Liga Endesa Round 6 of Regular Season

It's still too early stage of the Regular Season in Liga Endesa, but even now we can clearly see the difference between stronger teams and outsiders. Here is the last round review presented by Job Market.

The biggest surprise of round 6 was guest Barca's (4-2) road victory over Unicaja (#8) 92-89 on Sunday evening. It ended at the same time the three-game winning streak of Unicaja. It was a key game for the second position in the league. The best player for the winners was the former international forward Joel Parra (202-2000) who scored 17 points (on 7-of-8 shooting from the field). American-Serbian guard Kevin Punter (193-1993, college: Tennessee) chipped in 13 points. At the other side the best for losing team was American-Bulgarian center David Kravish (208-1992, college: California) who recorded 15 points and 8 rebounds (perfect from the field making all seven shots !!!). Both coaches used bench players in such tough game. Barca moved-up to second place, which they share with 6 other teams. Unicaja at the other side dropped to the ninth position with three games lost. They share it with 3 other teams. Barca is looking forward to face Rio Breogan (#6) in Lugo in the next round. Unicaja will play on the road against Zaragoza and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Very important is a road loss of second ranked Tenerife (4-2) against sixteenth ranked Coruna (2-4) on Saturday night. Visiting Tenerife was defeated by Coruna in a tough game in Coruna 89-93. It ended at the same time the four-game winning streak of Tenerife. It was a good game for American point guard Alonzo Verge Jr (191-1998, college: Nebraska, agency: Octagon Europe) who led his team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 26 points and 12 assists. Lukas Uleckas contributed with 12 points and 12 rebounds for the winners. American Kyle Guy (188-1997, college: Virginia) replied with 17 points for Tenerife. Both coaches tested many bench players in such tough game. Coruna moved-up to thirteenth place, which they share with Burgos SP. Tenerife at the other side keeps the second position with two games lost. They share it with 6 other teams. Coruna will play against Andorra (#15) at home in the next round. Tenerife will play against Joventut (#16) and hopes to get back on the winning track.
Undefeated leader Real Madrid delivered the sixth consecutive victory on Sunday night. This time they beat 13th ranked Burgos (2-4) 90-79. Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot scored 17 points (went 7 for 7 at the free throw line) to lead the charge for the winners. The best for the losing side was DJ Steward with 20 points and 4 assists. Both coaches allowed to play bench players saving starting five for next games. Undefeated Real Madrid (6-0) have an impressive six-game winning streak. They maintain first position with a perfect record of 6 victories in a row. Loser Burgos keeps the thirteenth place with four games lost. They share the position with Coruna. Real Madrid will meet at home Murcia (#12) in the next round which should be an easy win for them. Burgos SP will play against Valencia and hope to secure a win.

Rest of the games of round 6 were quite predictable and ended without any surprises. Here they are:
Girona was crushed by Zaragoza in a road game 107-78. Murcia smashed Lleida at home 125-98. Bilbao won against Joventut on the opponent's court 81-78. Obradoiro was outscored by Rio Breogan in a home game 90-110. Winless Manresa was rolled over Baskonia on the road 106-83. Andorra lost to defending champion Valencia on its own court 79-111.



Zaragoza - Girona 107-78:
Everything could happen at the game between two tied teams. Both tenth ranked Zaragoza and 11th ranked Basquet Girona had identical 3-2 record. This time Zaragoza used a home court advantage and crushed the opponent from Girona 107-78 on Saturday night. Zaragoza made 26-of-34 free shots (76.5 percent) during the game. They shot the lights out from three sinking 13 long-distance shots on high 52.0 percentage. Zaragoza looked well-organized offensively handing out 27 assists comparing to just 9 passes made by Girona's players. The former international guard Guillem Vives (192-1993, agency: BIG) scored 21 points and 7 assists to lead the charge for the winners and Canadian guard Trae Bell-Haynes (188-1995, college: Vermont) chipped in 13 points and 9 assists during the contest. The best for the losing side was Dominican swingman Jassel Perez (195-2001) with 19 points and American guard Mac McClung (188-2000, college: Texas Tech) scored 16 points. Five Zaragoza and four Girona players scored in double figures. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Zaragoza (4-2) moved-up to second place, which they share with 6 other teams. Loser Basquet Girona dropped to the ninth position with three games lost. They share it with 3 other teams. Zaragoza will meet at home Unicaja (#11) in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Girona will play against Bilbao and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Girona: J.Perez 19+4reb, M.McClung 16+2reb, D.N'Guessan 11+3reb, S.Whittaker 11+2reb+1ast, N.Maric 6+3reb+1ast, S.Martinez 5+3reb+2ast
Zaragoza: V.Guillem 21+3reb+7ast, J.Justin 17+1reb+4ast, B.Laurynas 15+8reb, B.Trae 13+2reb+9ast, B.Roberts 12+5reb+2ast, B.Nicolas 11+3reb+3ast

