FIBA Basketball Champions League: eight left on qualifying path

The clubs heading to Round 3 of the FIBA Basketball Champions League qualifying round have been set, with eight teams set to compete. Round 2 was wrapped on Thursday after eight games around the continent provided a festival of hoops for Basketball fans.

Openjobmetis V. edged into the next round despite a 70-72 loss at the expense of Benfica. It was a nervy finish to the game as Benfica needed to win by three or more points to progress after losing 72-75 at home on Tuesday. The hosts got lucky in the end, though, and managed to take a 145-144 aggregate win. Mornar Bar was much more comfortable as the club went big at home to defeat Igokea 83-60 in front of its own fans. Igokea was nursing a 71-69 advantage heading into the game, but was blown away as Antabia Waller paced the hosts with 25 points.

Sodertalje downed Kataja 66-59 on its own hardwood, but it was not enough to reverse the punishing defeat the team took two days ago. Kataja was all but in the next round of FIBA Basketball Champions League qualifying after outgunning Sodertalje 97-58 in leg 1. The hosts improved a lot here, but still did not have enough to progress. Tsmoki-Minsk put 10 points on Rilski in a cruising home effort that put the Belarus champs through with ease. The VTB League club was holding a 58-72 road win from Tuesday and never looked in doubt.

A night of home wins continued as UBT Cluj Napoca swept into the next round with a 67-56 win over AEK in Romania. The hosts already held a 50-78 advantage and was back in cruise control here, where Filip Adamovic plundered 23 points for a 145-106 win. One of the closer games of the night saw Prievidza fall at home 67-73 to Oradea. With success, the visitors eased into round 3 after winning 71-64 at home a couple of days ago.

TU/Rock put together a winning home performance to bear Dutch club Groningen 65-57 and progress to the next round. The Finnish outfit relied on its home performance to progress after the teams could not be separated on Tuesday, playing out a 76-76 draw. Jamar Diggs’ 13 points led Juventus past FC Porto with a 77-59 success. The club moved into the next round after also winning the first leg 81-83.