Liga Nationala Round 19 (Regular Season): No surprise as #1 Oradea defeat Valcea

The teams have now bigger motivation at this stage of Regular Season. Every game can be crucial and decide about teams' position at the end of Regular Season. Here is the last round review presented by Job Market.

Liga Nationala top team - Oradea (15-1) had no problems winning another game on Wednesday. This time they crushed sixth ranked Valcea (9-7) in Ramnicu Valcea 102-82. It ended at the same time the four-game winning streak of Valcea. Oradea made 21-of-24 free shots (87.5 percent) during the game. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 22 assists. It was a great evening for Liberian-American guard Thomas Bropleh (196-1991, college: Boise St.) who led his team to a victory scoring 24 points and 6 assists. Dutch power forward Emmanuel Nzekwesi (203-1997, college: ORU) helped adding 23 points (on 10-of-13 shooting from the field). At the losing side the former international point guard Lucas Tohatan (187-1999) responded with 19 points and 6 assists. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Oradea have a solid series of four victories in a row. They maintain first place with 15-1 record. Valcea at the other side dropped to the eighth position with seven games lost. Oradea are looking forward to face league's second-placed Voluntari at home in the next round and it will be for sure the game of the week. Valcea will play against Ploiesti CSM (#13) and is hoping to prove to their supporters that the loss was just an accident.
Bottom-ranked Galati (0-17) is still winless. This time they lost on the road their 17th consecutive match to third ranked Pitesti (12-6) 92-68. It was an exceptional evening for American forward Kendall Lewis (203, college: Illinois St.) who led the winners and scored 23 points and 4 assists (on 9-of-10 shooting from the field). Tudor Somacescu accounted for 11 points and 5 assists. Guard Mihnea Vlaicu (178-2006, agency: One Motive Sports) came up with 18 points and 7 assists for Galati in the defeat. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Pitesti maintains third place with 12-6 record having just one point less than leader Cluj Napoca. Galati at the other side still closes the standings with 17 games lost. Pitesti will play against Targu Jiu (#14) in Rovinari in the next round which should be another easy win for them. Galati will play at home against Rapid and hopes to get finally their first victory.
Another exciting game was a derby match between two local teams from Bucuresti: Dinamo B. (#5) and Rapid (#10). Rapid was defeated at home 92-98 and even the advantage of their own court did not help. Marcus Lewis fired 20 points for the winners. Roman Penn produced 26 points and 7 assists (made all of his fourteen free throws !!!) for lost side. Rapid's coach rotated eleven players in this game, but that didn't help. Dinamo have a solid series of four victories in a row. They maintain fifth place with 11-7 record. Rapid lost sixth consecutive game. They keep the tenth position with ten games lost. They share it with Sibiu and Steaua. Dinamo will meet at home higher ranked Craiova (#4) in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Rapid will play against Galati (#15) and hope to secure a win.

There were no shocking results in the rest of the games of round 19: Ploiesti CSM lost to Targu Mures on the opponent's court 100-107. Timisoara managed to outperform Sibiu in a home game 81-76. Steaua recorded a loss to Craiova on the road 84-80. Brasov defeated Targu Jiu on its own court 90-86.



Targu Mures - Ploiesti CSM 107-100

Very expected game when 13th ranked Ploiesti CSM (6-11) was defeated on the road by seventh ranked Targu Mures (10-8) 107-100 on Wednesday. Targu Mures made 22-of-24 free shots (91.7 percent) during the game. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 25 assists. American point guard Michaelyn Scott (182-1993, college: Idaho, agency: Interperformances) fired 29 points and 6 assists (made all of his nine free throws !!!) for the winners. Montenegrin point guard Goran Martinic (187-1987, agency: 6th Man Basketball Agency) chipped in 22 points and 5 assists. American point guard Kenny Cooper (183-1998, college: Tennessee St.) produced a double-double by scoring 21 points and 11 assists and Serbian center Veljko Brkic (206-1995) added 18 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists respectively for lost side. Four Ploiesti CSM players scored in double figures. Targu Mures moved-up to sixth place, which they share with Timisoara. Ploiesti CSM lost third consecutive game. They keep the thirteenth position with 11 games lost. Targu Mures will meet Sibiu (#10) on the road in the next round. Ploiesti CSM will play against Valcea and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Targu Mures: S.Michaelyn 29+4reb+6ast, M.Goran 22+5ast, C.Vlad 11+11reb+2ast, R.Pavle 9+6ast, P.Bogdan 9+10reb+2ast, D.Trey 8+6reb+3ast
Ploiesti CSM: J.Febres 23+4reb, K.Cooper 21+3reb+11ast, V.Brkic 18+8reb+4ast, D.Brooks 10+9reb+2ast, A.George 9+4reb+1ast, D.Codrut-Alexander 9+1reb+1ast