Murcia - Lleida 125-98:
No shocking result in a game in Murcia where thirteenth ranked UCAM (3-3) smashed 17th ranked Lleida (1-5) 125-98 on Saturday. Murcia made 27-of-35 free shots (77.1 percent) during the game. Great defensive blocking was one of the keys in this match when Murcia made 8 blocks. Cuban guard Howard Sant-Roos (201-1991, agency: Octagon Europe) scored 24 points and 5 rebounds (on 7-of-8 shooting from the field) to lead the charge for the winners and American Michael Forrest (185-1999, college: FAU) chipped in 22 points during the contest. UCAM's coach Sito Alonso felt very confident that he used 11 players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. The best for the losing side was American guard James Batemon (185-1997, college: LMU) with 20 points and 5 assists (went 13 for 13 at the free throw line !!!) and American-Armenian point guard Darius McGhee (175-1999, college: Liberty) scored 18 points. Five Murcia and four Lleida players scored in double figures. Murcia moved-up to ninth place, which they share with 3 other teams. Lleida lost fifth consecutive game. They keep the seventeenth position with five games lost. Murcia will meet league's leader Real Madrid on the road in the next round and they do not belong to the favorites in that game. Lleida will play against Baskonia (#7) and hope to win that game.
Top scorers:
Lleida: J.Batemon 20+1reb+5ast, M.Ejim 18+2reb+2ast, D.McGhee 18+2reb+2ast, Z.Perrin 13+6reb+3ast, M.Hughes 11+1reb+1ast, K.Kuath 6+7reb+1ast
Murcia: S.Howard 24+5reb+1ast, F.Michael 22+1reb+2ast, E.Dylan 19+1reb+2ast, C.Emanuel 14+7reb+2ast, B.Souley 13+1reb+2ast, P.Jean-Marc 10+8reb+1ast

Coruna - Tenerife 93-89:
Very important is a road loss of second ranked Tenerife (4-2) against sixteenth ranked Coruna (2-4) on Saturday night. Visiting Tenerife was defeated by Coruna in a tough game in Coruna 89-93. It ended at the same time the four-game winning streak of Tenerife. Coruna dominated down low during the game scoring 54 of its points in the paint compared to Tenerife's 32. They outrebounded Tenerife 41-27 including 29 on the defensive glass. Coruna brought some defensive toughness making 7 blocks. Tenerife was plagued by 25 personal fouls down the stretch. It was a good game for American point guard Alonzo Verge Jr (191-1998, college: Nebraska, agency: Octagon Europe) who led his team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 26 points and 12 assists. Lithuanian swingman Lukas Uleckas (199-1999) contributed with a double-double by scoring 12 points and 12 rebounds for the winners. Four Coruna players scored in double figures. American Kyle Guy (188-1997, college: Virginia) replied with 17 points and his fellow American import forward Tim Abromaitis (203-1989, college: Notre Dame) added 12 points in the effort for Tenerife. Both coaches tested many bench players in such tough game. Coruna moved-up to thirteenth place, which they share with Burgos SP. Tenerife at the other side keeps the second position with two games lost. They share it with 6 other teams. Coruna will play against Andorra (#15) at home in the next round. Tenerife will play against Joventut (#16) and hopes to get back on the winning track.
Top scorers:
Tenerife: K.Guy 17+1reb+2ast, W.Van Beck 14, M.Huertas 13+2ast, T.Abromaitis 12+4reb+1ast, J.Fernandez 9+1reb+1ast, E.Happ 9+6reb+1ast
Coruna: V.Alonzo 26+4reb+12ast, S.Karlis 19+2reb, C.George 14+6reb, U.Lukas 12+12reb+2ast, J.Paul 5+1reb+1ast, R.Dino 4+3reb

