Breogán needed a win and delivered much more. The team dominated Rilski Sportist in Samokov (126-80) with the highest scoring performance in club history in European competition and 22 three-pointers, another club record. First step taken of the four matches separating the team from the Basketball Champions League group stage.
Brankovic Led the Way
The first standout performer was the Croatian center. Danko Brankovic dominated the opening with ease unusual for a continental debut: 13 points in the first quarter alone and 19 total, with perfect shooting. With him as the reference point, Breogán quickly went up 15-4.
Some relaxation allowed Rilski to get closer, with veteran Kostov finding space on penetration and mid-range, but a basket from Erik Quintela left the first quarter at 25-16 and three-pointers from Aranitovic and a basket from Kasibabu at the start of the second quarter opened the gap again.
Ball Movement Found the Open Man Every Time
This is what Casimiro has been working on all summer. The defense showed minutes of communication and intensity and the offense found the open player over and over: Aranitovic from beyond the arc, Mavra taking over scoring duties and Tevin Brown providing points and individual impact. A three-pointer from Brown at the buzzer left the halftime score at 57-38.
The third quarter started with a Bulgarian three-pointer that turned out to be a mirage. Mavra's accuracy maintained the distance and a three-pointer with a foul from Brown made it 70-47 and put the game away. From there it was a shooting exhibition: Kasibabu, Vicedo, Aranitovic and Francis Alonso joined the three-point festival, with the latter chaining two three-pointers to extend the lead to 36 points before the end of the period (94-56).
The Numbers of the Night
The final quarter served to pad the statistics. A three-pointer from Andric brought the team to 120 points, a historic club record in European competition, and the final score was 126-80.
The three-point shooting was out of this world: 22 three-pointers on 36 attempts, 63 percent and another club record. But the victory was much more than marksmanship. Six players surpassed 10 points, Francis Alonso and Brankovic finished with 19, Tevin Brown and Dominik Mavra with 16, and the Croatian also distributed 13 assists.
What's Next
Thursday at 3:30 p.m. comes the second hurdle, presumably much more demanding: the quarterfinals against German side Würzburg Baskets or Manchester. After that would come the semifinal on Saturday and the final on Sunday, two games in just over twenty-four hours.
One of the four finals is complete. Three remain.