Buducnost - Budivelnyk 75-77 Budivelnyk climbed on top of EuroCup Last 16 Group I. They surprised Buducnost in Podgorice to jump at 3-1 record on top of the ladder. The Kyiv team avenged the home loss a week ago. Buducnost seemed to cruise leading by 16 points midway through the third term. But Budivelnyk capitalized on several mistakes from the hosts to get back into the game and finished off in style. Buducnost started the game strong. They posted a 22:11 lead midway through the opening quarter. They finished the period up by 12 points 28:16. Buducnost kept their opponents at bay throughout the second quarter. The hosts ensured a 49:37 halftime lead. Dusko Bunic made it 65:49 for the home team midway through the third term. However Budivelnyk capped the period with six points in a row to narrow the deficit at 10-point mark 55:65. The Ukrainian team opened the fourth frame with five points in a row to cut the deficit to 5 points. Leo Lyons (206-F-87, agency: Edge Sports, college: Missouri) and Artur Drozdov (200-SF-80) then put the Kyiv outfit within one 66:67. Leo Lyons tied things up at 70 with just over two minutes remaining. Bost drained a three-pointer but Georgi Tsintsadze and Malcolm Delaney responded with four points as Budivelnyk surged ahead 74:73. Bost came up for the home team once again hitting a jumper but Leo Lyons converted a layup and Salenga sank a free throw to seal the victory for the visitors. Leo Lyons provided 17 points, while Artur Drozdov added 16 points and 8 boards for the winning team. Cedomir Vitkovac (201-F-82, agency: Beo Basket) answered with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Dusko Bunic had 14 points in the loss.
Triumph - Banvit BK 93-89 Triumph finally clinched the victory in EuroCup Last 16. They held off visiting Banvit for 1-3 record in Group I. Kyle Landry (207-C/F-86, college: N.Arizona) nailed 17 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to pace the winners. Triumph jumped in front early in the opening frame. The hosts exploded with 28 points in the first term to take a 9-point lead. Triumph kept the Turkish team at bay throughout the second quarter. The hosts ensured a 52:38 halftime advantage. Banvit slowly took over after the big break. The Turkish team slowed Triumph down and cut the deficit heading into the fourth frame trailing by 10 points. Banvit cut the deficit to just four points with under three minutes remaining in regulation 80:84. Kalin Lucas and Sammy Mejia put Banvit within two 89:91 with 9 seconds remaining. But McKee sank two free throws to seal the victory for Triumph. Sergey Karasev (202-SG-93) posted 19 points, while Yuval Naimy added 16 points for the winners. Charles Davis (205-C-84, college: Alabama) answered with 21 points for Banvit. Kalin Lucas and Vladimir Stimac had 14 points each in the loss.
Group J
Valencia - Gescrap BB 60-61 Bilbao Basket celebrated the second straight win over Valencia in the EuroCup Top 16. This time the Basque team clinched the road win. Kostas Vasiliadis (200-G/F-84, agency: FCM) notched 14 points to pace the winners. Bilbao Basket snatched a narrow 20:18 lead after ten minutes of action. Valencia opened the second frame with eight points in a row to take a 26:20 lead. Valencia stayed in charge throughout the reminder of the first half to record a 37:29 halftime lead. Bilbao stayed within reach of their opponents in the third term. The visitors trailed by just five points heading into the fourth frame 45:50. Bilbao went on a 13:0 run midway through the fourth quarter to ensure a 58:52 lead. Valencia bounced back with eight consecutive points to make it 60:58 with 44 seconds remaining. But Kostas Vasiliadis drained a late three-pointer to seal the victory for the Basque team. Lamont Hamilton delivered 12 points, while Adrien Moerman chipped in 9 points in the win. Serhiy Lishchuk (210-C/F-82, agency: Beo Basket), Justin Doellman (206-F-85, college: Xavier) and Rafael Martinez (191-G-82) had 14 points each for the hosts.
