February 29, 2012 - Last 16, Week 6 MVP: Jeremiah Massey, Lokomotiv-Kuban
One
of the biggest stars in the 2011-12 Eurocup earned weekly MVP honors
for the second time this season. Jeremiah Massey of Lokomotiv-Kuban led
his team to a go-ahead 73-70 home win against Alba Berlin with a 37
performance index ranking. Massey, who previously earned regular season
Week 5 MVP honors, led Loko with 23 points on 4-of-7 shots from
downtown. He added 12 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 blocks and 7 fouls drawn
for a 37 index. Lamayne Wilson of CEZ Nymburk also shined this week,
leading his team to a critical road win against BCM Gravelines. Wilson
had 22 points on 6-of-6 two-pointers, 9 rebounds, 2 assists and a steal
for a 31 index. Read more here.
February 28, 2012 - Game 6
Aris BSA 2003 66 - 77 BC Donetsk
BC
Donetsk became the Last 16 Group J champion by topping Aris BSA 2003
66-77 in Thessaloniki, Greece on Tuesday. Donetsk won Group J with a
5-1 record due to its tie-break advantage against BC Khimki and is set
to face two-time Eurocup champions Lietuvos Rytas in the Quarterfinals.
Aris finished the Last 16 with a 1-5 record and was fourth overall.
Ramel Curry paced the winners with 15 points. Vule Avdalovic and Dmytro
Gliebov each added 11 for Donetsk. Ronald Davis led Aris with 19
points. Sam Muldrow added 13 for the hosts, that trailed 27-31 late in
the first half. Read more here.
Asvel Basket 79 - 83 BC Khimki
Khimki Moscow Region
finished second in Group J of the Eurocup Last 16 despite closing the
round by beating Asvel Basket 79-83 on the road in France. Khimki
finished with a 5-1 record, tied for first place with BC Donetsk of
Ukraine, but lost the tie-breaker between them due to a lower winning
margin in the two victories they split. As such, Khimki will need to
win its two-game Quarterfinals against fellow Russian team Lokomotiv
Kuban playing the second game on the road if it plans to fulfill its
dream of hosting the Eurocup Finals in April as one of the four
participants. Khimki, already qualified before the game, played with
fire a bit by watching its 25-point lead midway through the third
quarter dwindle to 79-82 with seconds to play before Kresimir Loncar
ended the suspense at the foul line. Thomas Kelati led the winners with
17 points while hitting 3 of 7 three-point tries. Read more here.
Lokomotiv Kuban 73 - 70 Alba Berlin
Lokomotiv Kuban wrapped
up a spot in the Eurocup Quarterfinals and then learned it clinched
first place in Group L after Lietuvos Rytas defeated Benetton Basket.
Lokomotiv survived Alba Berlin’s late comeback for a 73-70 win, which
gave it a 4-2 record in Group L. As a result, Lokomotiv will face
fellow Russian side BC Khimki in the Quarterfinals. Lokomotiv dominated
early and was up 39-20 midway through the second quarter. Berlin
battled back and even took the lead early in the fourth quarter. Ali
Traore came alive with 7 quick points to give Lokomotiv a late cushion,
which it needed as Berlin never let up until the final buzzer. Jeremiah
Massey starred for Lokomotiv with 23 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists and
3 blocks. Read more here.
Benetton Basket 74 - 80 Lietuvos Rytas
Lietuvos
Rytas roared for a 74-80 victory at Benetton Basket on Tuesday to
clinch a spot in the Eurocup Quarterfinals. Rytas finished the Last 16
with a 4-2 record, which placed it second in Group L. The Lithuanian
powerhouse will square off against BC Donetsk of Ukraine in next
month’s quarterfinals. Benetton dominated early with a 15-5 start, but
Rytas rallied back to within 1 after 10 minutes and kept it close the
rest of the way. Ronnie Seibutis and Jonas Valanciunas were the heroes
in the fourth quarter as Rytas outlasted the hosts in the close game
and held on for the big win. Seibutis finished with 20 points and
Valanciunas added 17 before fouling out. Mindaugas Katelynas also
scored 15 and Tyrese Rice 12 for the winners. Read more here.
VEF Riga 71 - 82 Valencia Basket
Valencia Basket surged
past VEF Riga in the fourth quarter to earn a 71-82 victory on the road
that spoiled the hosts’ chances to advance to the quarterfinals.
Valencia ended the Last 16 with a 6-0 record. Riga led 20-13 at the end
of the first quarter, but the game tightened from there until AJ Ogilvy
produced 11 straight points in the final 10 minutes to give the
visitors a 62-76 lead that stood up the rest of the way. Ogilvy led all
scorers with 20 points, Vitor Faverani bagged 13, Rodrigo San Miguel
added 9 and three other players scored 8 apiece -- Victor Claver, Nando
De Colo and Rihards Kuksiks. Donatas Zavackas paced the losers with 17
points, Sandis Valters had 16 and Dairis Bertrans finished with 15.
Read more here.
BCM Gravelines 61 - 91 CEZ Nymburk
Everything
worked out perfectly for CEZ Nymburk as it cruised to victory against
BCM Gravelines, 61-91, and Valencia defeated VEF Riga, giving the Czech
champs a trip to the Eurocup Quarterfinals from Group I. The visitors
led 36-46, then responded to a 9-0 Gravelines run to open the third
quarter with a 45-16 shellacking. Lamayne Wilson led the way for the
winners with 22 points along with 9 rebounds, while Pavel Pumprla
tallied 19 points and Petr Benda and AJ Abrams added 14 apiece. Yannick
Bokolo netted 14 points and Ludovic Vaty had 11 in losing effort.
Gravelines finished the Last 16 with a 0-6 record. Read more here.
KK Buducnost Voli 63 - 58 KRKA Novo Mesto
Buducnost
Voli made it to the Eurocup Quarterfinals by downing Krka Novo Mesto
63-58 in front of 3,500 fans in Podgorica, Montenegro in Group K on
Tuesday. Buducnost finished Group K with a 3-3 record, reached the
Quarterfinals due to its tie-break advantage (1-1, +3) against Banvit
BK and is set to face Group I champion Valencia Basket in the upcoming
two-way series. Krka was fourth in Group K with a 1-5 record and
registered its fourth loss against Buducnost in both the Eurocup and
the Adriatic League this season. Bojan Krstovic and Nikola Ivanovic
paced the winners with 14 points apiece. Cedomir Vitkovac added 11 for
Buducnost. Read more here.
Banvit BK 68 - 61 Spartak SPB
Banvit BK had a bittersweet end to its 2011-12
Eurocup season by downing previously undefeated Spartak St. Petersburg
68-61 in Bandirma, Turkey in Group K on Tuesday. Banvit finished Group
K with a 3-3 record but ranked third - and therefore out of the
Quarterfinals - due to its tie-break disadvantage against Buducnost
Voli. Meanwhile, Spartak dropped to 5-1 and saw its 11-game winning
streak come to an end. Spartak was first in Group K and is set to face
CEZ Nymburk in the upcoming round. Kalin Lucas led the winners with 18
points. He had 5 in the final 72 seconds to win it for the hosts. Kenan
Bajramovic and Chuck Davis each added 12 for Banvit. Read more here.
February 28, 2012 - Last 16, Week 6: Last quarterfinals berths to be decided in Week 6!
The 2011-12 Eurocup Last 16 comes to an end
with eight exciting games all across the continent. Two teams -
Valencia Basket in Group I and Spartak St. Petersburg in Group K - are
have already reached the Quarterfinals as group champions and two
others - BC Donetsk and BC Khimki in Group J - have also clinched a
spot in the next round. VEF Riga and CEZ Nymburk will battle for the
Quarterfinals berth still available in Group I. VEF (3-2) will make it
to the next round if it beats Valencia (5-0) or if Nymburk (2-3) loses
BCM Gravelines (0-5), that is already eliminated. If Nymburk and
Valencia win, however, the Czech powerhouse will reach the next round.
Read more here.
Game 6, February 28, 2012
GROUP I
BCM Gravelines vs. CEZ Nymburk 61:91
VEF Riga vs. Valencia Basket 71:82
GROUP J
Aris BSA 2003 vs. BC Donetsk 66:77
Asvel Basket vs. BC Khimki 79:83
GROUP K
Buducnost Voli vs. Krka Novo Mesto 63:58
Banvit BK vs. Spartak SPB 68:61
GROUP L
Lokomotiv Kuban vs. Alba Berlin 73:70
Benetton Basket vs. Lietuvos Rytas 74:80
February 22, 2012 - Last 16, Game 5 MVP: DaShaun Wood, Alba Berlin
One
of the most dynamic guards in the competition gave a parting gift to
his home fans as DaShaun Wood led Alba Berlin to a come-from-behind win
over Benetton Basket Treviso as o2 World on Tuesday. Wood was at his
best for Berlin, which despite having already being mathematically
eliminated from Eurocup quarterfinals contention produced a herculean
effort for an 83-74 victory. Wood was at the center of it all with 22
points, 6 rebounds and 9 assists as he tallied a performance index
rating of 37 to earn Last 16 Game 5 MVP honors. Berlin trailed 47-56
entering the fourth quarter; however Wood dominated the rest of the way
with 15 points and 5 assists in the final stanza to spark Alba to its
first win of the Last 16. Read more here.
February 21, 2012 - Game 5
Valencia Basket 79 - 61 BCM Gravelines
Valencia
Basket became the Last 16 Group I champion by downing BCM Gravelines
79-61 at home on Tuesday. Valencia improved to 5-0 in Group I and
mathematically clinched first place, earning the right to play Game 2
of the Quarterfinals in front of its fans. Gravelines dropped to 0-5
and had already run out of chances to reach the next round last week.
Valencia Basket celebrated 200 games in European club competitions in a
pre-game ceremony in which the 1998-99 team, the club's first squad in
Europe - was honored. Serhiy Lishchuk paced the winners with 14 points.
