BELGRADE — Virtus Bologna defeated Maccabi 85-89 in the final matchday of the EuroLeague, with Carsen Edwards leading the way, ending an eight-game losing streak and closing out the European competition season with a win.
The game started with complete parity, with Virtus Bologna and Maccabi trading blows in a matchup without a clear dominant force for much of the contest. The Israeli squad, buoyed by the scoring of Loonie Walker, who finished with 24 points, managed to stay competitive throughout, preventing the Italians from opening up a significant lead in this EuroLeague finale.
Virtus Bologna found offensive solutions through Carsen Edwards, who contributed 19 points and 5 rebounds, well supported by Saliou Niang, who added 16 points, and Derrick Alston Jr., with 15. However, the game remained tight until the final moments, with Maccabi holding on thanks also to contributions from Oshae Brissett (11 points) and Roman Sorkin (10).
The decisive moment came down the stretch, when Virtus Bologna managed to string together several key offensive possessions that allowed them to open a small advantage. In those minutes of maximum tension, the Italian team managed possessions better and closed out the game with precision, securing the victory in this EuroLeague result.
This victory for Virtus Bologna in the EuroLeague ends a very negative stretch, snapping an eight-game losing streak in the final stretch of the season.
Virtus Bologna concludes the EuroLeague regular season with a record of 14-24, placing them in the lower part of the standings (17th or 18th position), while Maccabi finishes with 18-20, occupying 12th place outside the playoff positions in the EuroLeague.