Group D Play-In spots settled: Bahcesehir edge past Igokea
Bahcesehir College won the battle over Igokea m:tel for home court advantage in the Play-In, while ERA Nymburk closed their season out with an impressive road win over Group D winners Surne Bilbao.
MIES (Switzerland) - Bahcesehir College won the battle over Igokea m:tel for home court advantage in the Play-In, while ERA Nymburk closed their season out with an impressive road win over Group D winners Surne Bilbao.
Igokea came into this final day of the regular season one game ahead of Bahcesehir with the winner gaining the upper hand as second place in Group D. This game featured 16 lead changes and the final lead change came early in the fourth quarter once Bahcesehir took a lead for good, closing out a 77-72 win.
Bahcesehir's Jamar Smith (14 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists) and Jerry Boutsiele (14 points, 6 rebounds, 5 blocks) each scored 14 points, as Boutsiele became the first player to combine for 10+ points, 5+ rebounds and 5+ blocks in a BCL game since Pinar Karsiyaka's Raymar Morgan in May 2021.
Smith also came through in the clutch, sinking a three-pointer down the stretch to put the game out of reach.
🧊 𝗝𝗔𝗠𝗔𝗥. 𝗦𝗠𝗜𝗧𝗛. 🧊
— Basketball Champions League (@BasketballCL) December 21, 2022
Doing what he does!
(Which is hitting big shots down the stretch, in case you haven't been following European basketball for the last decade... 😉)#BasketballCL | @BKBasketbol pic.twitter.com/DRlIGKO2eP
With tonight's win, Bahcesehir have ended their two-game losing streak on the road in the BCL, as they also put an end to Igokea's two-game winning streak in the competition.
Bahcesehir outscored Igokea by 21 points in three-point shooting, as Smith (3-of-7 3P) and Muhammed Baygul (3-of-4 3P) combined to make more threes than Igokea did as a team.
Bahcesehir finished the regular season second in Group D at 3-3 and the Turkish club will take on Filou Oostende (who finished third in Group C with a record of 3-3) next in the Play-In. Igokea, meanwhile, also finished 3-3 but in third place in the group and will face Hapoel Atsmon Holon (second place in Group C at 4-2) in the Play-In.
🥵 In a game with 16 lead changes, @BKBasketbol come out victorious and clinch Group D's 2nd place! They will get home court advantage in the #BasketballCL Play-Ins! pic.twitter.com/9slyB2ynip
— Basketball Champions League (@BasketballCL) December 21, 2022
Nymburk go out on a high note
The Czech Republic club came into this final regular season game already eliminated, but that didn't stop them from finishing with a win, as Nymburk got their second win of the 2022-23 BCL season after defeating Bilbao on the road, 81-71.
Gerel Simmons matched his season-high 27 points tonight on 10-of-16 shooting from the field and 7-of-9 from three-point. His seven made threes are tied for the most by a player in a BCL game this season. All but two players scored for Nymburk as well.
👀 @basketnymburk stun Spanish hosts on the road, go out on a high note in their 22-23 #BasketballCL campaign! pic.twitter.com/88ky59UCtQ
— Basketball Champions League (@BasketballCL) December 21, 2022
The final standings in Group D:
Group D
12/12 games played
GAMES | GAME POINTS | POINTS | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
# | Team | P | W | L | % | For | Agt | +/- | FA | AA | |
1 | Surne Bilbao * | 6 | 4 | 2 | 66.7 | 477 | 425 | 52 | 79.5 | 70.8 | 10 |
2 | Bahcesehir College ** | 6 | 3 | 3 | 50.0 | 437 | 470 | -33 | 72.8 | 78.3 | 9 |
3 | Igokea m:tel ** | 6 | 3 | 3 | 50.0 | 467 | 456 | 11 | 77.8 | 76 | 9 |
4 | ERA Nymburk | 6 | 2 | 4 | 33.3 | 437 | 467 | -30 | 72.8 | 77.8 | 8 |
*Qualified for Round of 16
**Qualified for Play-Ins