Rafa Martinez added 12, Victor Claver had 11 while Florent Pietrus got
10 for Valencia. Read more here.
Alba Berlin 83 - 74 Benetton Basket
Alba Berlin staged an
impressive comeback with a 36-point fourth quarter to defeat Benetton
Basket 83-74. Already eliminated from the next round of the
competition, Alba earned the satisfaction of getting its first win.
Benetton, now part of a 3-2 logjam in Group L, will advance with a win
next week. Alba led until the third quarter, when it scored only 6
points and fell behind, but reasserted control in the final 10 minutes.
Deshaun Wood paced the winners with 22 points and 9 assists, Kyle
Weaver tallied 13 while Torin Francis and Bryce Taylor each added 12.
Sani Becirovic scored 17 points and Marcus Goree and Jeff Viggiano each
contributed 13 in a losing effort. Read more here.
CEZ Nymburk 80 - 84 VEF Riga
In
a seesaw battle that ended in overtime, VEF Riga outdueled CEZ Nymburk
on the road 80-84, keeping its hopes alive for a Group I spot in the
Eurocup quarterfinals. While Riga lifted its record to 3-2, it fell
short in the head-to-head point differential with Nymburk, making next
week’s game decisive. If Riga beats Valencia, it will advance; if it
loses and Nymburk wins, the Czech champs squeeze through. Nymburk could
not hold on to a 66-61 lead with two minutes left in the fourth
quarter, as Dairis Bertrans hit 4 foul shots with 39 seconds left to
force the overtime, then the visitors outscored Nymburk 12-16 to grab
the win. Bertrans led the winners with 21 points, while Sandis Valters
netted 16, Gatis Jahovics had 13 and Curtis Millage scored 12 with 7
assists. Read more here.
KRKA Novo Mesto 78 - 73 Banvit BK
Krka Novo Mesto won its
first game in the Last 16 and kept its chances to reach the
quarterfinals alive with a 78-73 home win over Banvit BK. Krka improved
to 1-4 and will have to win big next while hoping for Banvit to lose to
Spartak to have a chance at advancing. The game was close for 40
minutes and tied at 70-70 with 1:27 to play. But after Banvit failed to
capitalize on an unsportsmanlike foul, Krka went ahead and made free
throws down the stretch to seal the win. Jure Balazic shined for Krka
with 23 points, while Afik Nissim added 12 points and 4 assists and
Jure Lalic and Zoran Dragic scored 11 and 10 points, respectively.
Cliff Hammonds and Lance Williams scored 14 apiece and Chuck Davis
added 12 for Banvit, which dropped to 2-3. Read more here.
Lietuvos Rytas 78 - 82 Lokomotiv Kuban
The race for the
quarterfinals in Group L of the Last 16 will come down to a final week
between an upstart and two time-honored names in European basketball
after Lokomotiv Kuban of Russia stormed from behind to beat host
Lietuvos Rytas 78-82 in Vilnius, Lithuania on Tuesday. Both teams are
now tied with 3-2 records with one game left in the round, with
Lokomotiv having now defeated Rytas twice. The fate of both teams will
wait until Week 6 however, since Benetton Treviso (3-1 before playing
Tuesday), is the opponent of Rytas next week and has beaten Lokomotiv
twice. Several scenarios could solve the race, including all three
teams could end up tied with 4-2 records, 2-2 against each other, in
which case point-based tiebreakers could decide the outcome. Read more here.
BC Donetsk 93 - 87 Asvel Basket
BC Donetsk made it to
the Eurocup Quarterfinals by rallying to edge Asvel Basket 93-87 in
Ukraine in Group J on Tuesday. Donetsk improved to 4-1, booked a spot
among the best 8 teams in the competition and will win Group J if it
beats Aris BSA 2003 or if Asvel downs Khimki next week. Asvel dropped
to 1-4 and is mathematically out of the Last 16 race. Darnell Jackson
led the winners with 20 points on 9-of-11 two-pointers. Ramel Curry
added 16, Vule Avdalovic had 15 while Michael Lee had 12 for Donetsk.
Edwin Jackson led Asvel with 19 points. Dijon Thompson added 17, Hilton
Armstrong and Kim Tillie each had 12 while Phil Goss got 11 for the
guests, that led 32-40 at halftime and kept a 58-63 margin after 30
minutes. Read more here.
BC Khimki 88 - 72 Aris BSA 2003
BC
Khimki advanced to the Eurocup quarterfinals by downing Aris BSA 2003
Thessaloniki 88-72 on Tuesday in Group J. Aris, which fell to 1-4, was
eliminated. Kresmir Loncar led the way for Khimki with 14 points,
Sergey Monya added 13 with 9 rebounds and 5 assists, Zoran Planinc
bagged 13 with 5 assists, Alexey Zukhanenko nailed 11 and Thomas Kelati
10. Dimitris Verginis chipped in 19 for Aris, Christos Tapoutos drilled
15 and Ronald Davis 14. Loncar opened the scoring, but soon Verginis
tied the score with a reverse layup. Davis stole the ball and completed
a three-point-pay into the break, which was followed by Vitaly Fridzon
for the 7-5 for the hosts. Read more here.
Spartak SPB 70 - 64 KK Buducnost Voli
Spartak
St. Petersburg routed KK Buducnost Voli 70-64 to clinch a ticket to the
Eurocup Quarterfinals and first place in Group K. With the victory,
Spartak remains the only undefeated team in the competition. Despite
the loss, which dropped Buducnost to 2-3, the Montenegrin powerhouse
remains alive to reach the quarterfinals and will face Krka Novo Mesto
at home next week. Patrick Beverly paced Spartak with 19 points, Miha
Zupan added 15 and 8 rebounds and Loukas Mavrokefalides netted 14.
Bojan Krstovic drilled 11 and Hasan Rizvic 10 for Buducnost. A 0-12 run
late in the third quarter gave a 43-50 margin to Buducnost, which it
maintained till the midway point of the last quarter when a 9-2 spurt
for Spartak put the hosts in front 64-60 and it held that slim margin
till the final buzzer. Read more here.
February 21, 2012 - Decision time!
The battle to reach the Eurocup Quarterfinals resumes in Last 16 Game 5,
in which everything can happen. Only one team - Valencia Basket - has
booked its ticket to the next round and as many as eight others -
obviously, not all of them, since there are seven open spots - have
chances to get to the Quarterfinals. Action starts early, as Spartak
St. Petersburg (4-0) hosts Buducnost Voli (2-2) in Group K at 16:00
CET. Spartak qualifies and clinches first place if it wins or if it
loses by seven points or less and Krka (2-2) beats Banvit (0-4). At the
same time, Buducnost qualifies to the next round if it wins and Krka
beats Banvit. Read more here.
Game 5, February 21, 2012
GROUP I
CEZ Nymburk vs. VEF Riga 80:84
Valencia Basket vs. BCM Gravelines 79:61
GROUP J BC Khimki vs. Aris BSA 2003 88:72
BC Donetsk vs. Asvel Basket 93:87
GROUP K Spartak SPB vs. Buducnost Voli 70:64
Krka Novo Mesto vs. Banvit BK 78:73
GROUP L
Lietuvos Rytas vs. Lokomotiv Kuban 78:82
Alba Berlin vs. Benetton Basket 83:74
February 8, 2012 - Last 16, Game 4 MVP - Hilton Armstrong, Asvel Basket
With
his team facing a must-win game to remain in the fight for the Eurocup
Quarterfinals, Hilton Armstrong rose to the occasion with one of his
biggest games yet to lead Asvel Basket to a huge win over Aris BSA
2003. And when the dust settled, Armstrong’s 18-point, 8-rebound effort
was also enough to give him the title of Eurocup Last 16, Game 4 MVP.
Armstrong made 8 of 10 shots, went 2 for 2 from the line and blocked a
shot in producing a performance index rating of 26, which was the best
in the Eurocup this week. Beyond the numbers, the 8 straight points
Armstrong scored to open the second quarter gave Asvel a practically
insurmountable 31-9 lead en route to a 79-52 victory. Read more here.
February 7, 2012 - Game 4
Valencia Basket 73 - 72 CEZ Nymburk
Valencia Basket squeaked past
Nymburk 73-72 to go 4-0 in Group I and clinch a spot in the
quarterfinals. After dominating the game and leading 64-51 early in the
fourth quarter, the hosts nearly wilted before Nymburk's fierce
comeback. The visitors tied the game on a Pavel Pumprla triple with 6
seconds left, but after Valencia regained the lead on a Rodrigo San
Miguel free throw, Lamayne Wilson failed to connect at the buzzer. Rafa
Martinez paced the winners with 15 points, while Nik Caner-Medley had
11 and a trio of players added 9 apiece – Victor Claver, Vitor Faverani
and Nando De Colo, who added 10 assists. Petr Benda and Pavel Pumprla
each scored 18 points and Eugene Lawrence had 13 in a losing effort.
Read more here.
BCM Gravelines 62 - 69 VEF Riga
VEF Riga held on to
beat BCM Gravelines on the road 62-69 in Group I as it led most of the
way and fended off the visitors’ repeated attempts to overtake them.
With the win Riga is now tied at 2-2 and locked in a duel with Nymburk,
which has the same record. Gravelines slipped to 0-4. The game featured
a combined 19 three-pointers, 10 of them by the winners, who also
outshot the opponent from two-point range. Kaspars Berzins led Riga
with 19 points, Sandis Valters had 15 and Gatis Jahovics added 11. Juby
Johnson paced the losers with 12 points, and J.K. Edwards contributed
11 with 6 assists. Read more here.
Benetton Basket 87 - 76 Lokomotiv Kuban
Benetton Basket took a
key step forwards to reach the Eurocup Quarterfinals by downing
Lokomotiv-Kuban 87-76 in Treviso, Italy in Last 16 Group L on Tuesday.
Benetton ties with two-time Eurocup champion Lietuvos Rytas for first
place at 3-1 and will get to the next round if it beats Alba in Game 5
or if L. Rytas downs Loko. As such, Lokomotiv is in a tough position
but will greatly improve its chances if it beats L. Rytas on the road.
