Breogán has won both games played in Samokov and has surpassed 100 points in each. On Thursday, they defeated Manchester 84-105 in the quarterfinals and are now two wins away from the Basketball Champions League group stage. On Saturday at 5:00 PM, with broadcast on TVG2, they face Dziki Warszawa.
A 7-0 run that lasted three minutes
The start belonged to Manchester. The English side came out with more energy and accuracy, with former ACB player Nelson as their offensive reference point, and opened with a 7-0 run. A three-pointer from Francis Alonso broke that streak and sparked Breogán's reaction, tying it at seven in the third minute.
From there on, defense took over. Breogán increased their defensive intensity, took the lead (9-13), and a three-pointer from Tevin Brown forced Matthew Owen's first timeout (11-18). The first quarter ended 14-25.
The first half decided everything
Rasir Bolton, returning from injury, scored seven consecutive points at the start of the second quarter to extend the lead (19-32). The team dominated inside—first with Brankovic and then with Ilic—and punished from beyond the arc, although their 6-of-17 from three wasn't brilliant. On the other side, Manchester was just 1-of-7.
With Dominik Mavra orchestrating and scoring ten points in the first half alone, the difference grew to 18 (28-46) and surpassed twenty at halftime (33-54), with a basket from Brown off a steal at the buzzer.
Managing without relaxing
The third quarter brought more movement than accuracy, which allowed the British side to close to eighteen (40-58). Andric and Brown cut off the three-point attempt to make it 42-64, and from there Manchester always hovered around a twenty-point deficit. The quarter ended 54-74.
In the fourth, with Casimiro managing minutes with Saturday in mind, the game became an exchange of baskets. Edgar Vicedo scored five straight points, and a three-pointer from Johnson—the leading English scorer with 22—made it 75-91 with four minutes remaining. Two three-pointers from Alonso and Aranitovic restored the twenty-point margin and the final score was 84-105.
The numbers and the absence
Five Breogán players surpassed ten points: Brown, Alonso, Bolton, Mavra, and Aranitovic. The team also dominated the boards (33-42) and shooting percentages.
The negative note is the absence of Josep Peris, who according to Luis Casimiro was unable to train with the team. This adds to the absence of Andersson García, who remains unable to join due to pending bureaucratic procedures.
What's next
Dziki Warszawa pulled off the upset by eliminating Latvian VEF Riga 102-95. The semifinal is played on Saturday at 5:00 PM and, if they advance, the final would be Sunday at 7:30 PM. Two games in just over twenty-four hours for a spot in the group stage, where Hapoel Holon, Cholet Basket, and Spartak Office Shoes await.