Eurocup Eighthfinals set
The Eurocup Last 32 has closed for another season and we are now looking forward to the Eurocup Eighthfinals pairings that will tip off in two weeks. The final round of action in the groups saw six more teams secure their positions in the last 16, but with so much on the line there was tension and excitement aplenty over 15 games.
Group G
Banvit Bandirma defeated visiting Dominion Bilbao Basket 73-65 in a game that decided which of the clubs would make it out of the Eurocup Last 32 and make it to the next round. The Turkish hosts were trailing 50-52 through 30 minutes, but a 16-2 run in the fourth act secured the victory to start the celebrations.
In the other game, already eliminated Ratiopharm Ulm took out already qualified Bayern Munich 74-65 in an all-German clash. The hosts raced into the lead with a 24-7 first quarter and rarely looked back. De’Sean Butler topped the winners with 15 points, while Anton Gavel hit 17 points for Bayern.
Group H
Group H was a dead rubber during the final round of the Eurocup Last 32, with the standings decided last week. Qualified Herbalife Gran Canaria Las Palmas downed Hapoel Jerusalem 108-61 in a stunning home performance that was paced by Pablo Aguilar had 19 points. The standout player was Gran Canaria’s Alen Omic, who doubled up with 18 points and 17 rebounds, the latter tying the record for the number of boards in a single Eurocup Last 32 game.
In the other Group H contest, Avtodor Saratov ended its continental run with an 87-80 win over French club Strasbourg, with the visitors already qualified for the Eighthfinals.
Group I
French champion Limoges CSP clinched its spot in the next round with a 79-61 home win over PAOK Thessaloniki on Wednesday. Thanks to sweeping Valencia during the campaign, Limoges also grabbed first place in the group with a 3-3 record.
Valencia also finished on 3-3 and scraped into the last 16. The Spanish club cruised for 12 games and then fell apart against Limoges to put qualification in jeopardy. A 77-62 win over EWE Baskets Oldenburg saved Valencia’s blushes, with Justin Hamilton’s 16 points helping the hosts through.
Group J
Aris Thessaloniki took out Group J winner and already qualified Italian champion, EA7 Milan. The victory restored some pride for the Greek club, with the hosts controlling much of the 83-68 victory in front of its own fans. Yesterday ALBA Berlin had secured second place in the standings with a win over Neptunas Klaipeda in the German capital.
Group K
Pinar Karsiyaka Izmir destroyed visiting Grissin Bon Reggio Emilia 109-66 in a blazing performance that sent the Turkish champs cruising into the Eurocup Eighthfinals. 52 points in the first half handed the hosts a 17 points lead at halftime, and another 57 points in the second half put Reggio Emilia to the sword.
In another Turkey vs. Italy contest, Trabzonspor took out Group K winner Trento 79-83 on the road to end its campaign on a high. Trento was already assured of its place in the Eurocup Eighthfinals and first place in the group.
Group L
Stelmet Zielona Gora picked up a 58-68 road victory over Umana Reyer Venice, a victory that sent the Polish TBL champ into the next round and sent Venice to the bottom of the standings. Dee Bost nailed 19 points and Mateusz Ponitka collected a double-double of 12 points and 12 rebounds for Zielona Gora’s success.
MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg, with nothing to play for but pride, took out Group L winner Zenit St. Petersburg 85-72 on its own hardwood. Zenit has looked slick this season, but with first place already secured the travelling Russians let Ludwigsburg control the floor and take the win.
Group M
Unics Kazan finished as the only unblemished club through the Last 32, the Russian’s finishing with a perfect 6-0 record in Group M after taking out Union Olimpija Ljubjana 72-64 at home. It was an exercise for the hosts as they won with ease against already eliminated Ljubljana with former Eurocup MVP Marko Banic topping the winners with 14 points.
Nizhny Novgorod turned in a big performance in Israel to knock out European giant Maccabi Tel Aviv, winning 84-95 to progress to the next round. Nizhny’s performance was fantastic, but the story is Tel Aviv’s demise this season, the Euroleague stalwart struggling to make an impact on the continent through 2015/2016.
Group N
Galatasaray Odeabank Istanbul dominated Dinamo Banco di Sardegna Sassari 87-69 to secure first place in Group N, with the club winning the group with a 4-2 record. That is the same record shared by CAI Zaragoza, the Spanish club joining Galatasaray in the Eighthfinals after beating Szolnoki Olaj 70-80 on the road.