Survive and advance: By keeping up with heavily favored Alba Féhérvar over two legs of the 2024 FIBA Europe Cup Qualifiers (102:85, 84:104), BC Prievidza move on to the competition’s group stage and can look forward to hosting quality teams from ACB Spain, Bulgaria and Georgia.

Nobody said it was easy…after BC’s sensational 102:85 home win on Tuesday in Športová hala, the Hungarians bounced back big-time in the return leg. Saša Jankovič’s troops withstood Alba’s early onslaught and managed to trade baskets in a high-scoring first quarter (31:31, 10.).

However, in the second stanza, Féhérvar’s individual quality began to shine through. A 28-14 run reduced Prievidza’s aggregate lead to a mere three points at half time (59:45, 20.). In particular the Hungarian’s backcourt trio of David Nichols, Tyler Thomas and veteran David Vojvoda proved hard to contain, as they combined for a whopping 70 of Alba’s 104 total points.

The second half saw more of the same. While BC’s shots stopped going in, the hosts converted even high-difficulty attempts with contact or a hand in their face. But despite struggling with the experienced Hungarian’s quality and physicality at times, Prievidza never fell apart. Timely bank shots by C.J. Jackson, who now emerged as a fourth scorer besides Keith Jordan (21 points), Daishon Smith (16) and Hunter Dean (double-double of 13 points and eleven boards), cut the deficit to three points on aggregate with seconds to go in regulation. And again it was Jackson who seemed to have sent the tie to overtime but his attempt was waved off by the officials as it had left his hand a fraction too late.

Alba held on to an impressive 104:84 home win which was enough to go through to the group phase directly. The Prievidza camp now had to bring out the calculators. Already on the way back to the hotel it became apparent that the other games of the night would go their way and that BC would qualify as the best of three so-called “lucky losers” having obtained the closest aggregate result.

The term, however, is misleading since BC’s qualification had nothing to do with luck. It was achieved with a gutsy, resilient performance over two legs facing a favored opponent with more experience and a much higher budget. There is plenty to be proud of and the prospect of welcoming other teams of international standing to Prievidza soon is a well-deserved reward for the hard work that was put in.

The FIBA Europe Cup group stage will start with a home game against BC Kutaisi 2010 from Georgia on October 9 followed by match-ups with Bulgarian top club Balkan Botevgrad and Spanish ACB giants Bilbao Basket.

Photo: FIBA Basketball