BC Triumph Thump AEL To Clinch Third

BC Triumph signed off from the EuroChallenge Final Four on Sunday in Bologna with a 94-82 win over Proteas EKA AEL.

Stanislav Eremine's Triumph, edged 81-78 by Cholet Basket in their Semi-Final on Friday, got 20 points in the first 12 minutes of the game from Sergey Toporov.

AEL trailed by as many as 17 in the first half but reduced the deficit to 57-45 at the break.

Triumph were six of nine from three-point range in the first two quarters and they also out-rebounded AEL 15-7.

The Russian team opened up a 57-40 lead early in the third quarter but then allowed the Cypriot team to reel off 12 straight points.

That made it 57-52, but Triumph then surged back into a big lead by scoring 13 of the game's next 15 points.

Eremine's team went in front by 25 early in the fourth quarter and cruised the rest of the way.

Ernest Bremer poured in 19 points - 14 in the second half - for Triumph. Marque Perry bounced back from his disappointing Semi-Final by contributing 16 for Triumph.

Quincy Taylor had 19 points - 15 before half-time - to lead Proteas in their last game of the season.

Haris Mujezinovic of Bosnia and Herzegovina also had 18 points while Goran Nikolic contributed 16.