Joventut - Bilbao 78-81:
Very expected game in Badalona where 16th ranked Joventut (1-4) was edged by seventh ranked Surne Bilbao (4-2) 81-78 on Sunday. Icelandic center Tryggvi Hlinason (215-1997) scored 13 points and 8 rebounds to lead the charge for the winners and American Darrun Hilliard (198-1993, college: Villanova) chipped in 17 points during the contest. The best for the losing side was Argentinian guard Nicolas Laprovittola (190-1990) with 22 points and 4 assists (on 7-of-8 shooting from the field) and ex-international point guard Ricky Rubio (192-1990) scored 13 points and 4 assists. Both coaches allowed to play bench players in such tough game. Bilbao moved-up to second place, which they share with 6 other teams. Loser Joventut dropped to the fifteenth position with four games lost. They share it with Andorra. Bilbao will meet Girona (#9) on the road in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Joventut will play against Tenerife (#4) and hope to win that game.
Top scorers:
Joventut: N.Laprovittola 22+4reb+4ast, R.Rubio 13+2reb+4ast, K.Cheatham Jr. 11+4reb+1ast, S.Birgander 9+6reb+1ast, A.Torres 7+1reb, A.Reyes 6+3reb+1ast
Bilbao: H.Darrun 17+3reb+3ast, H.Tryggvi 13+8reb+2ast, P.Luke 12+2reb, D.Nate 7+4reb+2ast, V.Bastien 7+3reb, F.Harald 7+4reb+6ast

Obradoiro - Rio Breogan 90-110:
Everything could happen in Santiago de Compostela at the game between two tied teams. Both tenth ranked Breogan Lugo and 8th ranked Monbus Obradoiro had identical 3-2 record. But Monbus Obradoiro was not able to use a home court advantage and was outscored by the opponent from Lugo 110-90 on Sunday night. It was a key game for the second position in the league. Rio Breogan made 18-of-22 free shots (81.8 percent) during the game. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 24 assists. American guard Tevin Brown (195-1998, college: Murray St.) scored 22 points and 5 rebounds to lead the charge for the winners and Serbian Mihailo Andric (201-1994) chipped in 16 points and 7 assists during the contest. The best for the losing side was Brazilian Leonardo Meindl (201-1993) with a double-double by scoring 11 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists and Dominican center Joel Soriano (208-2000, college: St.John's) scored 22 points (on 10-of-12 shooting from the field). Five Rio Breogan and four Obradoiro players scored in double figures. Both coaches allowed to play bench players saving starting five for next games. Rio Breogan (4-2) moved-up to second place, which they share with 6 other teams. Newly promoted Obradoiro dropped to the ninth position with three games lost. They share it with 3 other teams. Rio Breogan will meet league's second-placed Barca in the next round and it will be for sure the game of the week. Obradoiro will play against Manresa (#18) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Obradoiro: J.Soriano 22+4reb, A.Barcello 18+5reb+1ast, C.Agada 11+1reb+3ast, Y.Barrueta 11+3reb+1ast, L.Meindl 11+11reb+5ast, B.Childress 7+2reb+8ast
Rio Breogan: B.Tevin 22+5reb+2ast, A.Francis 19+4reb+2ast, A.Mihailo 16+3reb+7ast, B.Rasir 16+3reb+4ast, B.Danko 12+3reb+1ast, M.Dominik 11+6ast

Real Madrid - Burgos SP 90-79:
Undefeated leader Real Madrid delivered the sixth consecutive victory on Sunday night. This time they beat 13th ranked Burgos (2-4) 90-79. Real Madrid outrebounded Burgos SP 43-30 including 28 on the defensive glass. French forward Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot (201-1995) scored 17 points (went 7 for 7 at the free throw line) to lead the charge for the winners and ex-international forward Jaime Pradilla (205-2001) chipped in 9 points and 9 rebounds during the contest. The best for the losing side was American point guard DJ Steward (185-2001, college: Duke) with 20 points and 4 assists and German Christian Sengfelder (203-1995, college: Boise St.) scored 15 points and 5 rebounds. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Both coaches allowed to play bench players saving starting five for next games. Real Madrid (6-0) have an impressive six-game winning streak. They maintain first position with a perfect record of 6 victories in a row. Loser Burgos keeps the thirteenth place with four games lost. They share the position with Coruna. Real Madrid will meet at home Murcia (#12) in the next round which should be an easy win for them. Burgos SP will play against Valencia and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Burgos SP: D.Steward 20+1reb+4ast, C.Sengfelder 15+5reb, R.Lobaco 14+4reb+1ast, D.Diez 11+4reb, J.Taboada 8+1ast, S.Doumbouya 4+5reb+2ast
Real Madrid: L.Timothe 17+3reb+1ast, S.Max 14+1reb+1ast, S.Olivier 11+9reb, L.Sergio 10+2reb+3ast, P.Jaime 9+9reb+3ast, C.Facundo 7+2reb+2ast

