BCM Gravelines Dunkerque sent a message that echoed all around the competition and grabbed its first road win in Group A by thrashing Cibona 71-101 in Zagreb, Croatia on Tuesday. Andrew Albicy led the winners with 21 points. Cyril Akpomedah added 18, Juby Johnson had 11 while Yannick Bokolo got 10 for Gravelines, that downed 15-of-32 three-pointers and outrebounded Cibona by 30-40. Marin Rozic led Cibona with 18 points. Pavle Marcinkovic had 12, Andrija Zizic added 11 while Davor Kus got 10 for the hosts. Albicy led a 0-13 run that Dounia Issa capped with a three-pointer to break the game open, 13-32, early in the second quarter. Albicy and Akpomedah kept pacing Gravelines to boost the guests' margin to 32-51 at halftime. Another three-pointer by Bokolo broke the game open, 39-63, right after the break and nothing changed from that moment, as Gravelines kept a safe lead all the way until the final buzzer.

Zizic got Cibona going with free throws and a jumper but Rudy Jomby and JK Edwards tied it at 5-5. Demonte Harper and Albicy traded shots from downtown but Jomby downed his second triple to give Gravelines its first lead, 8-11. Akpomedah buried back-to-back three-pointers and a layup by Pape Sy boosted the guests' lead to 10-19. Kus nailed a jumper but Albicy hit free throws and followed Issa's layup with an easy basket for a 12-27 Gravelines margin after 10 minutes. Sy kept pacing the guests with a put-back basket and a triple by Issa capped a 0-13 run and made it an 19-point game, 13-32. Tomislav Zubcic split free throws and Jure Lalic added consecutive baskets to get Cibona within 17-34. Edwards finished a three-chance Gravelines offense with a layup but an unstoppable Lalic made the guests call timeout at 21-36. Albicy downed a triple and followed Bokolo's jumper with a layup that restored a 23-43 Gravelines lead. Rozic and Zizic tried to change things for Cibona but three-pointers by Akpomedah and Albicy kept Gravelines way ahead, 32-51, at halftime.

Akpomedah scored down low right after the break and another three-pointer by Jomby boosted Gravelines' margin to 35-56. Rozic tried to ignite Cibona's comeback with a jumper but Vaty and Akpomedah scored in the paint and Bokolo downed Gravelines' 12th triple to break the game open, 39-63, midway through the third quarter. Kus hit free throws and Marcinkovic added 5 quick points but Cibona only managed to trade baskets now. Bokolo buried another shot from downtown and a layup by an unstoppable Albicy made it a 23-point game, 50-73. Another triple by Sy fixed the score at 53-76 after 30 minutes. Akpomedah dunked it early in the fourth quarter while Marcinkovic and Johnson traded baskets for a 55-80 score. The outcome was sealed already but both teams kept fighting hard for points difference. Akpomedah - who else? - and Johnson buried three-pointers and a layup by Xavier Silas made Cibona call timeout at 61-90. Nothing changed from that moment, as Gravelines cruised to a well-deserved, important road win.