Keravnos pronounce the season open with double-digit triumph in Brussels

BRUSSELS (FIBA Europe Cup) - Keravnos got their FIBA Europe Cup campaign off to a dream start with a hard-fought 68-58 victory over Basic-Fit Brussels on the road in the Belgian capital in the opening fixture of the Regular Season on Tuesday evening.

Turning Point: A three-pointer by Aleksander Lichodzijewski had given Basic-Fit a 54-53 lead in the fourth quarter, but the visitors from Nicosia responded with a 15-2 run that put them back in the driving seat with a 12-point advantage and decided the outcome, helping them cross the finish line with a healthy cushion.

Stats Don't Lie: Domien Loubry's red-hot shooting, 4-of-6 from beyond the arc, kept Brussels close in the first half, but then Keravnos stepped up their defense and kept the Belgian guard scoreless after the interval. Without his input, Basic-Fit finished with a 7-of-22 mark from beyond the arc, while the Cypriots connected on a more efficient 6-of-15 attempts.

Game Hero: Kenny Barker finished the game with 0 points. Kenny Barker also finished the game with a double-double of 11 rebounds and 10 assists, doing most of the invisible work for Keravnos, while Terell Parks and Cade Davis took care of the scoring with 17 and 16 points, respectively.

Bottom Line: It may not have been the most beautiful basketball game ever, but an opening-day win is always a good stepping stone towards a successful season. Keravnos will be happy to have made a winning start and taken early leadership in Group D, with two other teams on the table, BC Balkan and Egis Kormend, joining the action on Wednesday.

They Said: "Our main goal was to come out and keep the score low. At times, we let them get out in their transition game, which kept them in the game. But we strengthened our defense in the second half and it worked." – Keravnos forward Cade Davis.

"I am disappointed. When the other team scores 68 in your house, you have to win. We were terrible offensively. We gave up a lot of easy baskets in free-throws and lay-ups. When we got back in the game, we lacked the energy to keep that lead." – Basic-Fit Brussels head coach Laurent Monier.

FIBA