Baskonia - Manresa 106-83:
Not a big story in a game in Vitoria where bottom-ranked Manresa (0-6) was outplayed by ninth ranked Baskonia (4-2) 106-83 on Sunday. Baskonia made 28-of-36 free shots (77.8 percent) during the game. They also forced 20 Manresa turnovers. American-Ivorian guard Kobi Simmons (192-1997, college: Arizona) scored 22 points and 5 assists (perfect from the field making all six shots) to lead the charge for the winners and American-North Macedonian D.J. Stewart Jr. (197-1999, college: MSU) chipped in 17 points during the contest. Four Baskonia players scored in double figures. The best for the losing side was Bulgarian Yordan Minchev (205-1998) with a double-double by scoring 12 points and 14 rebounds and Canadian center Nick Ongenda (211-2000, college: DePaul) scored 8 points and 8 rebounds. Manresa's coach Diego Ocampo gave up on the game allowing to play twelve players seeing no chance for a win. Baskonia moved-up to second place, which they share with 6 other teams. Loser Manresa still closes the standings with six games lost. Baskonia will meet Lleida (#17) on the road in the next round which should be another easy win for them. Manresa will play against Obradoiro and hopes to get finally their first victory.
Top scorers:
Manresa: Y.Minchev 12+14reb+2ast, L.Kolenda 11+1reb+1ast, J.Notae 10+1reb+1ast, C.Agbo Jr. 9, P.Oriola 9+5reb+1ast, N.Ongenda 8+8reb
Baskonia: S.Kobi 22+1reb+5ast, S.D.J. 17+4reb+3ast, L.A.J. 16+2ast, J.Stefan 15+6reb+3ast, F.Clement 10+7reb, S.Matteo 10+2reb+5ast

Andorra - Valencia 79-111:
Everything went according to plan when sixth ranked Valencia (4-2) outleveled on the road 15th ranked MoraBanc Andorra (1-4) 111-79 on Sunday. Valencia dominated down low during the game scoring 60 of its points in the paint compared to MoraBanc Andorra's 38 and made 18-of-19 free shots (94.7 percent) during the game. American guard Armoni Brooks (194-1998, college: Houston) scored 23 points to lead the charge for the winners and international guard Mario Saint-Supery (194-2006, college: Gonzaga) chipped in 17 points and 6 steals during the contest. Four Valencia players scored in double figures. The best for the losing side was American point guard James Akinjo (185-2000, college: Baylor) with 17 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists (perfect from the field making all six shots) and Ukrainian center Artem Pustovyi (219-1992, agency: Octagon Europe) scored 19 points and 5 rebounds (on 6-of-7 shooting from the field). The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Valencia have a solid three-game winning streak. Defending champion moved-up to second place, which they share with 6 other teams. Loser MoraBanc Andorra keeps the fifteenth position with four games lost. They share it with Joventut. Valencia will meet Burgos SP (#13) on the road in the next round which should be another easy win for them. Andorra will play against Coruna and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Andorra: A.Pustovyi 19+5reb, K.Robertson 18+4reb+1ast, J.Akinjo 17+6reb+7ast, K.Kuric 6+2reb+1ast, L.Radosevic 5+2reb+1ast, A.Best 5+3reb+1ast
Valencia: B.Armoni 23+1reb+1ast, S.Mario 17+2reb+1ast, P.Josep 13+1reb+1ast, T.Kameron 11+4reb+2ast, M.Omari 8+1ast, C.Gonzalo 8+4reb+2ast

Unicaja - Barca 89-92:
The biggest surprise of round 6 was guest Barca's (4-2) road victory over Unicaja (#8) 92-89 on Sunday evening. It ended at the same time the three-game winning streak of Unicaja. It was a key game for the second position in the league. The best player for the winners was the former international forward Joel Parra (202-2000) who scored 17 points (on 7-of-8 shooting from the field). American-Serbian guard Kevin Punter (193-1993, college: Tennessee) chipped in 13 points. At the other side the best for losing team was American-Bulgarian center David Kravish (208-1992, college: California) who recorded 15 points and 8 rebounds (perfect from the field making all seven shots !!!) and American Cameron Hunt (192-1997, college: Southwestern, KS) added 16 points respectively. Five Unicaja players scored in double figures. Both coaches used bench players in such tough game. Barca moved-up to second place, which they share with 6 other teams. Unicaja at the other side dropped to the ninth position with three games lost. They share it with 3 other teams. Barca is looking forward to face Rio Breogan (#6) in Lugo in the next round. Unicaja will play on the road against Zaragoza and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Unicaja: C.Hunt 16+2reb+2ast, D.Kravish 15+8reb+3ast, K.Perry 15+3ast, M.Pantzar 12+4ast, W.Hernangomez 11+4reb+1ast, S.Lukosius 6
Barca: P.Joel 17+3reb, P.Kevin 13+2reb+2ast, M.Tyrese 11+2reb, B.Dario 10+3reb+3ast, U.Stanley 9+2reb, E.Tosan 8+5reb+1ast