By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
On paper, it was probably the least balanced of all the Basketball Champions League Quarter-Finals series. On one side, Tenerife had a perfect 12-0 run in this season, and Derthona was the Cinderella.
Heading to San Cristobal de la Laguna, where Txus Vidorreta’s team hadn’t lost for 28 consecutive games in the Basketball Champions League, by far the longest of such streaks, Derthona had to pull off the unthinkable to keep hoping about the dream of making the Final Four.
Before the final possession of Game 1 of the Quarter-Finals, Derthona was actually ahead, shocking everybody. However, following overtime, Tenerife brought home the 93-89 victory, but the Italians showed a diehard character.
Marcelinho Huertas was the usual superstar for Txus Vidorreta’s team, getting close to a double-double with 26 points and 9 assists while shooting 9/12 from the field and 7/7 at the line. Giorgi Shermadini added 19 points in Game 1.
For Derthona, Tommaso Baldasso (16 points and 6 assists) was the protagonist of several clutch plays. Kyle Weems (17 points) and Ismael Kamagate (12 points on 6/6 from the field) showed good stuff too.
Game 2 of this series will be played in Italy on April 16 at 18:30 CET, before the second game of the series between AEK and Nanterre. If Tenerife win, they will once again advance to the Final Four.
Post-game press conference:
PHOTO CREDIT: Basketball Champions League