VEF Riga - CEZ Nymburk 81-59 VEF Riga clinched the third victory in EuroCup Last 16. They stormed past Nymburk in the Latvian capital improving at 3-1 record on top of Group J. Nymburk in the meantime slipped at 1-3. Antanas Kavaliauskas (207-C-84, agency: Interperformances, college: Texas A&M) stepped up with 17 points and 9 rebounds to pace the hosts. VEF Riga opened the game with 9 points in a row. Nymburk bounced back pretty quickly levelling things up at 13 but VEF Riga regained the lead. They finished the first period up by six points 24:18. VEF opened the second period on a 6:2 run to open a double-digit lead. They recorded a 44:31 halftime advantage. The hosts knocked down five consecutive points at the start of the second half to boost the gap at 18-point mark. VEF Riga recorded a 65:48 advantage at the final intermission. They held Nymburk at 11 points in the fourth frame and rallied to the victory at the end. Earl Rowland (188-G-83, college: St.Mary's, CA) delivered 15 points, while Kristaps Janicenoks added 14 points for the winners. Pavel Houska answered with 14 points for Nymburk. Vojtech Hruban had 11 points and 6 assists in defeat.
Group K
Spartak SP - Stelmet ZG 81-54 Spartak Saint Petersburg coasted past Stelmet Zielona Gora for the third win in EuroCup Last 16 tonight. Zack Wright (195-G-85, college: Central Mo.) stepped up with 17 points, 8 assists and 4 steals to pace well-balanced effort from the hosts. Spartak and Stelmet stayed close throughout the starting quarter. The hosts eked out an 18:17 lead after ten minutes. Spartak increased the tempo in the second term. The hosts fired 22 points and limited their opponents to just 7 to gain a 40:24 halftime lead. Spartak Saint Petersburg dropped 25 points in the third quarter to stretch the lead. They accumulated a comfortable 23-point cushion heading into the fourth quarter. Spartak held Stelmet ZG to only 12 points in the final period and sealed a comprehensive win at the end. Vladimir Dragicevic (206-C/F-86) provided 14 points, while Josh Carter chipped in 13 points for the winners. Dejan Borovnjak (207-F/C-86, agency: Beo Basket) answered with 14 points for Stelmet ZG. Oliver Stevic netted 10 points in defeat.
Lokomotiv - Cajasol 83-72 Lokomotiv came up strong in the third quarter and eventually edged Cajasol in the fourth round of EuroCup Last 16. The Krasnodar team improved at 4-0 record on top of Group K, while dropping Cajasol at 0-4. Cajasol opened the game confidently. The Spaniards outscored sloppy hosts 23:15 in the first ten minutes. Lokomotiv tuned in after the break. They held Cajasol to 16 points in the second term but still trailed by 4 points at halftime 35:39. But the third term belonged to the hosts. Lokomotiv exploded with 28 points to take an 11-point lead heading into the fourth frame. The margin grew at 13-point mark in the final period before Cajasol struck back to cut it to 7. However Aleks Maric came up with timely six points in a row and Lokomotiv cruised from there on. Derrick Brown (203-F-87, college: Xavier) finished with 20 points, while Mantas Kalnietis (195-PG-86, agency: Interperformances) added 17 points and 8 assists for the winners. Luka Bogdanovic (210-F-85, agency: Beo Basket) answered with 15 points for Cajasol. Tomas Satoransky netted 14 points in defeat.
