Canadians in Europe: 17th - 20th November

This was another busy week for Canadian players competing across the pond in Europe's multi-national competitions. Plenty of fixtures went ahead, full of high-scoring performances, and among them was a highlight nail-biter.

EuroCup

Connor Morgan started for Joventut Badalona in what began as a really tight contest before their opponents, Bahcesehir Koleji Istanbul, found their rhythm in the second quarter and going eight points clear by half time. Jamal Jones was exceptional on the night with 34 points to his name, with supporting player Ismet Akpinar contributing 23 off the bench for Istanbul.

Morgan put up a team-best 17 points, which he shared with Ferran Bassas, but it was superior offence that won this one. Joventut were handed their first loss of this EuroCup season by the only team of Group A yet to register a win. Bahcesehir finally ended their unfortunate streak with a 87-77 defeat of Joventut.

In a sorry showing for Buducnost Podgorica, Melvin Ejim had the best showing of any of the Montenegrin team's starters with 12 points. (Nikola Ivanovic was the top scorer with 20 off the bench)

Their visitors, Malaga, opened the scoring and continued to dominate from close-range, their lead reaching double digits after just six minutes and continued to grow at the expense of helpless Buducnost. Their arrears kept growing to the final buzzer, where the score ended as 90-66 to Malaga.

Starter Kenny Cherry led the scoring for Brescia with 20 points in an exciting clash with Mornar Bar. The Italian club fell behind early on but went six points clear after an eleven-point unanswered run, the Montenegrin visitors spent the whole of the second quarter closing the gap and got to within three points in the first half and in the third quarter Jacob Pullen levelled the scores and Nemanja Vranjes gave Mornar Bar their first lead of the game.

Cherry shortly restored Brescia's lead but Pullen and Isaiah Whitehead were still hitting from all spots on the floor to keep their hosts under pressure. With the scores standing at 75 apiece with thirty seconds left, Christian Burns put up the game winning-shot for Brescia, capping off a thrilling victory.

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FIBA Champions League

Aaron Doornakemp started and scored 8 points for Tenerife who, after untangling themselves from a sticky start with Galatasaray, went on to dominate proceedings on their home court. Galatasaray had 23 points from Daryl Macon and 20 off the bench from RJ Hunter, they could not catch up to their Spanish foes after they fell behind. This victory, 85-72, put Tenerfie up to second place in Group A at the halfway point of the preliminary stage.

Euroleague

Fenerbahce were on a two-game Spanish road trip to forget. In the first game they led Baskonia in the opening quarter before Rokas Giedraitis powered the hosts in front when play resumed. Led by Alec Peters with a game-high 25 points, Baskonia kept themselves out of reach of Fenerbahce for the game's remainder, winning 86-68. Dyshawn Pierre had 11 points off the bench in this first match-up, then nine a few days later against Real Madrid.

It was the same story for Fenerbahce after falling behind 26-9 early on to Real Madrid. There was nothing Pierre, Fenerbahce's top scorer Danilo Barthel (scoring 22 points) or anyone on the Turkish team could do to stop them slumping to their third straight loss, 94 to 74 at Real.

Kevin Pangos was in action in the German capital for Zenit St Petersburg's Friday night encounter with Alba Berlin. He managed just one three-point shot but dished eight assists while Will Thomas led Zenit's offence. After going ten points clear just before half time, their pressure and play in the paint kept them in front for the game's remainder. At the final buzzer they had dispatched Alba Berlin 73 points to 66.