Game of the week: Happy Casa Brindisi host U-BT Cluj Napoca

BRINDISI (Italy) – Week three of the Basketball Champions League begins with a Group G matchup between Happy Casa Brindisi and U-BT Cluj Napoca on Oct. 18.

Where: Brindisi, Italy (Palazzetto dello Sport “Elio Pentassuglia”)

When: 20:30 CET

Brindisi are coming off a 27-point loss to Hapoel U-NET Holon (88-61) in their first game, which is tied for the biggest defeat so far this season in the BCL.

They even trailed by as many as 36 points on a couple occasions in the third quarter.

Cluj Napoca on the other hand, won their first-ever BCL game against Darussafaka 66-60.

Brindisi (0-1)

Jeremy Chappell led the team with 10 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists on 3-of-6 shooting from the field and 2-of-3 from three-point.

Josh Perkins chipped in 8 points, 3 rebounds and 5 assists on 3-of-6 shooting from the field and 2-of-5 from three-point.

Those two players combined for four of the team’s six total threes.

Nathan Adrian grabbed 7 rebounds, leading the team in that stat category.

Cluj Napoca (1-0)

Elijah Stewart (18 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals) and Patrick Richard (17 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals) combined for 35 points, about 53% of the team’s total scoring in the first game.

Dustin Hogue almost recorded a double-double with 9 points and 8 rebounds in 20 minutes off the bench.

Big men Stefan Bircevic (210cm / 6'11") and Andrija Stipanovic (209cm / 6'10") were the main distributors on offense, dishing out a combined 9 assists out of the team’s 17 total.

Team comparison by the numbers: Left=Brindisi, Right=Cluj Napoca