Canadians in Europe: January 19th - 24th

Six more games in the continent, six more chances for Canada's top basketball exports to make an impression for their respective teams in each of their different competitions. As the EuroCup moves on to the second group stage and the EuroLeague and Champions League regular seasons getting closer to completion, times were tense in Europe and the teams had to step up to stay in contention.

EuroCup

Conor Morgan had 8 points off the bench for Joventut, who fell behind by ten points to Nanterre in the opening quarter this week. They quickly found their form when play resumed and this new game plan saw them first narrow the gap, then take the lead in the third quarter. Chris Warren led Nanterre in trying to regain their lead at the end of the game, but Joventut’s edge on offence saw them prevail

95 to 90.

Meanwhile, Buducnost Podgorica starter Melvin Ejim found himself in a precarious encounter away to Cedevita Olimpija. There was never more than seven points separating the teams throughout the game and eight lead changes.

Cedevita had the lead in the early portion of the game before Buducnost went in front after nine points unanswered. Though they saw a fight back from Cedevita, the Montenegrin team they held the narrow lead until the final stretch. With the game on a knife edge, a three from Edo Muric put the hosts in front in the final minute and monopolizing possession and drawing fouls, Cedevita prevailed with the victory, 74 to 71.

FIBA Champions League

Aaron Doornakemp was the best of Tenerife’s bench players, scoring 10 points and grabbing 6 total rebounds on their visit to Aarhus to take on the Bakken Bears. After a 9-0 run, the home team took a double-digit lead which saw Tenerife respond and, while they kept the scores close with their low-post play, Darko Jukic and De’Shawn Stephens' twenty-point performances lifted the Bakken Bears to a 96-78 defeat of Tenerife.

Off the bench for Basket Zaragoza, Dylan Ennis had six points for the team who ended their first quarter against Lublin ten points ahead. With 28 points in the contest, Yannick Franke tried to turn the game around for Lublin, but the Polish club were outdone by Zaragoza’s close-range offence and defensive strength, which saw them ride home to victory, 92 points to 82.

EuroLeague

Dyshawn Pierre had 10 points off the bench for Fenerbahce in a back-and-forth game with CSKA Moscow. The Turkish team trailed for the first half but were able to tie the scores at the half-time buzzer. After which Nando De Colo gave them their first lead of the game, but CSKA were hot on their tail, regaining the lead at the end of the third period.

Pierre put Fenerbahce back in front in the final three minutes, DeColo and Jan Vesely followed his example and put in the last of their respective 22 and 24 points in the game, more importantly seeing out the come-from-behind victory for Fenerbahce. The final score 89-83 over CSKA Moscow.

Zenit St Petersburg starter Kevin Pangos was one of six players on the team to score in double digits against Efes Istanbul, he had 13, one point behind the team leader Will Thomas. This was arguably Zenit's best game of the season and exemplifies why they have been white hot so far in the Euroleague.

Even with emphatic performances from Efes's Vasilije Micic (23 points) and Shane Larkin (20 points), Zenit's strength and vision on both offence and defence saw them outclass normally fearsome opponents that here were left unable to reply. With victory over Efes, 85 points to 78, their win record takes them to third overall in the league and poised to step into the post-season as the playoffs loom.