Jeff Viggiano paced the winners with 17 points. Sani Becirovic and
Jobey Thomas each added 13 for Benetton. Ali Traore led Loko with 26
points on 11-of-16 two-pointers and 9 rebounds. Read more here.
Alba Berlin 62 - 79 Lietuvos Rytas
Lietuvos
Rytas got much closer to clinch a Quarterfinals spot in difficult Group
L by downing Alba Berlin 62-79 in front of almost 8,000 fans in the
German capital on Tuesday. L. Rytas improved to 3-1 and ties for first
place in this group. Alba dropped to 0-4 and is mathematically out of
chances to make it to the next round. Ronnie Seibutis led the winners
with 24 points on 4-of-5 triples. Tyrese Rice and Mindaugas Katelynas
each added 10 for L. Rytas. DaShaun Wood and Bryce Taylor led Alba with
13 points apiece. Kyle Weaver added 11 while Marko Simonovic got 10 for
the hosts. A 2-13 run that Seibutis capped with a three-pointer gave L.
Rytas a 18-30 lead early in the second quarter. Read more here.
Asvel Basket 79 - 52 Aris BSA 2003
Asvel Basket picked up
its first win in Group J by routing visiting Aris 79-52. Hilton
Armstrong scored 8 points to cap a 21-0 run that bridged the first and
second quarters to put the hosts ahead 31-9. The scoreboard showed
39-18 at halftime. Aris made a valiant effort to close the gap to 12
early in the fourth quarter before Kim Tillie and Edwin Jackson put the
game away. The result leaves both Asvel and Aris with 1-3 records, but
another loss for either team will end its chances of reaching the
Quarterfinals. Armstrong paced Asvel with 18 points and 8 rebounds,
Tillie scored 12 and Jackson 11. Sergio Kerusch paced Aris with 9
points and 7 rebounds. Read more here.
KK Buducnost Voli 83 - 73 Banvit BK
What
could have been one Group K team's crowning moment turned into
another's revival on Tuesday as KK Buducnost blew away Banvit BK of
Turkey after halftime en route to a 83-73 victory at home in Podgorica,
Montenegro. With the win, Buducnost took over second place despite
being tied at 2-2 with Banvit, which had won their first game a week
ago by just 7 points. Another Banvit victory on Tuesday would have sent
it the quarterfinals and taken along first-place Spartak St.
Petersburg, too, but Buducnost had other ideas. Tied 47-47 shortly
after halftime, Buducnost went on a 19-6 run to end the third quarter
and take control of the game and the tie-break advantage between the
teams with two games left in the Last 16. Read more here.
BC Donetsk 85 - 67 BC Khimki
BC
Donetsk moved into first place in Group J with a resounding 85-67
victory over BC Khimki, which was also the visitors’ first loss of the
Eurocup season. Donetsk and Khimki are now tied with 3-1 records, but
the 18-point margin of victory for Donetsk trumped the 13 that Khimki
won by in their previous meeting and thus gives Donetsk the tiebreak
advantage over Khimki. Vule Avdalovic and Ramel Curry scored 18 points
apiece to pace Donetsk, which never trailed after the first quarter.
The hosts also enjoyed a 34-20 rebounding advantage thanks in part to
big man Darnell Jackson, who contributed 10 points, 9 rebounds and 2
blocks for the winning team. Read more here.
Spartak SPB 71 - 57 KRKA Novo Mesto
Spartak
St. Peteresburg remained unbeaten in the Eurocup by downing Krka Novo
Mesto 71-57 on Tuesday in Group K. Spartak is atop the table with a 4-0
record and has to wait for the result of the game between Buducnost and
Banvit later to know if it advances to the quarterfinals. The loss
reduced Novo Mesto’s quarterfinals hopes to close to zero. Spartak
started on fire the game with a 9-0 run and never looked back. It took
an early double-digit margin and protected it for all 40 minutes.
Vladimir Dragicevic led the winners with 19 points, Anatoly Kashirov
bagged 15, Yotam Halperin tallied 11 with 4 assists and Patrick
Beverley dished 7 assists. Read more here.
February 6, 2012 - Last 16, Week 4: the time is now!
The 2011-12 Eurocup Last 16 gets to pivotal Week 4,
in which as many as four teams - Valencia Basket, BC Khimki, Spartak
St. Petersburg and Banvit BK - can book respective tickets to the
Quarterfinals. Those teams that played on the road last week hosts
their opponents in what promises to be an interesting rematch. Action
starts early, as Spartak (3-0) hosts Krka Novo Mesto (0-3) in Group K
at 16:00 CET. Spartak is undefeated until now and could seal a
Quarterfinals spot if Banvit (2-1) beats Buducnost (1-2) in Podgorica,
Montenegro at 18:30 CET. If so, both Spartak and Banvit will qualify to
the next round and will keep fighting for first place in this Last 16
group. Read more here.
Game 4, Tuesday, February 7, 2012
GROUP I
BCM Gravelines vs. VEF Riga 62:69
Valencia Basket vs. CEZ Nymburk 73:72
GROUP J
BC Donetsk vs. BC Khimki 85:67
Asvel Basket vs. Aris BSA 2003 79:52
GROUP K
Spartak St. Petersburg vs. Krka Novo Mesto 71:57
Buducnost Voli vs. Banvit BK 83:73
GROUP L
Alba Berlin vs. Lietuvos Rytas 62:79
Benetton Basket vs. Lokomotiv Kuban 87:76
February 1, 2012 - Last 16 Game 3 MVP: Nando De Colo, Valencia Basket
Former
Eurocup champion and First Team All-Eurocup selection Nando De Colo
added another achievement in the competition as he set career highs in
scoring, steals and performance index rating en route to an important
Valencia Basket victory and Last 16, Game 3 MVP honors. De Colo was the
catalyst for Valencia in its 71-80 road win at CEZ Nyburk to capture
sole possession of first place in Group I. De Colo made 7 of 8
two-point shots, 4 of 6 three-pointers and 6 of 7 from the foul line in
racking up 32 points. He also had 5 assists and 5 steals as well as 10
fouls drawn for a performance index rating of 40. Furthermore, De Colo
tied former Asvel Basket guard Tony Parker for the best index rating in
a Eurocup game this season. Read more here.
January 31, 2012 - Game 3
Aris BSA 2003 77 - 60 Asvel Basket
Aris BSA 2003 held off Asvel Basket
to score its first win of Last 16 Group J, 77-60, in Thessaloniki,
Greece. Ronald Davis scored most of his game-high 19 points early as
Aris went ahead by 8 in the first quarter and made it double figures in
the second. Asvel came back to take the lead before the half ended with
the hosts on top 35-34. Aris pulled away again in the third, Asvel cut
it to 4 in the fourth, but the hosts had the final run and pulled away
down the stretch to secure the win and keep Asvel winless. Dan
Mavraides added 18 points and Demitris Verginis 11 for the winning
team. Kim Tillie paced Asvel with 17 points and Phil Goss and Dijon
Thompson netted 10 each. Read more here.
Lietuvos Rytas 86 - 75 Alba Berlin
Lietuvos Rytas
outdueled Alba Berlin at home 86-75, joining two other teams with 2-1
records in tightly contested Group L. With the loss, Alba dropped to
0-3 with dim prospects to qualify for the Eurocup Quarterfinals. The
visitors entered the fourth quarter up 59-63, but Rytas took over with
two minutes to go. While helped by clutch three-point shooting, the
hosts did most of their damage in the paint by outrebounding Alba
38-19. Aleksandar Rasic led the winners with 16 points, while Mindaugas
Katelynas knocked down 13 and Jonas Valanciunas added 12. Derrick Allen
scored 16 points and Dashaun Wood netted 14 in defeat. Read more here.
CEZ Nymburk 71 - 80 Valencia Basket
Valencia Basket took
sole possession of first place in Group I with a clutch 71-80 road win
against CEZ Nymburk, handing new head coach Velimir Perasovic an
impressive start. The Czech champs slipped to 2-1 and second place. The
game was anyone’s to win until the fourth quarter, when the Nando De
Colo added to his game-leading 32 points with timely baskets that
helped give the visitors the margin for victory. Along with his torrid
shooting, De Colo registered 5 assists and 5 steals. Victor Claver and
Nik Caner-Medley added 14 apiece for the winners. Tre Simmons paced the
losers with 20 points and Pavel Pumprla had 17. Read more here.
VEF Riga 78 - 61 BCM Gravelines
VEF Riga picked up a
vital 78-61 victory over BCM Gravelines on Tuesday to renew its chances
in Last 16 Group I. Antanas Kavaliauskas scored 23 points and grabbed 8
rebounds to lead Riga to its first win in the Last 16. The result also
dropped Gravelines to 0-3. Riga used a 15-2 first-quarter surge to take
control early and never let Gravelines closer than 5 the rest of the
way. Gravelines didn’t quit and managed to close the gap to 8 a number
of times in the fourth quarter, but Riga found the answers at both ends
when needed to hold on and preserve the valuable win. Dairius Bertans
added 13 points, while Sandis Valters tallied 9 points and 6 assists
for the winners. Cyril Akpomedah and Ludo Vaty each scored 14 for
Gravelines in defeat. Read more here.
Banvit BK 68 - 61 KK Buducnost Voli
Banvit BK improved to
2-1 in Last 16 Group K and increased its chances to make it to the
Eurocup Quarterfinals by edging Buducnost Voli 68-61 in Bandirma,
Turkey on Tuesday. Banvit improved to 2-1 in Group K and will qualify
to the Quarterfinals if it beats Buducnost in Podgorica, Montenegro
next week and Spartak downs Krka. Buducnost dropped to 1-2 and may run
out of chances to qualify with a loss next week. Lance Williams paced
the winners with 21 points on 9-of-10 two-pointers in less than 23
minutes. Chuck Davis added 12, Serkan Erdogan had 10 while Baris Ermis
got 9, 9 rebounds, 6 assists and 5 steals for Banvit. Bojan Dubljevic
and Cedomir Vitkovac each had 14 points for Buducnost while Jermaine
Anderson added 10. Read more here.
