Eurocup Last 32 decided

The Eurocup Last 32 picture has been completed as Round 10 of the Regular Season wrapped the groups and decided which clubs would progress to the next round. Of course, the competition will now await the results from the Euroleague this week to see which eight teams dropping from that competition will join the 24 qualified teams in the Eurocup Last 32.

Group A
An all-French tie on Tuesday saw Paris-Levallois hand Strasbourg its second defeat of the competition with a 71-75 road win. Strasbourg have long qualified and are now joined by Paris as the club clinched third place in Group A to move to the Eurocup Last 32. The club will also be celebrating a double over rivals Strasbourg.

CAI Zaragoza (4th) and Brose Baskets Bamberg (2nd) were already sure of their place in the next round, but the teams put on a show regardless. The Spanish club Zaragoza picked up a home win with 78-76 victory. The German visitors righted a losing first half with an explosive 3-21 run in the third, but Zaragoza outlasted the guests in the fourth to take the win.

Telekom Baskets Bonn downed Grissin Bon Reggio Emilia 101-87 at home, but both teams were already out of the competition.

Group B
Telenet Ostend made sure of second place in Group B by coming back to defeat down and out FoxTown Cantu 83-77 at home. The Belgian team was trailing through three quarters but used an 11-0 rally in the final act to steal the game and move above Dijon on superior points difference.

As for Dijon, they hosted German club Artland Dragons Quakenbrueck and took them out 69-65 in France. The home team secure third place with a 6-4 record, while the Dragons ended the Regular Season with the joint worst record, bottom of the group with a dismal 1-9 losing run.

Herbalife Gran Canaria Las Palmas defeated ASVEL Lyon Villeurbanne 73-66 to complete the group phase with an unbeaten record. It has been a dominant ten games for the Spanish team and they displayed their skill again with a 73-66 win over eliminated Lyon.

Group C
SLUC Nancy had too much for Charleroi Spirou at home and took a 87-62 win to secure second place in Group C. Spirou already knew their fate and finished last in the standings and the Belgians never looked like troubling their French hosts too much in this contest.

Virtus Rome has certainly taken a foot off the gas after securing a Eurocup Last 32 berth a few weeks ago. The Italians lost again in Round 10, this time falling to eliminated EWE Baskets Oldenburg, although the Rome outfit still topped Group C.

Group D
Both Khimki Moscow Region and Zenit St. Petersburg had already qualified for the nest round, but the two still went all guns blazing in a derby between clubs for Russia’s two largest cities. Khimki had too much for their compatriots in the end with an 80-68 victory that handed them first place in Group D.

Besiktas punched its ticket to the Last 32 a couple of weeks ago and have since proceeded to lose their games. The Turkish club held on to second place in the standings despite slipping 67-68 at the death to Szolnoki Olaj, although victory was not enough for the visitors as they had already left the running.

Union Olimpija Ljubljana put VEF Riga to the sword to end the Regular Season in style. The qualified club drained 90 points to Riga’s 61 to send the Latvians out of the competition with an awful 1-9 record.

Group E
Krasny Oktyabr Volgograd outshot Banvit Bandirma 80-68 in Russia, but the hosts still lost out on second place to their Turkish opponents as Banvit had a better points difference. However, both teams were comfortably into the next round.

Partizan NIS Belgrade has had a poor season, but the Serbian giant ended its Eurocup campaign on a high by taking out CSU Asesoft Ploiesti 65-85, but ultimately it was the Romanians celebrating from fourth place.

Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius has been the form team in Group E and the Lithuanians proved it again with a 98-88 win over Hapoel Jerusalem at home. The top vs. bottom clash saw Lietuvos Rytas consolidate first place with an 8-2 record, while Jerusalem leave the competition with a 2-8 record in last place.

Group F
Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar maintained its unblemished record and finished off Group F unbeaten with an 85-93 road win over Pinar Karsiyaka Izmir. The Russians have been formidable this season and dismantled an Izmir team that itself has impressed, with both teams qualifying.

PAOK Thessaloniki surpassed Izmir into second place (both locked at 6-4) by defeating Buducnost VOLI Podgorica 76-81. The game went into overtime as Buducnost searched for the win it needed to progress to the Last 32, but luck was on the visitors’ side as they qualified regardless of the loss.

That’s because Stelmet Zielona Gora could not get the required points as they bested Ventpsils 51-58 on the road to end their campaign on a high.