BC Prešov put the finishing touches on their European Cup campaign with a commanding 108-84 victory over Apsheron Lions on Tuesday evening. The Slovak side made no mistake in front of their home crowd, outscoring their opponents in every meaningful metric. By then the gap was already insurmountable, and the hosts had nothing left to prove.
What stood out immediately was the shooting efficiency. Prešov converted 35 of 64 field goals while hitting 15 of 18 three-point attempts. Apsheron managed only 29 from 69 and struggled from distance, making just six of 24 attempts. The old head settled them down, but even that couldn't mask the fundamental difference in execution.
The statistics tell a clear story. Prešov collected 34 rebounds to the visitors' 31, though the away side grabbed more offensive boards — 12 compared to eight. Turnovers told another tale: Apsheron coughed up the ball 13 times against 11 for the hosts. And here's the thing about basketball — you don't win with more field goal attempts if you can't finish.
In the standings, Prešov remain second after six games with four victories and two defeats. Apsheron sit fourth with two wins and four losses. Neither side has drawn a single match, which isn't surprising in a competition where results tend to be decisive from the opening tip-off.
The result extends Prešov's recent momentum after a mixed run of form. They had dropped points against Denizli Basketball on 6 October before bouncing back with victories over Kosice Wolves and Samobor. Apsheron, meanwhile, have lost their last two European fixtures, including a heavy defeat to Geneva Lions on 7 October. The draw brought them together early, and the winner was clear from the first possession.