Group L
Ratiopharm - Galatasaray 91-70 Ratiopharm Ulm celebrated a confident win over Galatasaray in the fourth round of EuroCup Last 16. John Bryant (208-C-87, college: Santa Clara) stepped up with 20 points and 17 rebounds to pace the hosts to the second win in Group L. They caught up with Galatasaray in the standings. Ratiopharm Ulm did not waste too much time taking the lead in this one. The hosts jumped to a 12:2 advantage early in the game. They marched to a 25:17 lead after ten minutes. Ulm ensured a 29:17 advantage early in the second period. The hosts maintained the lead throughout the quarter. They established a 39:33 buffer at halftime. But Galatasaray opened the second half with six points in a row to level things up at 39. Ulm quickly regained the advantage and led by three points at the final break 56:53. Ulm tipped off the fourth quarter on a staggering 17:2 rally to leave their opponents behind. Galatasaray never recovered as Ratiopharm Ulm coasted the victory afterwards. Allan Ray (188-G-84, college: Villanova) notched 18 points, while Sebastian Betz had 13 points for the winning side. Carlos Arroyo (188-G-79, agency: Interperformances, college: FIU) answered with 23 points for Galatasaray. Ersin Dagli and Milan Macvan had 10 points each in the loss.
Crvena Zvezda - Unics 81-73 Crvena Zvezda claimed the second win in a super competitive EuroCup Last Group L. They held off visiting Unics to share four-team tie on top of the standings at 2-2 record. Igor Rakocevic (191-G-78) scored 21 points to lead the winners. Unics dominated at the early stages. The Kazan team dropped 26 points in the first quarter to take a 6-point lead. Crvena Zvezda slowed their opponents down in the second period. The Serbian team narrowed the gap at just two points at halftime 41:43. The hosts went on a crucial rally in the third term. Crvena Zvezda exploded with a 22:7 run to secure a comfortable 13-point advantage. Unics fired 23 points in the final period but could not avoid the loss at the end. Rasko Katic (208-C-80, agency: Beo Basket) nailed 12 points, while Mike Scott added 11 points for the hosts. Mire Chatman (187-PG-78, agency: Higher Vision Sports, college: UTPA) responded with 18 points for Unics. Chuck Eidson had 14 points in the loss.
Final Four MVP: Richard Hendrix (204-C/F-86) of Lokomotiv Player of the Year: Nick Calathes (198-PG-89) of Lokomotiv Guard of the Year: Nick Calathes (198-PG-89) of Lokomotiv Forward of the Year: Justin Doellman (206-F-85) of Valencia Center of the Year: John Bryant (208-C-87) of Ratiopharm European Player of the Year: Nick Calathes (198-PG-89) of Lokomotiv Import of the Year: John Bryant (208-C-87) of Ratiopharm Coach of the Year: Fotis Katsikaris of Gescrap BB
Behind a strong double-double showing of 12 points and 10 rebounds, courtesy of 6-11 Australian center Aleks Maric, and thanks to a dominate Most Valuable Player performance by interim big man Richard Hendrix, who contributed 14 points and 9 boards, Russian Lokomotiv Kuban secured its first ever Eurocup title with a 75-64 triumph over Spanish Uxue Bilbao [read more]
Behind a strong double-double showing of 12 points and 10 rebounds, courtesy of 6-11 Australian center Aleks Maric, and thanks to a dominate Most Valuable Player performance by interim big man Richard Hendrix, who contributed 14 points and 9 boards, Russian Lokomotiv Kuban secured its first ever Eurocup title with a 75-64 triumph over Spanish Uxue Bilbao.
Both Maric (Panathinaikos) and Hendrix (EA7 Milan), shown the door by their recently respected Euroleague homes, have managed to come alive in Russia, upped their statistics, and resurrect their stardom, en route to returning to Euroleague action next season.
While Maric is locked in with Kuban for the upcoming 2013-14 season, Hendrix, who is on a loan from Milan, will get shipped back to Italy to honor the second year of his deal.
Kuban Coach Evgeny Pashutin utilized his massive inside presence to the maximum. Maric playing the center, and Hendrix at power-forward revealed to be a killer duo combining for 19 boards, five of them offensive, and five assists.
"Our strategy offensively was to go inside to Richard Hendrix and Aleks Maric," a victorious Pashutin said. "They both dominated and we were able to get a lead, go from there and have a good game," the 44-year-old Russian-born coach added.
