Itelyum Varese secured its first win of the season in the Basketball Champions League with a commanding 61-95 victory over Bamberg, in a game that was never in doubt and dominated by the red-and-whites from the very start. It was a standout performance by Coach Kastritis’s team, which—still without the injured McDowell-White and Della Valle—displayed solidity, intensity, and quality on both ends of the court, pulling away early and never allowing the home team to get back into the game. For Varese, this marks their second consecutive victory following their home league win against BC Roma—a result that provides further confidence and continuity to the team’s growth trajectory. Once again, it was the team effort that made the difference, with four players scoring in double figures and Hunter Hale leading all scorers with 22 points. Deserving of special praise, however, was the all-around performance by David Duke Jr., the true star of the evening with 13 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, and 4 steals, along with an extraordinary +37 plus/minus rating. The Red-and-Whites will return to the court Saturday night, when they’ll take on Verona in their next LBA game.
Varese got off to a strong start and, after Jones’s opening basket, immediately took control of the game thanks to Nikolic’s free throws and Hale’s three-pointers, which gave the red-and-whites their first lead. Duke Jr. and Kamagate kept the visitors’ excellent start going, as they surged to a 4-14 lead, forcing Coach Ramirez to call his first timeout of the night. The Germans’ response, however, failed to materialize, and Itelyum continued to push the pace, with Alviti and Renfro also contributing key points to make it 6-19. Bamberg tried to rally with Jones and Terry, but Varese maintained firm control of the game and closed out the first quarter ahead 10-22 thanks to Roby’s free throw.
The second quarter began much like the first, with Duke Jr. and Hale continuing to break down the German defense, while Nikolic and Alviti extended the lead to a new high of 12-31, forcing Ramirez to call another timeout. Bamberg struggled to find effective offensive solutions, and Itelyum took advantage to extend its lead even further with Kamagate and another three-pointer by Hale, making it 16-38. Ikangi also joins the red-and-white party from beyond the arc, putting the visitors up by 23, before Jones tries to spark his team with two consecutive three-pointers. Varese, however, remained composed and responded with Nikolic and Alviti, the latter hitting the three-pointer that sent the teams into the locker rooms with the score at 26-46.
Coming out of the long break, Itelyum came back with impressive intensity, going on a 13-0 run fueled by Hale, Ikangi, and Roby that brought the score to 26-59 and sealed the game’s outcome. Wilson and Obiesie tried to stem the tide with two three-pointers, but Hale remained unstoppable, and Alviti made it 32-65, forcing Ramirez to call another timeout. Hochstadter tried to rally the home team with five consecutive points, prompting Coach Kastritis to call a timeout this time, but Varese’s response was immediate, led by Nikolic, who scored three baskets from close range. In the closing minutes, Villa also hit a three-pointer, while Renfro’s free throw set the score at 43–75 at the end of the third quarter.
With the game now firmly in Itelyum’s hands, the final period turned into a dominant display by the red-and-whites as they managed their lead, continuing to find the basket with great consistency. Duke Jr. opened the scoring, Ikangi answered attempts by Jones and Baehre, while Librizzi and Roby hit shots from beyond the arc, keeping the visitors’ lead well over thirty points. Bamberg tried to cut into the deficit, but Varese left no room for a comeback and continued to rack up points with Kamagate and Nikolic, before Alviti hit a three-pointer to make it 56-95. In the closing minutes, Jones scored the German team’s final five points, setting the final score at 61–95.