Canadians in Europe - October 15-19th

For the first time in the 2019-20 pan-European season, here is a full recap of all the efforts of Canadians playing in the continent's highest levels of basketball:

Euroleague

It wasn't a good week for Canadian players in the Euroleague - Nik Stauskas scored only once for Baskonia, who had no answer for Fenerbahce's Nando De Colo, scoring an incredible 39 points, leading the Turkish team to an 87-80 home victory. Aaron Doornakemp grabbed four rebounds but failed to make the score sheet as Valencia saw their six-point half time lead overturned by Efes Istanbul in the second half. Five Efes players finished in double digits as they saw out victory, 83-78.

Euroleague Women

Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe led all on the floor with 15 points and 17 rebounds for Nadezhda, who did not look back after starting the second half by taking a double-digit lead over Turkish club Cukurova, eventually winning by a margin of 69-59.

Lyon ASVEL’s away match-up against Dynamo Kursk was tight for the first three quarters, but in the final period the Russian club went ballistic, outscoring Lyon 32 to 16. Michelle Plouffe’s 11 points was eclipsed by Natalia Zhedik’s 19 off the Kursk bench as well as starter DeWanna Bonner's 18, both of which helped the home team pick up the win, 79 to 64.

EuroCup

Melvin Ejim had only two points but grabbed four defensive rebounds for Malaga in their steady win over Galatasaray, the Spanish club lifted to a heated 88-83 victory thanks to a game-high 22 points from Axel Toupane. Meanwhile, Joventut Badalona overcame a slow start to emerge victorious in a close encounter against Darussafaka, where Connor Morgan had six points in their 85-82 win.

EuroCup Women

Landes led Sedis 23-7 after ten minutes played, but saw their lead disappear just before the start of the second half. The French team’s superior short-range offence saw them limit any further damage, as did a team high 12 points from Miranda Ayim while Katherine Plouffe had four of her own, as Landes were able to see out victory, 65 points to 60.

In west Poland, Emily Potter stood above all for Brno in Group A, putting up 14 points in her EuroCup debut. However, nothing the Czech team could do could contain Gorzow, who were in control from start to end, dominating on both ends and leading by as many as 36 points in the game, winning by a final margin of 93-57.

FIBA Champions League

For Dinamo Sassari, Dyshawn Pierre had a game-high 24 points – the last of which, coming in the final seconds, decided the outcome of their Group A matchup with Lietkabelis. The teams were evenly matched and with never separated by more than eight points, but Pierre’s efforts throughout saw them emerge with the one-point win.

MiKyle McIntosh had 10 points off the bench for Oostende, but though his fellow countryman Thomas Scrubb only had 9 for Strasbourg, the French team’s superior show from the field, which saw four others finish in double digits, saw them prevail by a score line of 77 to 64.

Owen Klassen started and scored 11 points for Antwerp, but though the Belgian team led Burgos by seven at the half, the Spanish team's consistent shooting saw them finish on top, 90-76. Aaron Best had 4 points for PAOK as they fought to hold on to their slender lead against Besiktas, but outscored two-to-one in the final quarter they would lose the battle and the game, 69-60.

Kyle Wiltjer had 13 points for PTT Ankara on the road against Holon. The game went back-and-forth down to the last minute, when Nick Johnson put up the deciding points to win the close contest for the Turkish team by the slender margin of 81-79.