, will now face Rio Breogan Lugo on September 19 at 17:00 CET.
Manchester Basketball 84-105 Rio Breogan Lugo
Dziki's route to entering the BCL Regular Season for the first time will face another huge obstacle in two days, as Rio Breogan Lugo look more confident than ever on returning to the Group Stage after three years.
The Spanish team had the second game in Samokov scoring in triple digits as they took out Manchester Basketball 105-84, breaking the British side's dreams after their opening success over Wurzburg.
Breogan had the lead for 36:09 minutes and looked comfortable throughout the whole encounter, with five players ending in double digits. Among them, the team's highest scorer was Tevin Brown with 20 points.
On the losing side, the backcourt duo composed of Jordan Johnson and Keon Thompson combined for 43, but it wasn't enough to pull off another upset against an established side like the Spaniards.