KRKA Novo Mesto 68 - 81 Spartak SPB
Spartak
St. Petersburg took a step forwards to qualify to the Eurocup
Quarterfinals and win Last 16 Group K by downing Krka Novo Mesto 68-81
in Slovenia on Tuesday. Spartak improved to 3-0, stayed undefeated in
the 2011-12 season and could qualify to the Quarterfinals as soon as
next week. Krka dropped to 0-3 and may be out of the Quarterfinals race
if it loses against Spartak in Russia next week. Loukas Mavrokefalidis
led the winners with 20 points. Patrick Beverley added 13 while
Vladimir Dragicevic had 12 for Spartak. Smiljan Pavic led Krka with 15
points. Afik Nissim, Zoran Dragic and Jure Balazic each had 11 for
Krka, that trailed 18-20 early in the second quarter. Read more here.
Lokomotiv Kuban 70 - 71 Benetton Basket
Jobey
Thomas’s game-winning three-pointer with 4 seconds left gave Benetton
Basket a thrilling 70-71 road win over Lokomotiv Kuban on Tuesday in
Krasnodar, Russia. The result leaves Benetton and Lokomotiv tied atop
Group L with 2-1 records. Thomas led the winners with 22 points on
4-of- 8 shooting from downtown and Sani Becirovic added 17. Vlad
Moldoveanu and Ben Ortner scored 12 apiece. Lokomotiv, which suffered
its first home loss, got 22 points and 8 rebounds from Ali Traore and
15 with 10 defensive boards from KC Rivers and 13 from Jeremiah Massey.
The hosts maintained control of the game in the first half and earned a
47-38 lead early in the third quarter before a 14-1 run for the
visitors put them in front 53-55 at the end of the third quarter. Read
more here.
BC Khimki 68 - 55 BC Donetsk
BC
Khimki took control of Group J by downing BC Donetsk 68-55 on Tuesday.
Head coach Rimas Kurtinaitis’s side remains undefeated so far for the
entire Eurocup campaign. The loss dropped Donetsk to 2-1 record stays
and second place in the group. Kresmir Loncar led the way for Khimki
with 17 points and 7 rebounds, Vitaly Fridzon nailed 17 with 7 assists,
and Zoran Planinic added 16 with 6 boards. Vlacheslav Kravtsov had 17
points and 8 rebounds for Donetsk, Ramel Curry chipped in 11 and Ivan
Radenovic had 10 points and 10 boards. Michael Lee opened the scoring
for Donetsk, before Planinic answered down low. Curry went all the way,
but Sergey Monya scored an easy layup in the open court Curry was on
fire with a three-pointer for a 6-9 edge. Read more here.
January 30, 2012 - Last 16, Week 3: Time to rise or fall!
The
Eurocup Last 16 rushes to its halfway mark on
Tuesday with an early slate of eight critical games around the
continent. Six teams are currently undefeated, giving them a jump-start
toward a possible place in the Quarterfinals, while six others lost
their first two games and need to bounce back right away or risk
falling out of contention. Two groups feature showdowns between
undefeated teams and two others between teams fighting for first wins.
The action starts early Tuesday, as BC Khimki (2-0) welcomes BC Donetsk
(2-0) at 16:00 CET to settle first place in Group J. Khimki is 8-0 in
Eurocup action this season, while Donetsk is on a six-game winning
streak. Next, at 16:30, Lokomotiv-Kuban (2-0) takes on Benetton Basket
(1-1) in Group L. Two former Benetton players - KC Rivers and Lionel
Chalmers - have the chance to lead Loko to a critical win. Read more here.
All games will be played at Tusday, January 31. Eurocup Last 16, Game 2 schedule:
GROUP I
CEZ Nymburk vs. Valencia Basket 71:80
VEF Riga vs. BCM Gravelines 78:61
GROUP J
BC Khimki vs. BC Donetsk 68:55
Aris BSA 2003 vs. Asvel Basket 77:60
GROUP K
Banvit BK vs. Buducnost Voli 68:61
Krka Novo Mesto vs. Spartak St. Petersburg 68:81
GROUP L
Lokomotiv Kuban vs. Benetton Basket 70:71
Lietuvos Rytas vs. Alba Berlin 86:75
January 25, 2012 - Last 16, Game 2 MVP: Loukas Mavrokefalides, Spartak SPB
For
the second straight week, the hero of Spartak St. Petersburg’s Group K
game also goes home with the honor of being the Eurocup player of the
week. First it was Patrick Beverley and after a brilliant performance
in Tuesday’s 80-71 victory over Banvit BK, Loukas Mavrokefalides is the
Eurocup Last 16, Game 2 MVP. The center dominated the paint – and the
perimeter too when he went there – to the tune of a career high 29
points plus 8 rebounds. Mavrokefalides made 10 of 18 two-point shots,
both of his attempts from downtown and 3 of 5 free throws. Additionally
he recorded 1 assists and 1 block for a performance index rating of 29,
which was the most among Eurocup players this week. Read more here.
January 24, 2012 - Game 2
Valencia Basket 80 - 49 VEF Riga
Valencia Basket stayed
undefeated in Last 16 Group I by simply overwhelming VEF Riga 80-49 at
home on Tuesday. Valencia improved to 2-0 to tie with CEZ Basketball
Nymburk atop the standings. Both teams will meet in the Czech Republic
for a direct fight for first place. VEF dropped to 0-2 and needs to
start winning right away to rejoin the Quarterfinals race. Nando De
Colo led the winners with 18 points. Nik Caner-Medley added 13, Serhiy
Lishchuk had 12 while Rafa Martinez got 10 for Valencia. Kaspars
Berzins and Tyler Cain led VEF with 10 points apiece. A layup by Gatis
Jahovics gave VEF its only lead, 2-4. Lishchuk and Caner-Medley fueled
a 21-2 run that gave Valencia the lead for good, 21-6. Valencia kept a
25-10 lead after 10 minutes and boosted its margin to 29-17 behind an
outstanding De Colo. Read more here.
KRKA Novo Mesto 64 - 69 KK Buducnost Voli
Buducost Voli withstood
a furious fourth-quarter rally to beat Krka Novo Mesto on the road
64-69 for its first win in Last 16 Group K. Buducnost will face Banvit
BK next week in a battle to stay close to – or join – undefeated group
leader Spartak St. Petersburg. Jermaine Anderson and Nikola Ivanovic
led the visitors with 11 points apiece, while Milan Milosevic added 10
with 7 rebounds. Bojan Dubljevic netted 9 points with 3 steals. Zoran
Dragic knocked down 14 points and Afik Nissm added 12 to lead Krka.
Buducnost ran out in front early and held a comfortable lead
throughout, at one point going up 39-57 in the third quarter. However
Krka rallied to within 5 with two minutes to go then then finally
running out of steam. Read more here.
CEZ Nymburk 79 - 62 BCM Gravelines
CEZ
Nymburk took a commanding 79-62 win at home against BCM Gravelines,
lifting its Group I record to 2-0 and improving its chances to reach
the Quarterfinals. The winners will face Valencia next week in the
battle for first place, while Gravelines confronts VEF Riga in a
must-win situation. Tre Simmons led all scorers with 25 points,
including 5 of 10 from downtown. He also dished out 7 assists. Mike
Lenzly tallied 11 and Petr Benda added 10. J.K. Edwards paced the
losers with 16 points. Juby Johnson added 11 points and Rudy Jomby 10
in defeat. Gravelines started strong and led 17-10 after the first
quarter, but Nymburk got on track in the second, then Simmons got hot
after the break to help seal the win with a 31-17 third quarter. Read
more here.
BC Donetsk 81 - 74 Aris BSA 2003
BC Donetsk improved to
2-0 in Last 16 Group J and improved its chances to reach the
Quarterfinals by edging Aris BSA 2003 81-74 at home on Tuesday. Donetsk
will fight for first place against BC Khimki next week while Aris must
try to beat Asvel Basket to rejoin the Quarterfinals race. Ramel Curry
led the winners with 18 points. Maksym Pustozvonov added 13 while
Vyacheslav Kravtsov and Michael Lee each had 12 for Donetsk. Ronald
Davis led all scorers with 22 points. Sergio Kerusch added 17 while
Dimitrios Verginis had 16 for Aris. Pustozvonov led a 12-2 opening run
that helped Donetsk to get a 24-8 margin after 10 minutes. Read more here.
Lietuvos Rytas 78 - 69 Benetton Basket
Lietuvos
Rytas bounced back from its first loss in this Eurocup season by
downing Benetton Basket 78-69 in Last 16 Group L in Vilnius, Lithuania
on Tuesday. Both teams tie in Group K with a 1-1 record. Jonas
Valanciunas paced the winners with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Mindaugas
Katelynas added 14 points, Ronnie Seibutis had 13 - all in the second
half - while Aleksandar Rasic got 12 for L. Rytas. Jeff Viggiano led
Benetton with 15 points. Marcus Goree added 12, Vlad Moldoveanu had 11
while Sani Becirovic got 10 on 10-of-10 free throws and 9 assists for
Benetton. Despite missing all of his 8 field goal attempts, Becirovic
finished the game with a performance index ranking of 21. Read more here.
Spartak St. Petersburg 80 - 71 Banvit BK
Spartak St. Petersburg
remained unbeaten in the Eurocup after downing BK Banvit 80-71 in Last
16 Group K in a clash of Game 1 winners. Spartak is now the exclusive
leader of the group with a 2-0 record. Big man Loukas Mavrokefalides
led the winners with an outstanding performance of 29 points and 8
rebounds. Patrick Beverley added 13 points plus 5 assists and Valery
Likhodey scored 11. Chuck Davis scored 16 to lead Banvit, Baris Emris
netted 13 and Keith Simmons posted 12 with 7 boards. With the game tied
at 69-69 and 78 seconds left, Mavrokefalides completed a
three-point-play and Beverley stole and slammed the ball to put the
game in Spartak’s pocket. Read more here.
