Eurocup, six more reach Last 32

Thrills and spills aplenty in the Eurocup tonight as a busy evening of action brought fifteen games with it as the Regular Season Round 7 played out around the continent. As you would expect, the games were suitably exhilarating as the Eurocup went up another gear as clubs from around Europe jostled for position throughout the six groups. During the week’s action six more clubs booked their place in the Last 32 phase of the tournament.

Group A

An all-German clash saw Telekom Baskets Bonn fall 52-71 at home to Bundesliga rivals Brose Baskets Bamberg. The visitors were in fine touch as they crushed an out or sorts Bonn team on the road, pacing to a 9-16 lead through the first quarter, but the hosts fought back with a 22-19 run in the second to make it 31-35 at halftime. Bamberg won both the third and fourth periods comfortably to enhance their Group A position to 5-2 in second place, while Bonn stays in the hunt in joint third (3-4).

Strasbourg maintained its grip on Group A with a narrow 71-73 away victory over CAI Zaragoza in Spain on Wednesday night. The French team takes its place in the Last 32 with a 6-1 record, while Zaragoza still has to push on from 2-4. Strasbourg laid a marker down in the opening quarter to lead 13-22, a marker that the Spanish spent the rest of the game trying to match. Zaragoza won the second 20-18 and the third 20-16 to make it 53-56 through three quarters. The home team continued to rally in Q4, but Strasbourg held firm and claimed the victory.

Group B

A contest of the French ProA rivals JDA Dijon and ASVEL Lyon Villeurbanne resulted in Dijon collecting a comfortable 75-58 victory at home. The win was enough to give Dijon a 5-2 record and sole possession of 2nd in the group, while Lyon sits fourth with 3-3. Lyon made the early moves by taking a 17-20 lead through ten minutes, but the hosts erupted in the second stanza with a 25-11 flurry to command the scoreboard at the midway point (42-31). ASVEL edged the third 14-15, but Dijon had enough points in the bank and surged again with a 19-12 winning final act.

Herbalife Gran Canaria Las Palmas secured its position in the Eurocup Last 32 last week, but the Spanish club did not lift the gas as they downed Telenet Ostend 79-70 at home in Round 7. The hosts were in the mood from the opening tip off and put Ostend to the sword with a 26-18 first period. In the second quarter the Belgians settled, Gran Canaria still edged the frame 19-18 to make it 45-36 at halftime. Ostend edged the third stanza 18-19, but the Spanish home team had too much and eased through the last act to win the game.

Group C

EWE Baskets Oldenburg kept its Last 32 hopes alive with a moral boosting 84-71 home win over Czech visitors CEZ Nymburk. The German club now sits on a 2-5 record, while Nymburk drops to 4-3. Oldenburg looked in control from the start, easing through the first quarter 22-17 and extending with a 23-18 second to make it 46-35 at the long break. With a double digit lead on the board the hosts could afford to lose the third stint 11-15 before moving to another gear to win Q4 27-21.

SLUC Nancy fell at home to Virtus Rome, losing 64-76 to the table topping Italians from the Eternal City. In victory the visitors could also celebrate progression to the Last 32, while French team Nancy will fight on from a 4-3 record, still in the hunt. The hosts started hot and took a commanding 21-11 into the first buzzer, but Rome found its form to secure the halftime lead on the back of a 12-23 second quarter blitz (33-34). The away team kept the scoring momentum by pouring in 25 points through the third quarter, SLUC could only manage 14 in reply. A 17-17 locked fourth period ensured the Italians the victory.

Proximus Spirou Charleroi kept its Eurocup Last 32 dreams alive with only its second win of the Regular Season (2-5), an 82-72 home success over Seville, who slip to 3-4 in Group C. The Belgian hosts started well at the offensive bucket and took the first period 21-17, but Seville cut the deficit by two points through the second quarter to make it 38-36 heading to the locker room. Spirou went hot again in the third quarter to secure a 27-20 win through the period to make it 65-56 on the scoreboard through thirty minutes. In the final frame the home team added to their lead by a single point and eased down the straight.

