By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
A 21-12 run in the third quarter was enough for Trento to beat Emporio Armani Milano (83-73) at home, in the first leg of Eurocup’s quarter-finals. The hosts took the upper hand in the battle of qualification, whereas the visitors will try to turn things upside down next week.
For the winners, who tied the second-best record for offensive rebounds (25), Giuseppe Poeta had 20 points, with four more players scoring in double figures. On the other hand, Mantas Kalnietis scored 16 points and dished seven assists for the losing squad.
In the beginning, the match was close as no team could take a significant advantage (7-7, 16-16), with Trendo closing the first quarter in front by two (21-19).
Later, things didn’t change much (25-30, 36-41), but Trento ended the first half in a 9-0 run and took a four-point lead, at the end of the first half (45-41).
In the second half, the hosts enhanced their overall performance and outscored their opponents 21-12 in the third quarter, earning a double-digit advantage, after 30 minutes in the game (66-53).
In the fourth quarter, Armani Milano responded and tried to make a come-back. Playing very well on both ends of the floor, they went on a 7-17 run and cut the deficit to just three (73-70), with three and a half minutes to go. Trento, though, stood tall and managed to bring their lead back to double digits (83-73) and secure a crucial home win, which let the team be in a position of strength to qualify to the semi-finals.