BC Khimki 86 - 80 Asvel Basket
BC
Khimki continued its perfect Eurocup campaign by downing Asvel Basket
86-80 on Tuesday in Group J. The Russian side leads the group with a
2-0 record, while Asvel remains winless in the Last 16. Thomas Kelati
led five Khimki scorers in double figures with 18 points, Vitaly
Fridzon added 17, Kresmir Loncar bagged 15, Sergey Monya 14 and Zoran
Planinic tallied 12 points and 7 assists. Edwin Jackson nailed 18 for
Asvel, Phil Goss 14 and Hilton Armstrong and DIjon Thompson chipped in
11 apiece. Armstrong scored the game’s first points in the paint before
Loncar tied it with a jump hook. Jackson’s short jumper put Asvel in
front again. Read more here.
Eurocup Last 16, Game 2 schedule:
GROUP I
CEZ Nymburk vs. BCM Gravelines 79:62
Valencia Basket vs. VEF Riga 80:49
GROUP J
BC Khimki vs. Asvel Basket 86:80
BC Donetsk vs. Aris BSA 2003 81:74
GROUP K
Spartak SPB vs. Banvit BK 80:71
Krka Novo Mesto vs. Buducnost Voli 64:69
GROUP L
Lietuvos Rytas vs. Benetton Basket 78:69
Alba Berlin vs. Lokomotiv Kuban 79:84
January 19, 2012 - Last 16, Game 1 MVP: Patrick Beverley, Spartak SPB
The
best Eurocup game yet for blossoming guard Patrick Beverley has
garnered the Spartak St. Petersburg star attention throughout the
continent as he has earned Last 16, Game 1 MVP honors. Beverley set
season highs with 25 points and a performance index ranting of 27 to
lead Spartak to a 57-65 road win at Buducnost Voli. Only 23 years old
and already with a Euroleague Final Four appearance under his belt,
Beverley showed his talent in Tuesday’s win in Podgorica by having a
hand in more than half his team’s points between those he scored and
the 4 assists he dished. Beverley added 3 rebounds, a steal and 5 fouls
drawn to reach his index rating of 27. Read more here.
January 18, 2012 - Game 1
VEF Riga 81 - 91 CEZ Nymburk
CEZ
Basketball Nymburk became the fifth team to register a road win in Last
16 Game 1 by downing VEF Riga 81-91 in the Latvian capital in Group I
on Wednesday. Nymburk ties with Valencia Basket atop the standings,
with VEF and BCM Gravelines right behind at 0-1. Petr Benda paced the
winners with 24 points on 11-of-14 two-pointers. Lamayne Wilson added
23 while Pavel Pumprla had 10 for Nymburk. Sandis Valters and Antanas
Kavaliauskas led VEF with 19 points apiece. Curtis Millage added 15 for
the hosts, that trailed 20-21 after 10 minutes. It didn't last long,
however, as Benda, Tre Simmons and Wilson fueled a 2-19 run that broke
the game open, 24-44, late in the first half. Read more here.
January 17, 2012
Benetton Basket 72 - 64 Alba Berlin
Benetton Basket held on after a
strong Alba Berlin comeback to register a 72-64 win in the teams’ Last
16 Group L opener in Treviso, Italy. Jobey Thomas shot 3 for 4 from
downtown to lead the hosts with 14 points. A 16-0 first-quarter lead
gave Benetton the lead for good. It stood at 44-31 at halftime, but
Alba rallied in the third quarter and Derrick Allen opened the fourth
quarter with a score that narrowed the gap to 58-56. However Benetton
regrouped in time and pulled away to take the victory. Ben Ortner added
13 points on 6-of-7 shooting and 2 blocks, Jeff Viggiano tallied 12
points and 4 assists and Sani Becirovic scored 11. DaShaun Wood paced
Berlin with 18 points, Kyle Weaver scored 13 and Bryce Taylor had 10 in
defeat. Read more here.
Asvel Basket 75 - 86 BC Donetsk
BC Donetsk sent a
message that echoed all around the Eurocup Last 16 by downing Asvel
Basket 75-86 on the road in Group J on Tuesday. Donetsk registered its
fifth consecutive win in the competition and ties with BC Khimki atop
the Group J standings. Ramel Curry led the winners with 18 points and 6
assists. Ivan Radenovic added 16 points, Michael Lee had 13 while
Vyacheslav Kravtsov had 12 for Donetsk. Hilton Armstrong led Asvel with
21 points on 8-of-9 two-pointers. Dijon Thompson added 16 while Phil
Goss got 10 for Asvel, that used a 13-0 run to get a 20-15 margin
midway late in the first quarter. Read more here.
BCM Gravelines 63 - 69 Valencia Basket
Valencia
Basket had a strong start in the 2011-12 Eurocup Last 16 by downing BCM
Gravelines 63-69 on the road in Group I on Tuesday. Valencia handed
Gravelines its first home loss in all competitions this season. Nando
De Colo paced the winners with 19 points. Brad Newley added 11 in his
first game with the team while Nik Caner-Medley pulled down 14 rebounds
for Valencia. Juby Johnson led Gravelines with 14 points. Yannick
Bokolo added 12 while Ludovic Vaty had 10 for the hosts, that bounced
back from a slow start to get within 14-15 after 10 minutes. Rafa
Martinez and De Colo fueled a 0-14 run that gave Valencia the lead for
good, 14-29. An outstanding De Colo soon gave Valencia its biggest
lead, 32-52, midway through the third quarter. Read more here.
KK Buducnost Voli 57 - 65 Spartak SPB
Spartak Saint
Petersburg outduelled KK Buducnost Voli on the road 57-65 to win its
opening game in Group K. The hosts tied the game early at 10-10, then
pulled to 49-51 in the fourth quarter but the visitors always had the
answer in the form of Patrick Beverley, who led all scorers with 25
points, and Vladimir Dragicevic, who added 18 with 9 rebounds. Yotam
Halperin dished out 6 assists for the winners. Jermaine Anderson led
the way for Buducnost with 11 points, while Cedomir Vitkovac
contributed 10 along with 3 steals. Read more here.
Aris BSA 2003 48 - 73 BC Khimki
BC
Khimki used an overpowering second half to handily beat Aris BSA 2003
on the road 48-73 in the teams’ Last 16 Group J opener. The visitors
benefited from a balanced attack as five players scored in double
figures on a combined 9-of-15 shooting from three-point range. Vitaly
Fridzon netted 14 points to pace Khimki, Zoran Planinic had 13 and
Kresimir Loncar and Chris Quinn added 12 apiece. Aris was paced by
Dominic James and Dimitrios Verginis, who scored 11 points each. The
hosts made a game of it in the first half after recovering from a 4-16
first quarter to close the half at 30-31. But in the second half Khimki
used a long-distance barrage to outscore the hosts 18-42 as Aris could
only manage 1 of 16 from beyond the arc. Read more here.
Banvit BK 77 - 65 KRKA Novo Mesto
Banvit
BK opened the Last 16 just the way it wanted with a 77-65 victory over
visiting KRKA Novo Mesto in Group K. Serkan Erdogan came off the bench
for 14 points to lead the hosts. He scored 6 in a 9-0 run to finish the
first quarter that gave Banvit the lead for good. Krka never quit and
even fought back from a 16-point deficit to get within 8 in the closing
minutes, but Erdogan came up with 4 late points to help seal the win.
Chuck Davis and Kenan Bajramovic added 12 points apiece for the
winners, Keith Simmons posted 11 points and 7 rebounds and Baris Ermis
ran the show with 8 assists. Zoran Dragic paced the Krka attack with 13
points, newcomer Afik Nissim scored 11 and Uros Lucic added 10. Read
more here.
Lokomotiv Kuban 81 - 67 Lietuvos Rytas
After
giving up a promising lead in the closing minutes of regulation,
Lokomotiv Kuban came back to force overtime and then dominated the
extra session to open the Last 16 with an 81-67 win over previously
undefeated Lietuvos Rytas in the teams’ Last 16 Group L opener. The duo
of Sergey Bykov and Ali Traore scored 12 of Lokomotiv’s first 14 points
in overtime to stake out a 9-point lead that was too much for Rytas to
answer. Jeremiah Massey paced the winners with 17 points, Traore
totaled 15 points and 9 rebounds, Rod Blakney and KC Rivers added 13
points apiece and Bykov and Brezec had 10 each. Steponas Babrauskas
paced Rytas with 17 points, Renaldas Seibutis scored 15 and Jonas
Valanciunas grabbed 13 rebounds before fouling out. Read more here.
Here comes the Last 16!
The 2011-12 Eurocup season resumes with the Last 16,
a six-game, round-robin phase that paves the way to the Quarterfinals.
All 16 surviving teams have been divided into four groups and only the
best two squads in each group will keep fighting for Eurocup glory and
the chance to reach the 2012-13 Turkish Airlines Euroleague. As such,
expect more drama and even better games from now on, as anything can
happen, anywhere, with true powerhouses facing each other on a weekly
basis. The Last 16 opens with a big showdown in Group L, as Lokomotiv
Kuban welcomes Lietuvos Rytas at 16:30 CET on Tuesday. Read more here.
Eurocup Last 16, Game 1 schedule:
GROUP I
BCM Gravelines vs. Valencia Basket 63:69
VEF Riga vs. CEZ Nymburk 81:91
GROUP J
Aris BSA 2003 vs. BC Khimki 48:73
Asvel Basket vs. BC Donetsk 75:86
GROUP K
Banvit BK vs. Krka Novo Mesto 77:65
Buducnost Voli vs. Spartak SPB 57:65
GROUP L
Lokomotiv Kuban vs. Lietuvos Rytas 81:67
Benetton Basket vs. Alba Berlin 72:64
January 16, 2012 - Eurocup last 16 2012
Tomorrow, Tuesday, January 17 Eurocup last 16 phase
will start. 16 teams will fight for Final 4 positions and only one team
will qualify to Turkish Airlines Euroleague for next season. Those 16
teams are divided in four groups and will play against each other
twice. At this moment it is hard to talk about who are the main
favorites in this last 16 phase, but I would like to say my opinion
that I expect to see following teams in Final 4: Spartak SPB, BC
Khimki, Lietuvos Rytas and Alba Berlin. Read more here.
