Bourg is off to a strong start! Despite the high stakes, JL did not feel any pressure as they began their Eurocup final in Turkey this Wednesday, as explained by their vice-captain Adam Mokoka earlier in the week. This confidence was evident as the Bressans dominated Besiktas for most of the game, securing a 72-60 victory.
On a night where they benefited from their opponent’s struggles, the Bourg team had several players to thank. Among them were Tre Mitchell (11 points, 6 rebounds), who was excellent early on, Mokoka, who was once again very valuable (14 points, 9 rebounds), and Assémian Moularé (13 points), who took charge at the end of the game by scoring his team’s last 10 points.
Bourg’s initial flawless performance
In a highly hostile environment, the Bourg team initially struggled to find their rhythm offensively. It took them almost 4 minutes to score their first field goal of the evening. Despite this timid start, JL stayed in contention thanks to their intense defense, exemplified by Ricky Lindo’s impressive play (5-2, 3rd minute).
With a superb slam dunk from the winger, they even took the lead a few minutes later (7-9, 6th minute). Despite 8 turnovers in the first half, JL maintained the lead, largely due to their sharp defense. This disrupted the Turkish team, who were struggling with their shooting at halftime (9/32 from the field, including 3/14 from beyond the arc), giving Bourg a significant advantage (26-35, 20th minute).
Ante Zizic, who was not very prominent in the first half (3 points), embodied Besiktas’s resurgence, scoring 8 points in 4 minutes to bring his team closer (38-43, 25th minute). However, this was not enough to rattle Frédéric Fauthoux’s players.
On the contrary, they continued to deliver spectacular plays for their traveling fans in Turkey, including a nice alley-oop finished by Adam Mokoka (38-45, 26th minute). Tajuan Agee, who scored the last 5 points of the third quarter, gave the Bressans a healthy lead again (41-55, 30th minute).
JL had a moment of doubt!
To start the fourth quarter, JL had one clear objective: not to let Besiktas regain hope. Adam Mokoka understood this well and, in turn, scored 5 consecutive points (43-60, 32nd minute). This lead seemed sufficient to end the suspense, but the Turkish team fought back with improved three-point shooting (55-62, 37th minute).
In a roaring arena, Besiktas intensified their defense, sensing a major comeback opportunity. After two missed shots by William McDowell-White, followed by offensive rebounds from Bourg, it was Assémian Moularé who allowed the visitors to breathe again with a highly contested three-pointer (55-65, 38th minute).
This lead was enough for JL, who showed excellent attitude throughout, to secure an away victory (60-72) and earn a chance to seal the title at Ekinox on Tuesday, April 28th, at 7:30 PM.
The game’s box score is available here.