Group D

Khimki Moscow Region demolished Union Olimpija Ljubljana at home in Group D, breaking 100 points to win 105-77. The win puts the Russians second in the group with a 5-2 record, while Union Olimpija holds onto third with a 4-3 record. An enormous first quarter from the hosts resulted in a 36-14 lead, although Union Olimpija responded during an explosive second period that ended 27-32 (63-46). Khimki extended the advantage with a 20-15 winning third and ensured a clean sweep of quarters by winning the fourth 22-16.

Besiktas Integral Forex Istanbul progressed to the Last 32 by downing Zenit St. Petersburg 87-73 in Turkey during the Eurocup Round 7. The home team moved to the top of the group with a 6-1 record, while Zenit holds possession of fourth with a 3-4 showing. The Turkish contingent managed to secure a 41-34 lead at the long break thanks to a 21-15 first quarter and a 20-19 second. The hosts never looked in doubt as they claimed the third act 24-19 before wrapping the game up in the fourth with a 22-20 run.

The two bottom clubs in Group D clashed on Thursday as Szolnoki Olaj defeated VEF Riga 96-84 at home in an exciting clash. Szolnoki improved its fortunes to 2-5, while Riga dropped to bottom of the group with a 1-6 record, both teams sitting outside the qualification places. The Olaj based outfit put on a show of consistent scoring with a game score of 26-22, 25-17, 20-14, before conceding the fourth quarter 25-31.

Group E

Krasny Oktyabr Volgograd handed Hapoel Jerusalem its fourth consecutive defeat thanks to a narrow 69-67 home win for the Russians. Oktyabr kept hold of third place with the win (4-3), while the Israeli club stayed locked on a 1-6 record. Jerusalem secured the early lead thanks to a 14-17 winning first quarter, but Krasny Oktyabr made it a one point game with a 23-21 second act. The board read 37-38 at halftime, but the Volgograd club took the lead with a 19-12 streak in the third quarter to lead 56-50 through thirty minutes, and then survived a Hapoel rally in the last quarter to win the game.

Partizan NIS Belgrade could not build on last week’s success as the Serbian team continued to struggle by falling to a 90-85 away defeat at Banvit Bandirma, although the Turkish Group E pace setters needed overtime to get the job done. The game was locked 83 apiece after regulation, but Banvit managed to keep Partizan quiet through the added period to win it 7-2. The victory sent the Turkish team into the Last 32 occupies last place with a 1-6 record.

Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius joined Banvit in the Last 32 by defeating Romanian powerhouse CSU Asesoft Ploiesti 79-72 at home. Rytas secured a 6-1 record to progress, while Ploiesti still has a qualification place in fourth with a 3-4 record. The hosts were sensational in the first quarter as they cruised to a 28-15 lead, but a quick 11-19 response from CSU Asesoft made it anybody’s game at the midway buzzer (39-34). Lietuvos Rytas built on their cushion in the third frame with a 22-15 run and then held off a late 18-23 charge from the visitors to take the vital win.

Group F

Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar has made serene progress through the competition and that continued with a 60-69 road win over Ventspils. The win maintained the Russians’ unblemished at 7-0 and sent them into the next round, while Ventspils can still qualify, but will need to build on its 2-5 record. Lokomotiv took advantage of a cold Ventspils to win Q1 10-15, but the hosts cut back with a 24-20 winning second act. At the middle interval the score read 34-35, a slender one point advantage for the Krasnodar contingent. The visitors used that small lead to build through the second half, winning the third period 11-17 and the final stanza 15-17.

Pinar Karsiyaka Izmir kept its cracking start to the season going with an 86-78 home win over Buducnost VOLI Podgorica. The victory meant the Turkish hosts are best placed to qualify in second place with a 5-2 record, while Buducnost will need to improve on its 2-5 record with the group tightening up. The hosts carried a thirteen point advantage into the second half after winning the first quarter 22-12 and the second 22-20. That double digit 45-32 lead was slowly chipped into by the Podgorica giant after a 21-21 third quarter as the visitors won the fourth 20-25. The time run out as the away team gathered momentum, handing a victory to the Izmir hosts.