Group D has a new look at the top after Virtus Rome got its first win at home 85-71 over previously unbeaten Alba Berlin on Tuesday. Rome and Berlin are now in second place with 1-2 records while BCM Gravelines Dunkerque rides alone at 3-0 in first. Rome stormed to a 44-25 lead at halftime and never looked back on the way to a solid victory based on sweet shooting. Quinton Hosley paced Rome with 20 points while Jimmy Baron added 16, Jordan Taylor and Phil Goss 12 each. That foursome went 16-for-16 at the foul line, while overall as a team Rome made 26 of 28 freebies as compared to 13 of 19 for Alba. The other big stat was a 7-0 difference in blocks for Rome, with Callistus Eziukwu sending back 4 shots himself. Cliff Hammonds and Vojdan Stojanovski scored 12 points each for Alba, while Reggie Redding had 10, Levon Kendall and David Logan 10 each.

Goss, Hosley and Michal Ignerski gave Rome a 9-3 cushion to start the game, while 5 points by Baron soon helped pushed that difference to 24-13 after 10 minutes. A three-pointer pushed Hosley to 11 points already to start the second quarter, and the hosts kept rolling to a high lead of 22 points after a triple by Taylor and a jumper by Baron while skating into halftime up 44-25. Rome still led 52-30 on 3 free throws by Taylor when a different Berlin emerged with Stojanovski and Hammonds helping the visitors at least keep pace until the third quarter ended 68-49. Suddenly, 5 points by Alex King sparked an 0-11 run that put Berlin right back in the game, 68-60, with 7 minutes left. Mbakwe and Ignerski steadied Rome then, but still Hammonds was able to cut the difference to 7 points, 76-69, with 3:41 left. This time Goss, Baron and Hosley answered by filling a 9-0 run that let Rome breathe easily to the end of its second Group D victory.