Eurochallenge Last 16 Round 4

The Eurochallenge Last 16 moved into its fourth round this week and the standings are starting to reveal which clubs will progress to the next round and which will be leaving the competition at this point. However, with two more rounds left to play, there is still plenty of action to keep hoops fans around Europe on the edge of their seats.

Group I
Both Okapi Aalster and Romanian club CS Energia Rovinari Targu Jiu headed into their contest on identical 2-1 records at the top of Group I. The Belgian hosts failed to use home court advantage and succumbed to Rovinari late in the game to lose 82-84. The visitors were behind by nine points heading into the final act, but a 17-28 fourth quarter surge turned the tide and allowed the guests to claim the win. Nemanja Milosevic paced Rovinari with 20 points and 5 rebounds as the Romanian club moved to the top of the group (3-1) and dropped Okapi to second (2-2).

BC Astana joined Okapi Aalstar on 2-2 with an 83-75 home win over Enel Brindisi in Khazakhstan. The hosts were propelled by a Niklas Caner-Medley double-double (19 points and 11 rebounds) and 21 points and 9 assists from Jerry Johnson. The Astana contingent was strong in the offensive paint, pulling down 27 boards compared to 16 attacking rebounds from Enel Brindisi. The home side was also potent from the charity strip, with Jacob Pullen draining 100% of his 13 free throw attempts on his way to 21 points.

Group J
Le Mans moved one step closer to qualifying from the Eurochallenge Last 16 as the French club brushed aside Austria’s Gussing Knights 90-63 in France. The home team took the lead in the opening exchanges and never looked back on the way to a cruising victory that pushed them to 3-1 with sole possession of first place. Gussing Knights have to have a perfect record over the next two games to stand any chance of progressing. Shy Ely led the points for Le Mans with 15, but he was outdone by Travis Taylor with a game high 20 points in the losing effort.

Usak welcomed French club Nanterre to Turkey and defeated them 79-71 to tie their 2-2 record in the fight for second place in Group J. Both teams now enter the final two rounds with everything to play for. Usak looked likely to lose the contest through thirty minutes as Nanterre had carved out a three point cushion heading into the fourth. However, in the final stanza the hosts controlled the hardwood to take the win. Eric Buckner chipped in 16 points and 9 rebounds to lead Usak.

Group K
The Deutsche Bank Skyliners took a big step towards qualification by gunning down Tartu Rock 92-73 at home. The Estonian visitors entered the game knowing that a win would tie them with the Skyliners at 2-2, while the German hosts knew a win would bring daylight between the teams. As it was, the victory sent the Skyliners to 3-1 in second place, while Tartu Rock dropped to last with a 1-3 record. The home team had the lead at the final split, but the game remained tight until the Germans went hot in the fourth quarter with a 35-17 run that made the final minutes a formality. Johannes Voightmann was the pick of the players as he plundered 26 points for the winners.

Avtodor Saratov also did its hopes of progressing no harm with an 89-85 home win over Den Bosch in Russia. The win gave Avtodor the lead in Group K, with superior head to head over the Skyliners (3-1), while Den Bosch has it all to do from a 1-3 record. The hosts looked superior for much of the game and were leading by 14 points with 10 minutes to play. However, Den Bosch rallied in the fourth with an 18-28 flurry that made it tense down the stretch.

Group L
Turkish club Trabzonspor Medical Park became the first to qualify from the Eurochallenge Last 16 this season with a comfortable 72-90 road success over the Antwerp Giants of Belgium. The victory kept Trabzonspor perfect through this round with a 4-0 record at the top of Group L. There is only one space up for grabs now and Antwerp will be looking to bounce back next week and improve its 1-3 record and third place standing. The Belgian club will look to Ryan Pearson to continue his strong form and aid the cause, the American was good for 27 points and 3 rebounds against the Turks.

Belfius Mons-Hainaut shocked BC Enisey 83-88 away from home to keep it continental season alive. The Belgian club entered the game knowing defeat would mean elimination, but a victory over the higher ranked Enisey stalled the Russians and gave Mons-Hainaut hope. The win pushed the club to 1-3, still at the bottom of the table, while Enisey managed to hold second place with a 2-2 showing.