Audi Dome, Munich - FC Bayern celebrated their return to international basketball competition by opening their Eurocup campaign with a well-deserved win over Italian side Treviso. The Bavarians defeated Benetton Basket 72-62 thanks to an impressive team effort which in the end left no chance to the Italians. Bayern's head coach Dirk Bauermann considers Benetton as the favourite to win the group stage, but they did not manage to prove it at the Audi Dome, as Bayern were able to keep the lead throughout.

Je'kel Foster poured in 14 points and Jan-Hendrick Jagla added 12 points, including the three-pointer to ice the game with 1:13 left.  Both of them scored in the crucial moments of the game, as Benetton were trying to come back. Remarkable was also Chevon Troutman's double-double (11 points and 10 rebounds), and welcomed contribution from Jonathan Wallace, scoring 10 points.

A perfect night for sure for Bayern, which made the all the fans in attendance happy, among them German football star Bastian Schweinsteiger, who was in his usual courtside seat.

"I am very satisfied that we won deservedly tonight. When your team wins deservedly a coach is always happy," stated Bauermann after the match.  Defense was one of the elements which allowed Bayern to get this coveted win.  "We played good defense. That is very important in international games. We only conceded 62 points to a very good team like them. I am satisfied."

Bayern held Benetton to 39% shooting on the night and allowed only one visiting player in double figures.  Alessandro Gentile led all scorers with 24 points.

Bauermann also praised his team's reaction after the overtime defeat suffered against Artland Dragons on Sunday.  "The players showed to have a spine, after only two days they played such a good game. I am proud that we were able to defend our colours in such a positive way tonight."

Troutman was also very happy with the team effort showed against Treviso.  "The coach had a strategy, he wanted everybody to get involved tonight.  It was a nice team effort."

"The better team won the game," acknowledged Benetton's coach Aleksandar Djordjevic.  He also referred to his team as a very young one, a group which needs experience in order to get wins in Europe.

Treviso's point guard Massimo Bulleri thinks that a loss was not the worst result.  "You can live with a defeat here at Munich. We knew that the group would be a real hard one. In the next games it will be very important to win at home and fight on the road, as we did tonight. Bayern simply played better, they shot better, they were more disciplined than us, that is enough to get a win."

Bayern lead now Group H of the Eurocup along with Spartak St. Petersburg, which easily defeated Cedevita. The Croatian side will be Bayern's next opponent, as the Bavarians will travel for their first European away game.  But before that is a return to league play in the BEKO Bundesliga.  On Sunday Bayern will host Fraport Skyliners, tip-off at 15:00.