By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
Mam Jaiteh posted 24 points (9-11 shots) and 12 rebounds as Virtus Bologna defeated Reyer Venezia 83 – 72 on the road in Daniel Hackett’s debut. While Virtus got an important EuroCup win, they saw star Marco Belinelli exiting the game with an apparent hamstring injury.
Hackett produced eight points in 20:07 in his first game with the Virtus jersey after his departure from CSKA Moscow. “It feels great,” the Italian guard said. “We obviously had to overcome Marco Belinelli’s injury early in the game which was a big blow for us. But overall, this team fought. We talked to each other, we tried to follow the game plan and we kept a great offensive team like Venezia to 72 points at home.”
Milos Teodosic contributed 11 points plus 13 assists and Isaia Cordinier scored 10 for a Virtus team that led for the whole game after the first minutes. After falling behind by double figures (25-35) in the second period, Venezia tried to approach closer and managed to cut the deficit to 48 – 49 with 4:19 left in the third quarter.
Teodosic and Jaiteh didn’t allow Venezia to tie the game and their team proceeded to build a 13-point lead, 60 – 73. This time Venezia didn’t manage to get at a shooting distance.
Jordan Theodore (18 points), Stefano Tonut (14 points) and Julyan Stone (12 points) scored in double-digit numbers for Venezia.
Morabanc Andorra edged Group A leader Joventut Badalona 72 – 71 in an all-Spanish clash. Oriol Pauli led the winning side with 13 points and eight rebounds while Conor Morgan (11 points) hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with 2:37 to play. Codi Miller-McIntyre added 11 points plus five assists.
Joel Parra had 15 points plus nine rebounds for Badalona.
Artem Pustovyii had 18 points and 10 rebounds as Gran Canaria beat Bursa Spor 87 – 71. It was yet another emotional night for the Ukrainian center as is the situation in every game while his country is under attack by Russia.
Boulogne Metropolitans routed Hamburg Towers 85 – 62 behind 17 points by Tomer Ginat. In Poland, Aleksander Dziewa scored 28 points as Slask Wroclaw downed Dolomiti Energia Trento 77 – 68.
EuroCup Group A Standings:
Joventut Badalona 11 – 3
Partizan Belgrade 9 – 5
Boulogne Metropolitans 9 – 5
Lokomotiv Kuban 8 – 4
Morabanc Andorra 8 – 6
Lietkabelis Panevezys 7 – 6
Turk Telekom 6 – 7
Hamburg Towers 5 – 8
Slask Wroclaw 3 – 10
Dolomiti Energia Trento 1 – 13
EuroCup Group B Standings:
Valencia 10 – 4
Gran Canaria 10 – 4
Buducnost 8 – 6
Virtus Bologna 8 – 6
Reyer Venezia 7 – 6
Cedevita Olimpija 6 – 7
Ratiopharm Ulm 6 – 8
JL Bourg en Bresse 5 – 9
Bursaspor 4 – 9
Promitheas Patras 4 – 9