January 6, 2012 - Eurocup Last 16 groups breakdown, Group L
Group
L features some of the great teams in Eurocup's recent history, plus an
ambitious newcomer. Still-undefeated Lietuvos Rytas won the competition
twice in 2005 and 2009. L. Rytas also reached the final in 2007 and has
all the experience and talent needed to fight for the title. Alba
Berlin made it to the Eurocup title game in 2010. With a renewed,
competitive roster and a strong fan base, Alba is ready to battle for a
Quarterfinals spot. Benetton made it to the Eurocup Finals last season
and hopes to use that experience to survive the Last 16. Only two
players have remained in the team. Loko relies on a deep roster, led by
four-time Euroleague winning coach Bozidar Maljkovic, and its great
athleticism and talent to keep advancing in the competition. Read more here.
January 4, 2012 - Eurocup Last 16 groups breakdown, Group K
Anything
can happen in Group K, as all four teams have the talent and experience
to beat anyone. Spartak St. Petersburg is still undefeated, has allowed
just 66.8 points and hopes to set the basis to reach an European final
for the first time since the mid-1970s. Banvit comes off back-to-back
unquestionable home wins to win Group E. A nice core of players that
has been together for 3 years, a couple of key additions and an
outstanding basketball atmosphere in all home games are the main
reasons that allowed Banvit to get to the Last 16. Krka Novo Mesto did
not find much trouble to reach the Last 16, overcoming roster changes.
Krka reached the first ULEB Cup finals back in the 2002-03 season and
is back after nine years. Read more here.
January 2, 2012 - Eurocup Last 16 groups breakdown, Group J
Three
traditional teams in continental competitions and one of the
fastest-growing teams in recent years meet in Group J, in what promises
to be a tough battle to make it to the playoffs. No team will be more
motivated than still-undefeated BC Khimki, as the Eurocup Finals take
place in its own arena. It leads the competition in assists (20 apg.)
and has a nice mix of youth and experience - coach Kurtinaitis, Nielsen
and Kelati won the Eurocup in the past. Asvel Basket gets to the Last
16 with a core of young, talented players ready to keep showcasing
their skills all around the continent. Aris BSA 2003 is playing a
very attractive, athletic basketball that is making its fans go crazy.
It needed overtime to qualify, but Aris won't be an easy opponent. Read
more here.
December 30, 2011 - Eurocup Last 16 groups breakdown, Group I
It
is not a surprise to say that each and every team in Group I has a
legitimate reason to expect to reach the Eurocup quarterfinals. Two of
them, however, have much more Eurocup experience than the others.
Valencia Basket is the original Eurocup champion in 2003 and won a
second title in 2010. Its 86 games in the competition says it all about
Valencia's Eurocup tradition. CEZ Nymburk reached the Last 16 for the
third consecutive season. It even made it to the Quarterfinals in
2009-10, losing against Bilbao Basket on points differential. With
arguably its most powerful roster ever, not to mention its previous
experience, the sky could be the limit for the perennial Czech League
champion. Read more here.
December 28, 2011 - Eurocup Last 16, Groups Rundown
In
just three weeks, the 16 remaining teams in the hunt for Eurocup glory
will begin the second stage of their season in the Last 16. Here is a
rundown of the four groups of four teams with a look at what has helped
get them this far. Group I features two experienced Eurocup teams and
as many Last 16 newcomers, including two-time former champion Valencia
Basket. Eurocup classics and exciting newcomers meeting in competitive
Group J, including BC Khimki Moscow Region, whose home court will host
the 2012 Eurocup Finals. Anything can happen in Group K, which boats
undefeated Spartak St. Petersburg. And Group L has two-time champion
Lietuvos Rytas and two others that have been to Eurocup Finals in the
last two seasons: Alba Berlin and Benetton Basket. Read more here.
One
of the biggest stars in the 2011-12 Eurocup earned weekly MVP honors
for the second time this season. Jeremiah Massey of Lokomotiv-Kuban led
his team to a go-ahead 73-70 home win against Alba Berlin with a 37
performance index ranking. Massey, who previously earned regular season
Week 5 MVP honors, led Loko with 23 points on 4-of-7 shots from
downtown. He added 12 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 blocks and 7 fouls drawn
for a 37 index. Lamayne Wilson of CEZ Nymburk also shined this week,
leading his team to a critical road win against BCM Gravelines. Wilson
had 22 points on 6-of-6 two-pointers, 9 rebounds, 2 assists and a steal
for a 31 index. Read more 
BC
Donetsk became the Last 16 Group J champion by topping Aris BSA 2003
66-77 in Thessaloniki, Greece on Tuesday. Donetsk won Group J with a
5-1 record due to its tie-break advantage against BC Khimki and is set
to face two-time Eurocup champions Lietuvos Rytas in the Quarterfinals.
Aris finished the Last 16 with a 1-5 record and was fourth overall.
Ramel Curry paced the winners with 15 points. Vule Avdalovic and Dmytro
Gliebov each added 11 for Donetsk. Ronald Davis led Aris with 19
points. Sam Muldrow added 13 for the hosts, that trailed 27-31 late in
the first half. Read more 
Lietuvos
Rytas roared for a 74-80 victory at Benetton Basket on Tuesday to
clinch a spot in the Eurocup Quarterfinals. Rytas finished the Last 16
with a 4-2 record, which placed it second in Group L. The Lithuanian
powerhouse will square off against BC Donetsk of Ukraine in next
month’s quarterfinals. Benetton dominated early with a 15-5 start, but
Rytas rallied back to within 1 after 10 minutes and kept it close the
rest of the way. Ronnie Seibutis and Jonas Valanciunas were the heroes
in the fourth quarter as Rytas outlasted the hosts in the close game
and held on for the big win. Seibutis finished with 20 points and
Valanciunas added 17 before fouling out. Mindaugas Katelynas also
scored 15 and Tyrese Rice 12 for the winners. Read more 
Everything
worked out perfectly for CEZ Nymburk as it cruised to victory against
BCM Gravelines, 61-91, and Valencia defeated VEF Riga, giving the Czech
champs a trip to the Eurocup Quarterfinals from Group I. The visitors
led 36-46, then responded to a 9-0 Gravelines run to open the third
quarter with a 45-16 shellacking. Lamayne Wilson led the way for the
winners with 22 points along with 9 rebounds, while Pavel Pumprla
tallied 19 points and Petr Benda and AJ Abrams added 14 apiece. Yannick
Bokolo netted 14 points and Ludovic Vaty had 11 in losing effort.
Gravelines finished the Last 16 with a 0-6 record. Read more 
Buducnost
Voli made it to the Eurocup Quarterfinals by downing Krka Novo Mesto
63-58 in front of 3,500 fans in Podgorica, Montenegro in Group K on
Tuesday. 
The 2011-12 
One
of the most dynamic guards in the competition gave a parting gift to
his home fans as DaShaun Wood led Alba Berlin to a come-from-behind win
over Benetton Basket Treviso as o2 World on Tuesday. Wood was at his
best for Berlin, which despite having already being mathematically
eliminated from Eurocup quarterfinals contention produced a herculean
effort for an 83-74 victory. Wood was at the center of it all with 22
points, 6 rebounds and 9 assists as he tallied a performance index
rating of 37 to earn Last 16 Game 5 MVP honors. Berlin trailed 47-56
entering the fourth quarter; however Wood dominated the rest of the way
with 15 points and 5 assists in the final stanza to spark Alba to its
first win of the Last 16. Read more 
Valencia
Basket became the Last 16 Group I champion by downing BCM Gravelines
79-61 at home on Tuesday. Valencia improved to 5-0 in Group I and
mathematically clinched first place, earning the right to play Game 2
of the Quarterfinals in front of its fans. Gravelines dropped to 0-5
and had already run out of chances to reach the next round last week.
Valencia Basket celebrated 200 games in European club competitions in a
pre-game ceremony in which the 1998-99 team, the club's first squad in
Europe - was honored. Serhiy Lishchuk paced the winners with 14 points.
Rafa Martinez added 12, Victor Claver had 11 while Florent Pietrus got
10 for Valencia. Read more 
In
a seesaw battle that ended in overtime, VEF Riga outdueled CEZ Nymburk
on the road 80-84, keeping its hopes alive for a Group I spot in the
Eurocup quarterfinals. While Riga lifted its record to 3-2, it fell
short in the head-to-head point differential with Nymburk, making next
week’s game decisive. If Riga beats Valencia, it will advance; if it
loses and Nymburk wins, the Czech champs squeeze through. Nymburk could
not hold on to a 66-61 lead with two minutes left in the fourth
quarter, as Dairis Bertrans hit 4 foul shots with 39 seconds left to
force the overtime, then the visitors outscored Nymburk 12-16 to grab
the win. Bertrans led the winners with 21 points, while Sandis Valters
netted 16, Gatis Jahovics had 13 and Curtis Millage scored 12 with 7
assists. Read more 
BC
Khimki advanced to the Eurocup quarterfinals by downing Aris BSA 2003
Thessaloniki 88-72 on Tuesday in Group J. Aris, which fell to 1-4, was
eliminated. Kresmir Loncar led the way for Khimki with 14 points,
Sergey Monya added 13 with 9 rebounds and 5 assists, Zoran Planinc
bagged 13 with 5 assists, Alexey Zukhanenko nailed 11 and Thomas Kelati
10. Dimitris Verginis chipped in 19 for Aris, Christos Tapoutos drilled
15 and Ronald Davis 14. Loncar opened the scoring, but soon Verginis
tied the score with a reverse layup. Davis stole the ball and completed
a three-point-pay into the break, which was followed by Vitaly Fridzon
for the 7-5 for the hosts. Read more 
Spartak
St. Petersburg routed KK Buducnost Voli 70-64 to clinch a ticket to the
Eurocup Quarterfinals and first place in Group K. With the victory,
Spartak remains the only undefeated team in the competition. Despite
the loss, which dropped Buducnost to 2-3, the Montenegrin powerhouse
remains alive to reach the quarterfinals and will face Krka Novo Mesto
at home next week. Patrick Beverly paced Spartak with 19 points, Miha
Zupan added 15 and 8 rebounds and Loukas Mavrokefalides netted 14.
