Diagne Leads Bonn To Big Win Over Belgacom

Telekom Baskets Bonn hammered Belgacom Liege for their first win in the EuroChallenge Top 16.

Moussa Diagne, averaging just 4.8 points, scored a game-high 22 points to lead Bonn to a 79-64 victory.

Both sides are now 1-2 in Group I.

When Belgacom prepared for the trip to Bonn, they probably didn't take into account the potential damage Diagne could inflict on them.

The Senegalese forward had made just three of 22 shots from long range in the competition but on Wednesday, he drilled four of six from the arc.

Bonn's three-point shooting was a big difference as they made 10 of 20 compared to the Belgian outfit's seven of 18.

Belgacom might have off-set that disparity by making a lot of free throws but they sank only 15 of 23 at the charity stripe.

The game was knotted at 30-30 at half-time.

The spurt that propelled Bonn to victory started with one of Diagne's three-pointers which gave them a 36-32 lead.

Brandon Bowman then added a three-point play after getting fouled while making a jump shot and Ken Johnson dunked to cap the 8-0 run.

The contest was effectively over late in the third quarter after Bonn opened up a 57-38 lead following a Johnson jumper and a lay-up by Winsome Frazier.

Michael Koch's team never let their lead dip below 13 points the rest of the way.

No other Bonn player hit double figures in points while for Belgacom, Will Thomas and Jamar Wilson scored 14 points apiece and Justin Cage 13.

Quotes Telekom Baskets vs. Belgacom Liege

Michael Koch, Head Coach Telekom Baskets Bonn:  

"The key factor in our game was team defense. We knew that Liege plays very fast and saw that they had some easy baskets in the first half. In the second 20 minutes we increased the intensity of our defense and also found our rhythm in the offense. A loss would have been the end of our European ambitions for this season. We still have to learn to play more smart and not to argue too much with the refs."  

Tom Johnson, Head Coach Belgacom Liege:  

"Congratulation to Bonn. The first 20 minutes were ok but as in the last weeks we had problems in the last minutes because we were tired and had no steam. I knew that it would be hard to play in Bonn so we tried to play zone defense but Telekom Baskets found too many open shots. We hope to come back in this group to reach the quarter-finals."  

Moussa Diagne, Player Telekom Baskets Bonn:  

"We are very happy with this win tonight. Last week in Den Bosch we played very poor but after our big game against german champion Berlin we had a lot of confidence. I am sure that we can reach the next round in the EuroChallenge."  

Eric Poole, Player Belgacom Liege:  

"The first half was a close game. Both teams played a good defense. We came out in the second half kind of flat. Bonn rested their players during the first half so they took advantage of us in the second half."