SAMOKOV (Bulgaria) - RASTA Vechta clinched a return to the Basketball Champions League (BCL) Regular Season by defeating Dziki Warszawa 93-82 on Sunday. Dziki, who reached the Qualification Round Tournament 2 Final with three impressive 100+ point games, fought until the end but fell short of advancing to Season 11.
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The turning point came after halftime when Vechta, trailing earlier, returned with renewed energy. They achieved a pivotal 27-17 run in the third quarter, regaining control and maintaining it until the final buzzer.
Marco Legovich's team initially led by nine points (34-25) in the second quarter, but Vechta's performance after the break proved decisive. Nelson Weidemann stood out as the game's top scorer, contributing 25 points and shooting 3-of-6 from three-point range. This victory marks his return to the BCL after playing in the Regular Season with Brose Bamberg in 2019-20.
The match statistics highlighted the balance between the two teams; Dziki led for 19:53 minutes, while Vechta had the advantage for 18:44 minutes. Vechta narrowly outscored Dziki in the paint 46-44 and shot perfectly from the free-throw line, going 11-of-11.
Despite the loss, Dziki showed commendable effort throughout the tournament. Joseph Girard III, who had a standout performance in the semifinals, led Dziki's scoring with 19 points, alongside 4 rebounds and 4 assists. Other notable contributions came from Justin Edler-Davis (18 points), Matt Lewis (15 points), and Armaan Franklin (12 points, 6 rebounds). Notably, the team's captain, Tommy Kuhse, was unavailable for this match.
With their victory, Vechta will return to the Group Stage of the BCL, joining Hapoel Holon, Cholet Basket, and Spartak Office Shoes in Group F.