Bojan Krstovic drilled 11 and Hasan Rizvic 10 for Buducnost. A 0-12 run
late in the third quarter gave a 43-50 margin to Buducnost, which it
maintained till the midway point of the last quarter when a 9-2 spurt
for Spartak put the hosts in front 64-60 and it held that slim margin
till the final buzzer. Read more 
The battle to reach the Eurocup Quarterfinals resumes in 
With
his team facing a must-win game to remain in the fight for the Eurocup
Quarterfinals, Hilton Armstrong rose to the occasion with one of his
biggest games yet to lead Asvel Basket to a huge win over Aris BSA
2003. And when the dust settled, Armstrong’s 18-point, 8-rebound effort
was also enough to give him the title of Eurocup Last 16, Game 4 MVP.
Armstrong made 8 of 10 shots, went 2 for 2 from the line and blocked a
shot in producing a performance index rating of 26, which was the best
in the Eurocup this week. Beyond the numbers, the 8 straight points
Armstrong scored to open the second quarter gave Asvel a practically
insurmountable 31-9 lead en route to a 79-52 victory. Read more 
Lietuvos
Rytas got much closer to clinch a Quarterfinals spot in difficult Group
L by downing Alba Berlin 62-79 in front of almost 8,000 fans in the
German capital on Tuesday. L. Rytas improved to 3-1 and ties for first
place in this group. Alba dropped to 0-4 and is mathematically out of
chances to make it to the next round. Ronnie Seibutis led the winners
with 24 points on 4-of-5 triples. Tyrese Rice and Mindaugas Katelynas
each added 10 for L. Rytas. DaShaun Wood and Bryce Taylor led Alba with
13 points apiece. Kyle Weaver added 11 while Marko Simonovic got 10 for
the hosts. A 2-13 run that Seibutis capped with a three-pointer gave L.
Rytas a 18-30 lead early in the second quarter. Read more 
What
could have been one Group K team's crowning moment turned into
another's revival on Tuesday as KK Buducnost blew away Banvit BK of
Turkey after halftime en route to a 83-73 victory at home in Podgorica,
Montenegro. With the win, Buducnost took over second place despite
being tied at 2-2 with Banvit, which had won their first game a week
ago by just 7 points. Another Banvit victory on Tuesday would have sent
it the quarterfinals and taken along first-place Spartak St.
Petersburg, too, but Buducnost had other ideas. Tied 47-47 shortly
after halftime, Buducnost went on a 19-6 run to end the third quarter
and take control of the game and the tie-break advantage between the
teams with two games left in the Last 16. Read more 
BC
Donetsk moved into first place in Group J with a resounding 85-67
victory over BC Khimki, which was also the visitors’ first loss of the
Eurocup season. Donetsk and Khimki are now tied with 3-1 records, but
the 18-point margin of victory for Donetsk trumped the 13 that Khimki
won by in their previous meeting and thus gives Donetsk the tiebreak
advantage over Khimki. Vule Avdalovic and Ramel Curry scored 18 points
apiece to pace Donetsk, which never trailed after the first quarter.
The hosts also enjoyed a 34-20 rebounding advantage thanks in part to
big man Darnell Jackson, who contributed 10 points, 9 rebounds and 2
blocks for the winning team. Read more 
Spartak
St. Peteresburg remained unbeaten in the Eurocup by downing Krka Novo
Mesto 71-57 on Tuesday in Group K. Spartak is atop the table with a 4-0
record and has to wait for the result of the game between Buducnost and
Banvit later to know if it advances to the quarterfinals. The loss
reduced Novo Mesto’s quarterfinals hopes to close to zero. Spartak
started on fire the game with a 9-0 run and never looked back. It took
an early double-digit margin and protected it for all 40 minutes.
Vladimir Dragicevic led the winners with 19 points, Anatoly Kashirov
bagged 15, Yotam Halperin tallied 11 with 4 assists and Patrick
Beverley dished 7 assists. Read more 
Former
Eurocup champion and First Team All-Eurocup selection Nando De Colo
added another achievement in the competition as he set career highs in
scoring, steals and performance index rating en route to an important
Valencia Basket victory and Last 16, Game 3 MVP honors. De Colo was the
catalyst for Valencia in its 71-80 road win at CEZ Nyburk to capture
sole possession of first place in Group I. De Colo made 7 of 8
two-point shots, 4 of 6 three-pointers and 6 of 7 from the foul line in
racking up 32 points. He also had 5 assists and 5 steals as well as 10
fouls drawn for a performance index rating of 40. Furthermore, De Colo
tied former Asvel Basket guard Tony Parker for the best index rating in
a Eurocup game this season. Read more 
VEF Riga picked up a
vital 78-61 victory over BCM Gravelines on Tuesday to renew its chances
in Last 16 Group I. Antanas Kavaliauskas scored 23 points and grabbed 8
rebounds to lead Riga to its first win in the Last 16. The result also
dropped Gravelines to 0-3. Riga used a 15-2 first-quarter surge to take
control early and never let Gravelines closer than 5 the rest of the
way. Gravelines didn’t quit and managed to close the gap to 8 a number
of times in the fourth quarter, but Riga found the answers at both ends
when needed to hold on and preserve the valuable win. Dairius Bertans
added 13 points, while Sandis Valters tallied 9 points and 6 assists
for the winners. Cyril Akpomedah and Ludo Vaty each scored 14 for
Gravelines in defeat. Read more 
Spartak
St. Petersburg took a step forwards to qualify to the Eurocup
Quarterfinals and win Last 16 Group K by downing Krka Novo Mesto 68-81
in Slovenia on Tuesday. Spartak improved to 3-0, stayed undefeated in
the 2011-12 season and could qualify to the Quarterfinals as soon as
next week. Krka dropped to 0-3 and may be out of the Quarterfinals race
if it loses against Spartak in Russia next week. Loukas Mavrokefalidis
led the winners with 20 points. Patrick Beverley added 13 while
Vladimir Dragicevic had 12 for Spartak. Smiljan Pavic led Krka with 15
points. Afik Nissim, Zoran Dragic and Jure Balazic each had 11 for
Krka, that trailed 18-20 early in the second quarter. Read more 
Jobey
Thomas’s game-winning three-pointer with 4 seconds left gave Benetton
Basket a thrilling 70-71 road win over Lokomotiv Kuban on Tuesday in
Krasnodar, Russia. The result leaves Benetton and Lokomotiv tied atop
Group L with 2-1 records. Thomas led the winners with 22 points on
4-of- 8 shooting from downtown and Sani Becirovic added 17. Vlad
Moldoveanu and Ben Ortner scored 12 apiece. Lokomotiv, which suffered
its first home loss, got 22 points and 8 rebounds from Ali Traore and
15 with 10 defensive boards from KC Rivers and 13 from Jeremiah Massey.
The hosts maintained control of the game in the first half and earned a
47-38 lead early in the third quarter before a 14-1 run for the
visitors put them in front 53-55 at the end of the third quarter. Read
more 
BC
Khimki took control of Group J by downing BC Donetsk 68-55 on Tuesday.
Head coach Rimas Kurtinaitis’s side remains undefeated so far for the
entire Eurocup campaign. The loss dropped Donetsk to 2-1 record stays
and second place in the group. Kresmir Loncar led the way for Khimki
with 17 points and 7 rebounds, Vitaly Fridzon nailed 17 with 7 assists,
and Zoran Planinic added 16 with 6 boards. Vlacheslav Kravtsov had 17
points and 8 rebounds for Donetsk, Ramel Curry chipped in 11 and Ivan
Radenovic had 10 points and 10 boards. Michael Lee opened the scoring
for Donetsk, before Planinic answered down low. Curry went all the way,
but Sergey Monya scored an easy layup in the open court Curry was on
fire with a three-pointer for a 6-9 edge. Read more 
The
Eurocup Last 16 rushes to its halfway mark on
Tuesday with an early slate of eight critical games around the
continent. Six teams are currently undefeated, giving them a jump-start
toward a possible place in the Quarterfinals, while six others lost
their first two games and need to bounce back right away or risk
falling out of contention. Two groups feature showdowns between
undefeated teams and two others between teams fighting for first wins.
