MIES (Switzerland) - With two games left to play in Group J, AEK BC and ALBA BERLIN secured their tickets to the Quarter-Finals.
AEK stormed to a 4-0 record with a comfy 90-62 win over Karditsa Iaponiki, and paired with ALBA's 69-60 triumph over Tofas Bursa, it meant that the top two positions in the group will go to AEK and ALBA, while Karditsa and Tofas cannot reach the Quarter-Finals even if they won both of their remaining games.
For AEK, this means back-to-back Quarter-Finals appearances, as they made the Final Four in Season IX, finishing third in front of their fans in Athens.
Overall, this would be their sixth time in the elite eight phase of the competition, with their best result coming in Season II, when they went all the way and claimed the BCL title.
For ALBA, this is a dream debut, reaching the Quarter-Finals on first try. They lost their first game of the season to Elan Chalon, but have been nearly perfect afterwards, staying attached to AEK at 3-1 in Group J.
While both teams are through now, they still have plenty to play for in the remaining two games.
The group winner will be seeded in the Quarter-Finals draw, meaning they own the home-court advantage in a best-of-three series.
AEK won their first matchup by eight points. The reverse fixture is set for March 18 in Berlin.