Basketball Champions League Qualifiers: Warszawa's 40-Point Blitz and Patras' One-Point Escape Headline Quarter-Finals in Samokov

Four Quarter-Finals 2 matchups at Arena SamElyon in Samokov, Bulgaria produced one of the more dramatic days of the qualifying window, capped by Dziki Warszawa erasing a seven-point deficit with a staggering 40-point fourth quarter to stun VEF Riga, and Promitheas Patras surviving the round's only true nail-biter against Biotekno Korfez Basket. Rio Breogan Lugo and RASTA Vechta rounded out the winners, though by very different margins one a comfortable rout, the other a fourth-quarter rescue job.
VEF Riga led for the better part of three quarters behind a huge night from Jordan Sears (180-PG-2001, college: LSU), who poured in 33 points on 9-of-21 shooting, including five triples and a perfect 10-of-11 from the line. Riga still held a 69-62 cushion heading into the final period, with Caleb Asberry (191-G-2000, college: OK State) contributing 15 points in support. But Dziki Warszawa reserved its best for last, outscoring the hosts 40-26 in the fourth quarter to complete the turnaround and escape with a 102-95 win. Joseph Girard III (185-G-2000, college: Clemson) led that surge with 25 points, and Zane Waterman (203-F-1995, college: Manhattan) added 24, while Osun Osunniyi (208-F/C-1998, college: Iowa St.) and Makai Ashton-Langford (191-G-1998, college: Boston Coll.) the latter with a well-rounded 9 points and 9 assists kept the offense humming down the stretch.
Rio Breogan Lugo needed no such theatrics, seizing control from the opening minutes against Manchester Basketball and never looking back en route to a 105-84 victory. Breogan led 25-14 after the first quarter and had built a 21-point cushion by halftime, cruising from there. Tevin Brown paced the winners with 20 points, with Francis Alonso (191-SG-1996, college: UNCG) adding 18 and Rasir Bolton (190-G-1999, college: Gonzaga, agency: Octagon Europe) chipping in 17. Manchester's resistance came from Jordan Johnson (185-G-1999, college: New Orleans), who scored 22, and Keon Thompson (185-G-2003, college: SF Austin), who added 21, but the hosts could not stem the tide against a Breogan side that shot its way to a comfortable night's work.
The round's signature game belonged to Promitheas Patras and Biotekno Korfez Basket, who traded the lead deep into the fourth quarter before Promitheas escaped with a 94-93 win the only result of the day decided by three points or fewer. Korfez led by as many as four points early and still held a 72-69 edge after three quarters, powered by Jonathan Davis (193-G-2002, college: Wisconsin)' 21 points and 18 from Boo Buie III. But Promitheas closed the game on the stronger note, with Shannon Evans II (185-PG-1994, college: Arizona St.) finishing with 22 points and 7 assists and Zac Cuthbertson (201-F-1996, college: Coastal) adding 15, edging out a Korfez side that also got a well-rounded 13 points and 12 rebounds from Oscar Cluff (211-C-2001, college: Purdue).
SL Benfica appeared well positioned to close out RASTA Vechta after carrying a five-point lead into the fourth quarter, but Vechta had other plans, outscoring the Portuguese side 30-15 in the final period to turn a 73-68 deficit into a 98-88 win. Tommy Kuhse (188-G-1998, college: SMC) was the driving force behind the comeback, finishing with 27 points and 6 assists for a game-high efficiency mark, with Lars Thiemann (216-C-2000, college: LMU, agency: LUMANI 10.7) adding a double-double of 13 points and 13 rebounds. Luther Muhammad (191-G-1999, college: Arizona St.) led Benfica with 22 points and Brandon Slater added 21, but the hosts' fourth-quarter collapse proved too costly to overcome.