The action starts early Tuesday, as BC Khimki (2-0) welcomes BC Donetsk
(2-0) at 16:00 CET to settle first place in Group J. Khimki is 8-0 in
Eurocup action this season, while Donetsk is on a six-game winning
streak. Next, at 16:30, Lokomotiv-Kuban (2-0) takes on Benetton Basket
(1-1) in Group L. Two former Benetton players - KC Rivers and Lionel
Chalmers - have the chance to lead Loko to a critical win. Read more 
For
the second straight week, the hero of Spartak St. Petersburg’s Group K
game also goes home with the honor of being the Eurocup player of the
week. First it was Patrick Beverley and after a brilliant performance
in Tuesday’s 80-71 victory over Banvit BK, Loukas Mavrokefalides is the
Eurocup Last 16, Game 2 MVP. The center dominated the paint – and the
perimeter too when he went there – to the tune of a career high 29
points plus 8 rebounds. Mavrokefalides made 10 of 18 two-point shots,
both of his attempts from downtown and 3 of 5 free throws. Additionally
he recorded 1 assists and 1 block for a performance index rating of 29,
which was the most among Eurocup players this week. Read more 
CEZ
Nymburk took a commanding 79-62 win at home against BCM Gravelines,
lifting its Group I record to 2-0 and improving its chances to reach
the Quarterfinals. The winners will face Valencia next week in the
battle for first place, while Gravelines confronts VEF Riga in a
must-win situation. Tre Simmons led all scorers with 25 points,
including 5 of 10 from downtown. He also dished out 7 assists. Mike
Lenzly tallied 11 and Petr Benda added 10. J.K. Edwards paced the
losers with 16 points. Juby Johnson added 11 points and Rudy Jomby 10
in defeat. Gravelines started strong and led 17-10 after the first
quarter, but Nymburk got on track in the second, then Simmons got hot
after the break to help seal the win with a 31-17 third quarter. Read
more 
Lietuvos
Rytas bounced back from its first loss in this Eurocup season by
downing Benetton Basket 78-69 in Last 16 Group L in Vilnius, Lithuania
on Tuesday. Both teams tie in Group K with a 1-1 record. Jonas
Valanciunas paced the winners with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Mindaugas
Katelynas added 14 points, Ronnie Seibutis had 13 - all in the second
half - while Aleksandar Rasic got 12 for L. Rytas. Jeff Viggiano led
Benetton with 15 points. Marcus Goree added 12, Vlad Moldoveanu had 11
while Sani Becirovic got 10 on 10-of-10 free throws and 9 assists for
Benetton. Despite missing all of his 8 field goal attempts, Becirovic
finished the game with a performance index ranking of 21. Read more 
BC
Khimki continued its perfect Eurocup campaign by downing Asvel Basket
86-80 on Tuesday in Group J. The Russian side leads the group with a
2-0 record, while Asvel remains winless in the Last 16. Thomas Kelati
led five Khimki scorers in double figures with 18 points, Vitaly
Fridzon added 17, Kresmir Loncar bagged 15, Sergey Monya 14 and Zoran
Planinic tallied 12 points and 7 assists. Edwin Jackson nailed 18 for
Asvel, Phil Goss 14 and Hilton Armstrong and DIjon Thompson chipped in
11 apiece. Armstrong scored the game’s first points in the paint before
Loncar tied it with a jump hook. Jackson’s short jumper put Asvel in
front again. Read more 
The
best Eurocup game yet for blossoming guard Patrick Beverley has
garnered the Spartak St. Petersburg star attention throughout the
continent as he has earned Last 16, Game 1 MVP honors. Beverley set
season highs with 25 points and a performance index ranting of 27 to
lead Spartak to a 57-65 road win at Buducnost Voli. Only 23 years old
and already with a Euroleague Final Four appearance under his belt,
Beverley showed his talent in Tuesday’s win in Podgorica by having a
hand in more than half his team’s points between those he scored and
the 4 assists he dished. Beverley added 3 rebounds, a steal and 5 fouls
drawn to reach his index rating of 27. Read more 
CEZ
Basketball Nymburk became the fifth team to register a road win in Last
16 Game 1 by downing VEF Riga 81-91 in the Latvian capital in Group I
on Wednesday. Nymburk ties with Valencia Basket atop the standings,
with VEF and BCM Gravelines right behind at 0-1. Petr Benda paced the
winners with 24 points on 11-of-14 two-pointers. Lamayne Wilson added
23 while Pavel Pumprla had 10 for Nymburk. Sandis Valters and Antanas
Kavaliauskas led VEF with 19 points apiece. Curtis Millage added 15 for
the hosts, that trailed 20-21 after 10 minutes. It didn't last long,
however, as Benda, Tre Simmons and Wilson fueled a 2-19 run that broke
the game open, 24-44, late in the first half. Read more 
Valencia
Basket had a strong start in the 2011-12 Eurocup Last 16 by downing BCM
Gravelines 63-69 on the road in Group I on Tuesday. Valencia handed
Gravelines its first home loss in all competitions this season. Nando
De Colo paced the winners with 19 points. Brad Newley added 11 in his
first game with the team while Nik Caner-Medley pulled down 14 rebounds
for Valencia. Juby Johnson led Gravelines with 14 points. Yannick
Bokolo added 12 while Ludovic Vaty had 10 for the hosts, that bounced
back from a slow start to get within 14-15 after 10 minutes. Rafa
Martinez and De Colo fueled a 0-14 run that gave Valencia the lead for
good, 14-29. An outstanding De Colo soon gave Valencia its biggest
lead, 32-52, midway through the third quarter. Read more 
BC
Khimki used an overpowering second half to handily beat Aris BSA 2003
on the road 48-73 in the teams’ Last 16 Group J opener. The visitors
benefited from a balanced attack as five players scored in double
figures on a combined 9-of-15 shooting from three-point range. Vitaly
Fridzon netted 14 points to pace Khimki, Zoran Planinic had 13 and
Kresimir Loncar and Chris Quinn added 12 apiece. Aris was paced by
Dominic James and Dimitrios Verginis, who scored 11 points each. The
hosts made a game of it in the first half after recovering from a 4-16
first quarter to close the half at 30-31. But in the second half Khimki
used a long-distance barrage to outscore the hosts 18-42 as Aris could
only manage 1 of 16 from beyond the arc. Read more 
Banvit
BK opened the Last 16 just the way it wanted with a 77-65 victory over
visiting KRKA Novo Mesto in Group K. Serkan Erdogan came off the bench
for 14 points to lead the hosts. He scored 6 in a 9-0 run to finish the
first quarter that gave Banvit the lead for good. Krka never quit and
even fought back from a 16-point deficit to get within 8 in the closing
minutes, but Erdogan came up with 4 late points to help seal the win.
Chuck Davis and Kenan Bajramovic added 12 points apiece for the
winners, Keith Simmons posted 11 points and 7 rebounds and Baris Ermis
ran the show with 8 assists. Zoran Dragic paced the Krka attack with 13
points, newcomer Afik Nissim scored 11 and Uros Lucic added 10. Read
more 
After
giving up a promising lead in the closing minutes of regulation,
Lokomotiv Kuban came back to force overtime and then dominated the
extra session to open the Last 16 with an 81-67 win over previously
undefeated Lietuvos Rytas in the teams’ Last 16 Group L opener. The duo
of Sergey Bykov and Ali Traore scored 12 of Lokomotiv’s first 14 points
in overtime to stake out a 9-point lead that was too much for Rytas to
answer. Jeremiah Massey paced the winners with 17 points, Traore
totaled 15 points and 9 rebounds, Rod Blakney and KC Rivers added 13
points apiece and Bykov and Brezec had 10 each. Steponas Babrauskas
paced Rytas with 17 points, Renaldas Seibutis scored 15 and Jonas
Valanciunas grabbed 13 rebounds before fouling out. Read more 
Group
L features some of the great teams in Eurocup's recent history, plus an
ambitious newcomer. Still-undefeated Lietuvos Rytas won the competition
twice in 2005 and 2009. L. Rytas also reached the final in 2007 and has
all the experience and talent needed to fight for the title. Alba
Berlin made it to the Eurocup title game in 2010. With a renewed,
competitive roster and a strong fan base, Alba is ready to battle for a
Quarterfinals spot. Benetton made it to the Eurocup Finals last season
and hopes to use that experience to survive the Last 16. Only two
players have remained in the team. Loko relies on a deep roster, led by
four-time Euroleague winning coach Bozidar Maljkovic, and its great
athleticism and talent to keep advancing in the competition. Read more 
Anything
can happen in Group K, as all four teams have the talent and experience
to beat anyone. Spartak St. Petersburg is still undefeated, has allowed
just 66.8 points and hopes to set the basis to reach an European final
for the first time since the mid-1970s. Banvit comes off back-to-back
unquestionable home wins to win Group E. A nice core of players that
has been together for 3 years, a couple of key additions and an
outstanding basketball atmosphere in all home games are the main
reasons that allowed Banvit to get to the Last 16. Krka Novo Mesto did
not find much trouble to reach the Last 16, overcoming roster changes.
Krka reached the first ULEB Cup finals back in the 2002-03 season and
is back after nine years. Read more 
Three
traditional teams in continental competitions and one of the
fastest-growing teams in recent years meet in Group J, in what promises
to be a tough battle to make it to the playoffs. No team will be more
motivated than still-undefeated BC Khimki, as the Eurocup Finals take
place in its own arena. It leads the competition in assists (20 apg.)
and has a nice mix of youth and experience - coach Kurtinaitis, Nielsen
and Kelati won the Eurocup in the past. Asvel Basket gets to the Last
16 with a core of young, talented players ready to keep showcasing
their skills all around the continent. Aris BSA 2003 is playing a
very attractive, athletic basketball that is making its fans go crazy.
It needed overtime to qualify, but Aris won't be an easy opponent. Read
more 
It
is not a surprise to say that each and every team in Group I has a
legitimate reason to expect to reach the Eurocup quarterfinals. Two of
them, however, have much more Eurocup experience than the others.
Valencia Basket is the original Eurocup champion in 2003 and won a
second title in 2010. Its 86 games in the competition says it all about
Valencia's Eurocup tradition. CEZ Nymburk reached the Last 16 for the
third consecutive season. It even made it to the Quarterfinals in
2009-10, losing against Bilbao Basket on points differential. With
arguably its most powerful roster ever, not to mention its previous
experience, the sky could be the limit for the perennial Czech League
champion. Read more 
In
just three weeks, the 16 remaining teams in the hunt for Eurocup glory
will begin the second stage of their season in the Last 16. Here is a
rundown of the four groups of four teams with a look at what has helped
get them this far. Group I features two experienced Eurocup teams and
as many Last 16 newcomers, including two-time former champion Valencia
Basket. Eurocup classics and exciting newcomers meeting in competitive
Group J, including BC Khimki Moscow Region, whose home court will host
the 2012 Eurocup Finals. Anything can happen in Group K, which boats
undefeated Spartak St. Petersburg. And Group L has two-time champion
Lietuvos Rytas and two others that have been to Eurocup Finals in the
last two seasons: Alba Berlin and Benetton Basket. Read more 