Timisoara - Sibiu 81-76

Rather predictable result when eighth ranked Timisoara (10-8) defeated at home 12th ranked Sibiu (8-10) 81-76 on Wednesday. However just five-point win is not that big difference and the fans of host team counted on more convincing victory. Americans were the main players on the court. Jalen Nesbitt (198-1993, college: UNF) fired 19 points and 9 rebounds for the winners. point guard Devon Thomas (183-1994, college: Texas Tech) chipped in 14 points and 5 rebounds. Four Timisoara players scored in double figures. Timisoara's coach Dragan Petricevic used a ten-player rotation in such tough game. Power forward Anthony Smith (203-1997, college: Murray St.) produced 15 points and 8 rebounds and guard MJ Randolph (193-1999, college: FAMU) added 18 points respectively for lost side. Timisoara moved-up to sixth place, which they share with Targu Mures. Loser Sibiu dropped to the tenth position with ten games lost. They share it with Steaua and Rapid. Timisoara will meet Steaua (#12) in the next round which should be theoretically an easy game. Sibiu will play against Targu Mures and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Timisoara: N.Jalen 19+9reb+2ast, V.Bogic 14+1reb+4ast, T.Devon 14+5reb+3ast, B.George 11+4reb+1ast, B.Sasa 8+1reb, R.Schipor 6+5reb
Sibiu: M.Randolph 18+4reb+1ast, A.Smith 15+8reb+1ast, T.King 15+1reb+2ast, E.Roschnafsky 7+5reb, K.Stone 7+2reb+1ast, Z.Anastasios 4+1reb

Craiova - Steaua B. 84-80

Not a big story in a game when 11th ranked Steaua (8-10) was defeated on the road by fourth ranked Craiova (11-6) 84-80 on Wednesday. However just four-point win is not that big difference and the fans of host team counted on more convincing victory. Americans were the main players on the court. point guard Sam Sessoms (182-1999, college: Coppin St.) fired 22 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists for the winners. Guard Kendall Robinson (198-1998, college: W.Connecticut) chipped in 23 points and 5 rebounds. Four Craiova players scored in double figures. Forward Dame Adelekun (203-2001, college: Loyola, IL) produced 23 points and 6 rebounds and point guard Kenny Dye (183-2000, college: Queens, NC) added 20 points respectively for lost side. Steaua B.'s coach rotated ten players in this game, but that didn't help. Craiova maintains fourth place with 11-6 record. Loser Steaua B. dropped to the tenth position with ten games lost. They share it with Sibiu and Rapid. Craiova will meet Dinamo (#5) in the next round. Steaua will play against Timisoara (#7) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Craiova: R.Kendall 23+5reb+3ast, S.Sam 22+6reb+4ast, D.DeAndre 13+3reb+1ast, L.Ishmael 13+3ast, N.Vlad 5+1reb, T.Bogdan 4+4reb
Steaua B.: D.Adelekun 23+6reb+2ast, K.Dye 20+3reb+3ast, S.Albert-Mark 10+6reb+3ast, J.Gray 9+3reb+1ast, A.Andries 8+2reb+4ast, L.Diaconescu 4+1reb

Rapid - Dinamo B. 92-98

Another exciting game was a derby match between two local teams from Bucuresti: Dinamo B. (#5) and Rapid (#10). Rapid was defeated at home 92-98 and even the advantage of their own court did not help. American guard Marcus Lewis (196-1992, college: EKU) fired 20 points for the winners. Guinean-American power forward Ousmane Drame (206-1993, college: Quinnipiac) chipped in 14 points and 6 rebounds. Five Dinamo B. players scored in double figures. American point guard Roman Penn (182-1997, college: Drake) produced 26 points and 7 assists (made all of his fourteen free throws !!!) and Serbian center Nikola Jevtovic (209-1989, agency: 011 Sports) added 22 points and 7 rebounds respectively for lost side. Rapid's coach rotated eleven players in this game, but that didn't help. Dinamo have a solid series of four victories in a row. They maintain fifth place with 11-7 record. Rapid lost sixth consecutive game. They keep the tenth position with ten games lost. They share it with Sibiu and Steaua. Dinamo will meet at home higher ranked Craiova (#4) in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Rapid will play against Galati (#15) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Dinamo B.: L.Marcus 20+1reb+3ast, V.Radu 20+1reb+2ast, M.Derrick 14+2reb+5ast, D.Ousmane 14+6reb+3ast, K.Nandor 12+3reb+1ast, B.Vyacheslav 6+3reb+2ast
Rapid: R.Penn 26+4reb+7ast, N.Jevtovic 22+7reb+1ast, T.Fometescu 12+2reb+3ast, L.Sullivan 9+7reb+1ast, E.Petrescu 7+1ast, T.Hankerson 7+1reb+1ast

