Canadians in Europe: 18th-20th December
Canadian players helped make sure, in the last games of the year, that 2018 in European basketball go out in style.
EuroLeague
Barcelona took on Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz in an all-Spanish EuroLeague match-up. Home team Barcelona suddenly found themselves on the back foot after leading for much of the first half. 19 points from Baskonia's Matt Janning helping put them up by six ahead of the fourth quarter.
It was in the final period where Kevin Pangos caught fire for Barcelona, scoring 13 of his total 16 points and sinking the dagger into Baskonia. Pangos was the spark that saved his team, who stay in top half of the league table after a 77-70 win over their compatriots.
EuroLeague Women
Bourges were spectacular from close range, scoring 50 points in the paint in the all-French encounter against Villeneuve D’Ascq. Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe had 17 points, one behind top scorer Alexia Charterau for Bourges, who made two thirds of all their field goal attempts as well as performing well on the defensive end.
Despite 18 points from Magali Mendy, Villeneuve D’Ascq could not catch up to their compatriots for three quarters, and in the final phase of the game they flatlined. After a high-scoring end to the game, Bourges emerged victors 83-62 and further cemented their position at third in Group A.
EuroCup
The outcomes of these, the last games of the first group stage, would determine the future of all teams still in contention this EuroCup season.
With their front court trio all scoring in the teens, Trento tried to force a come back in the final quarter against Valencia. The Spanish club, though, shot 69% from the field and dropped 13 threes as well as playing shut-out defence. Matt Thomas started and Rafa Martinez came off the bench, but both had 20 for Valenica, while Aaron Doornakemp added five in their 95-83 win over Trento.
With a game-high 18 points off the bench for Philip Scrubb, Zenit St Petersburg led by nine at the half over ASVEL, who began their comeback in the third quarter. Amine Noua led the French club with 17 points, one of six ASVEL players to score ten-plus points, and the teams could not be separated after a close end of regulation play, and overtime was needed.
After five lead changes in overtime, Noua and Theo Maledon put ASVEL up by three. Scrubb tried to salvage the game with a three, which was blocked by ASVEL's top defenceman Alpha Kaba.
ASVEL clinch second place in Group C after an 84-81 win over Zenit, who had to wait for other results to see if their place in the second group stage was secure - which it was after Partizan Belgrade's win over Ankara.
Dallas Moore had 24 points for Turin, but even so that would not be enough to overcome a spectacular showing from three-point territory from Malaga. Kyle Wiltjer started and had three of Malaga's eighteen total threes in the game. Wiltjer finished with 11 points, while Jaime Fernandez and Adam Waczynski both led Malaga with 14 points each at the end of their team's one-sided 89-68 win over Turin.
Trae Bell-Haynes had 12 points and Brady Heslip contributed four off the bench, but despite the best offensive efforts of Skyliners Frankfurt, they were on the back foot throughout their final Group D encounter with UNICS Kazan. Melvin Ejim returned to the starting lineup and posted 8 points for Kazan, who also saw a game-high 14 from Pierria Henry.
Frankfurt closed the gap in the third, but UNICS stayed on course, continuing their superior field play and work on the defensive boards, seeing out victory by 72 points to 65.
These final results mean all five teams qualify for the second group phase. Despite their final loss, Skyliners Frankfurt will play in Group F along with ASVEL, Ulm and Lokomotiv Kuban. Spanish teams Valencia and Malaga both find themselves in Group G alongside Limoges and Crvena Zvezda Belgrade. Similarly, Russian duo Zenit St Petersburg and UNICS Kazan will play in Group H with Cedevita Zagreb and BC Andorra.
FIBA Europe Cup
Daniel Mullings had 20 points for Kataja while his team mate Topias Palmi had a game-high 24, but neither performance would be enough to overcome Danish titans the Bakken Bears. All five Bears players had ten-plus-point performances, and this rampant performance on offence saw them lead for 38 minutes of regulation. It was Kataja's second loss in a row, while conversely it was Bakken's second consecutive win, by a margin of 104-89.
Thomas Scrubb shooting for Pallacanestro Varese. Picture: FIBA.com
Dyshawn Pierre started and had 15 points for Dinamo Sassari, who looked to have the game all wrapped up, leading Pallacanestro Varese by 22 points ahead of the final period. Varese, though, shocked everyone, bringing themselves back into contention with sixteen unanswered points, and then through good looks in the paint went into the lead.
Thomas Scrubb had the last of his game-high 19 points in the dying seconds with a layup that would seal an incredible comeback win for Varese, who stay unbeaten at the top of Group K following their 90-87 win over Sassari.