Awkwardly enough, Israeli power Maccabi Tel Aviv, currently trailing Real Madrid 0-2 in the best-of-five Euroleague quarter-finals series, is getting demolished inside the paint by its Spanish rival.
Seeing that Maccabi sent 7-footer Giorgi Shermadini to Greece on December 2012, and waived high-flying 6-8 power-forward Malcolm Thomas, who is now hooping for the Chicago Bulls, Shawn James' outstanding performances remain no match against Madrid's inside firepower. Dating back to March 2013, Maccabi targeted and engaged in conversations with Maric, who eventually preferred the Russian currency. Upon joining Kuban on January 2013, David Blatt heavily pursued Hendrix, and urged Tel Aviv officials to re-sign the Alabama alumnus. Yet Maccabi executives eventually inked Croatian Euroleague-rook Darko Planinic to a multi-year deal.
Planinic is far from being the coaching staff favorite Hendrix was, or Maric could have been, registering just 3.5 points and 1.5 boards during 6.5 minutes per versus Madrid.
As Madrid outrebounds Tel Aviv 85-44 over the first pair of series contests, Maric, tailing a miserable four points in seven minutes for Panathinaikos under former coach Zeljko Obradovic last season, has jump-started his international career, revisiting his dominance from when playing in Serbia with Partizan Belgrade.
"Our target from the beginning was to win this cup. We are now going to the play in the Euroleague. We conquered our goal of taking Kuban to the next level. It is an amazing feeling," said Maric, completing his Eurocup debut season with double-digit scoring figures of 11 points and 7.3 rebounds nightly.
Hendrix's season upside has also been remarkable. The 264-pounder who took home Israel's Center of the Year honors, discovered unfamiliar territory earlier this season under Sergio Scariolo, barley logging double-digits in minutes, which by default, meant failing to adapt to the Italian system.
In Russia, Hendrix revived his brand, doubled his scoring averages, and tripled his European competition statistics. For Kuban's defensive anchor, winning the Eurocup title was simply the icing on the cake.
Lokomotiv Kuban crowned new champions! - Apr 13, 2013
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Gescrap BB - Lokomotiv 64-75
Lokomotiv Kuban are the new EuroCup champions. They knocked down Bilbao Basket in Charleroi tonight to clinch the trophy. Aleks Maric (211-C-84, college: Nebraska) paced balanced effort from the Russian team finishing with a double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds. The teams went neck and neck throughout the opening quarter. Bilbao Basket eked out a narrow 17:16 lead after the starting quarter. But Lokomotiv took over in the second frame [read more]
Gescrap BB - Lokomotiv 64-75 Lokomotiv Kuban are the new EuroCup champions. They knocked down Bilbao Basket in Charleroi tonight to clinch the trophy. Aleks Maric (211-C-84, college: Nebraska) paced balanced effort from the Russian team finishing with a double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds. The teams went neck and neck throughout the opening quarter. Bilbao Basket eked out a narrow 17:16 lead after the starting quarter. But Lokomotiv took over in the second frame. They used a 15:2 run to secure a 37:28 lead. Kostas Kostas Vasiliadis (200-G/F-84, agency: FCM) stopped the rot with a jumper but Lokomotiv entered the second half up by 8 points 38:30. Derrick Brown (203-F-87, college: Xavier) and Calathes extended the lead to double digits early in the third term. Lokomotiv stayed in front throughout the third term. The Russian team entered the fourth quarter up by 9 points 54:45. Lokomotiv opened the fourth stanza with 11 straight points to shock Bilbao. The Basque team fought desperately till the final seconds and cut the deficit to 7 points but it was as close as they could get. Lokomotiv stayed calm and escaped with a triumphant victory at the end. Richard Hendrix (204-C/F-86, college: Alabama) finished with 14 points and 9 rebounds, while Derrick Brown added 11 points for the winners. Kostas Vasiliadis answered with 11 points for Bilbao Basket. Milovan Rakovic had 11 points in the losing effort.
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