Pitesti - Galati 92-68

Bottom-ranked Galati (0-17) is still winless. This time they lost on the road their 17th consecutive match to third ranked Pitesti (12-6) 92-68. Pitesti players were unselfish on offense dishing 26 assists. Galati was plagued by 26 personal fouls down the stretch. It was an exceptional evening for American forward Kendall Lewis (203, college: Illinois St.) who led the winners and scored 23 points and 4 assists (on 9-of-10 shooting from the field). The former international point guard Tudor Somacescu (191-2005) accounted for 11 points and 5 assists for the winning side. Four Pitesti players scored in double figures. Guard Mihnea Vlaicu (178-2006, agency: One Motive Sports) came up with 18 points and 7 assists and Lithuanian forward Martynas Arlauskas (203-2000, college: Gonzaga) added 15 points and 6 rebounds respectively for Galati in the defeat. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Pitesti maintains third place with 12-6 record having just one point less than leader Cluj Napoca. Galati at the other side still closes the standings with 17 games lost. Pitesti will play against Targu Jiu (#14) in Rovinari in the next round which should be another easy win for them. Galati will play at home against Rapid and hopes to get finally their first victory.
Top scorers:
Pitesti: L.Kendall 23+4reb+4ast, T.Marcus 12+1reb+2ast, S.Tudor 11+4reb+5ast, B.Catalin 11+6reb+2ast, V.Nicolas 9+5reb+2ast, D.Radovan 8+1reb+6ast
Galati: M.Vlaicu 18+3reb+7ast, M.Arlauskas 15+6reb+1ast, N.Ciuca 12+6reb, M.Jovicic 6+6reb+2ast, S.Robert 5+7reb, D.Axinte 5+4reb+1ast

Valcea - Oradea 82-102

Liga Nationala top team - Oradea (15-1) had no problems winning another game on Wednesday. This time they crushed sixth ranked Valcea (9-7) in Ramnicu Valcea 102-82. It ended at the same time the four-game winning streak of Valcea. Oradea made 21-of-24 free shots (87.5 percent) during the game. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 22 assists. It was a great evening for Liberian-American guard Thomas Bropleh (196-1991, college: Boise St.) who led his team to a victory scoring 24 points and 6 assists. Dutch power forward Emmanuel Nzekwesi (203-1997, college: ORU) helped adding 23 points (on 10-of-13 shooting from the field). At the losing side the former international point guard Lucas Tohatan (187-1999) responded with 19 points and 6 assists and American forward DeAndre Pinckney (203-2000, college: Southern Miss) scored 14 points (on 6-of-7 shooting from the field). Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Oradea have a solid series of four victories in a row. They maintain first place with 15-1 record. Valcea at the other side dropped to the eighth position with seven games lost. Oradea are looking forward to face league's second-placed Voluntari at home in the next round and it will be for sure the game of the week. Valcea will play against Ploiesti CSM (#13) and is hoping to prove to their supporters that the loss was just an accident.
Top scorers:
Oradea: B.Thomas 24+3reb+6ast, N.Emmanuel 23+4reb+1ast, K.Nikola 13+1reb+3ast, Y.Kalif 10+8reb+1ast, S.Bandja 10+2reb+1ast, N.Nicolae-Bogdan 9+4reb
Valcea: T.Lucas 19+2reb+6ast, D.Pinckney 14+1reb+3ast, A.Casale 12+4reb, R.Uta 11+2reb+1ast, P.McCaffery 7+6reb+1ast, K.Gabriel 6+2reb+4ast

Brasov - Targu Jiu 90-86

Everything went according to plan when ninth ranked Brasov (9-9) beat at home 14th ranked Targu Jiu (1-17) 90-86 on Thursday. However just four-point win is not that big difference and the fans of host team counted on more convincing victory. The hosts took control from the first minutes by winning first half. But Targu Jiu won fourth quarter 22-17. However it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. It was a great shooting night for Brasov especially from behind the arc, where they had solid 53.3 percentage. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 22 assists. American power forward Tyrell Johnson (203-1997, college: App State) fired 17 points and 6 rebounds for the winners. Serbian center Dimitrije Nikolic (211-1997) chipped in 19 points and 5 rebounds. Four Brasov players scored in double figures. American guard Collin Cooper (188-2001, college: EKU) produced 31 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists (made all of his seven free throws) and the other American import guard Marcus Evans (188-1996, college: VCU, agency: Olsta) added 20 points respectively for lost side. Targu Jiu's coach Vanja Miljkovic tested ten players, but that didn't help to avoid defeat in this game. Brasov maintains ninth place with 9-9 record. Targu Jiu lost fifth consecutive game. Newly promoted team keeps the fourteenth position with 17 games lost. Brasov will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Targu Jiu will play against Pitesti (#3) and hope to win that game.
Top scorers:
Brasov: N.Dimitrije 19+5reb, J.Tyrell 17+6reb+2ast, M.Mihai 13+1reb+1ast, T.Munis 11+1reb+7ast, S.Grant 11+1reb, A.David 7+6reb+3ast
Targu Jiu: C.Cooper 31+7reb+5ast, M.Evans 20+4reb+2ast, R.Montgomery Jr. 12+5reb+1ast, S.Gribinic 6+5reb+2ast, M.Diaby 5+2reb, L.Djonkam 4+2reb