Basketball Lions Braunschweig have won their first game in the Europe Cup with an 89-59 victory over AEK Larnaka from Cyprus. This marks the return of the team from Lower Saxony to the European stage after almost 20 years.
However, the game did not start well for Braunschweig. In the first quarter, the Lions were even behind 12:21 at one stage, mainly due to a weak free throw percentage (only one out of four attempts) and problems from beyond the three-point line (1 out of 9). The guests from Cyprus, on the other hand, scored confidently from the free throw line (12 out of 13).
But in the second quarter, the Lions came back and took the lead 25:21 thanks to a comeback. At half-time, the score was finally 32:32, and the game was completely open again.
Decision in the third quarter
In the third quarter, the Lions then showed their true strength and impressed with outstanding team basketball. With 25 assists and just nine turnovers, the young Lions turned in an excellent performance. They laid the foundation for the clear victory by winning the third period by 29 points and going into the final quarter with a comfortable 61:47 lead. They ran out comfortable winners by 89:59 to top the FIBA Europe Cup table. The clear 30-point lead underscored Braunschweig’s dominance in the game.
Despite a strong performance from Taveion Hollingsworth (24 points, 7 rebounds) and Jesse Hunt (17, 15 rebounds), who tried for a long time to make their mark on the game, Larnaca was unable to prevent a clear defeat. Top scorer for the Lions was Tre Mitchell, also with 24 points (8 rebounds).
