At lux gare, Eur. Investment Bank overpowered Eurobasket 91-74 in the Bascol Coupe eliminatoires, riding a hot perimeter and a dominant closing stretch. The visitors set the tone early with a 26-15 first quarter, fuelled by long-range makes from Miguel Llevenes (EIB) and Drini Manjani (EIB). Eurobasket steadied in the second quarter: Valentin Mitov (EUR) buried back-to-back threes and Domas Savickas (EUR) kept the scoreboard moving at the line to trim it to 37-44 at the break.
After halftime, Eurobasket kept chipping away. A Baptiste Bessiere (EUR) three made it 56-59, the closest margin since the opening minutes, and it was 60-64 entering the fourth despite an unsportsmanlike foul on Tudor Maldrescu (EIB) in the third. The game pivoted early in the last period. Srdan Petkovic (EIB) scored inside, Llevenes added a runner, and Georgios Diakoilias (EIB) hit a key three for 66-75. Eurobasket answered through Laurent Olislager (EUR) from deep and a Svajunas Piepolis (EUR) triple to reach 74-78, but the finish belonged entirely to EIB: a 13-0 run sealed it, highlighted by a Nicolae Predescu (EIB) three, repeated drives and free throws from Manjani, and Llevenes' dagger from beyond the arc.
Manjani led all scorers with 34 points (10 two-pointers, 3 threes, 5 free throws), scoring in every quarter and repeatedly punishing gaps off the dribble. Llevenes added 31 with six threes, including a quick five-point burst in the third. Petkovic chipped in 9, while Predescu contributed 8 crucial late points and steered the team from the bench.
For Eurobasket, Savickas posted 15 points with nine made free throws, Miguel Alonso had 14, and the duo of Olislager and Mitov added 13 each, Mitov sparking the second-quarter push. Piepolis (11) kept hope alive with a late three. Eurobasket made 22 free throws, but EIB's 12 made threes (to Eurobasket's 6) and the 13-0 finishing kick defined the outcome. Roberto Schiano's side twice cut the gap to one possession; Predescu's group answered each time and closed with authority, stretching the final margin to a game-high 17.
(AI generated)