Eurocup: ASVEL and Gran Canaria win

The Eurocup tipped off in full swing on Tuesday as ASVEL Lyon Villeurbanne gunned down Artland Dragons Quakenbrueck on the road and Herbalife Gran Canaria Las Palmas shot down Foxtown Cantu at home.

The rest of the Round 1 schedule will be played out on Wednesday as the other clubs enter the competition through Group A to F. However, it was left to four clubs to raise the curtain on the 2014/2015 Eurocup season and here’s how the games played out.

Artland Dragons Quakenbrueck vs. ASVEL Lyon Villeurbanne, 64-70
ASVEL Lyon travelled to Germany and sneaked away from Quakenbrueck with a win over the Artland Dragons. Recent signing David Andersen paced the French team as they took 43 rebounds to nail second chance shots and protect the defensive glass. The Dragons could only offer 29 boards in return and were comfortably outdone in that area of the game.

The hosts stormed ahead and carved out an 8-2 lead at the start of the game, but ASVEL Lyon responded well with a 9-3 run of their own. The teams traded from beyond the arc to end the first 10 minutes, the period tied at 11-11. The German team continued to look hot from downtown and hit two triples to open the second quarter, but it proved a tight frame. With the long break descending ASVEL had snatched back the initiative and led 29-31.

The visitors extended their lead at the start of the third thanks to a 0-6 flurry as the Dragons got desperate from downtown, letting three miss the basket. The teams traded buckets for much of the frame but the French contingent kept a distance on the scoreboard and led 44-52 through three quarters. The hosts opened the fourth intent on cutting the lead, and did just that, bringing the game to within a single score. However, Lyon always had an answer and managed to hold firm down the stretch to claim the win.

Andersen led the way for the winning team with 14 points and 10 rebounds, while Taurean Green offered 15 points and 5 assists.

David Holston added a game high 18 points in the losing effort and offered 7 dimes.

Herbalife Gran Canaria Las Palmas vs. Foxtown Cantu, 101-81
Spanish club Gran Canaria eased past visiting Italian outfit Foxtown Cantu to get its 2014/2015 Eurocup off to a good start at home.

Cantu opened the scoring through a Damian Hollis hit from downtown, but the hosts responded with their own triple. Foxtown was putting the plays together in the early exchanges and raced to a 3-11 lead, although Gran Canaria found another gear and hit 12 points without reply. At the first split the score was 24-20. The exciting first quarter was matched through the second frame as the home team began to put daylight on the scoreboard. The Spanish team won Q2 to have a 51-40 lead at halftime.

With a double digit cushion the hosts expressed themselves with a 14-0 run that spanned the second quarter and extended into the third stanza. They added to their lead through the period and after half hour there was a 13 point gap at 70-57. A massive fourth quarter followed as the home team poured in 31 points to ease down the stretch and to the win.

Kyle Kuric paced Gran Canaria with 19 points, while Thomas Bellas scored 14 points, Dajuan Summer 13, and Walter Tavares 12 points and 13 boards.

James Fedeline led the scoring for both teams with 25 points.