Portuguese Cup Final Eight: January 22-25, 2009 - PORTUGAL

June 19, 2013

Portuguese Cup Final Eight: January 22-25, 2009

Ovarense - Portuguese Cup champion (Photo: FPB.pt)

Ovarense Aerosoles is the Portuguese Cup champion! Ovarense won its third Portuguese League title - its first in 19 years, as it lift consecutive trophies in 1989 and 1990 - by downing Vagos Norbain Lusavouga 92-87 in double overtime in a thrilling final on Sunday, surviving an intense weekend in the Final Eight played at Pavilhao Municipal Prof Luis de Carvalho in Barreiro. John Waller paced the winners with 23 points. Rolan Roberts added 16 and 18 rebounds for a monster double-double, earning final MVP honours. Nuno Cortez had 15 points, Miguel Miranda 12 and Nuno Manarte 10 for Ovarense. Ricardo Hill had 22 points for Vagos, Joao Reveles added 17, Pedro Monteiro got 15 while Daniel Coleman and Grant Billmeier each contributed 13. Ovarense led 52-38 early in the third quarter but Vagos improved its defense and made its opponent go scoreless for 9 minutes. Meanwhile, Billmeier and Hill fueled a 0-21 run that put their team ahead, 52-59. Ovarense found a go-to guy in Roberts, that got help from Waller and Manarte to restore a 73-69 Ovarense edge. Pedro Nuno followed a triple with 1-for-2 free throws to take the game to overtime, 74-74. Billmeier and Coleman missed around the basket in the final seconds of the first extra period, as the game remained tied, 81-81, after 45 minutes. Mario Fernandes, Waller and Miranda sealed the outcome down the stretch.

Ovarense advanced to the title game by edging Portuguese League leader Benfica 90-88 in overtime in one of the semifinals on Saturday. Waller paced the winners with 25 points. Miranda added 19 while Cortez had 18 for Ovarense. Sergio Ramos led Benfica with 26 points while Ben Reed added 19. It all came down to the final seconds of regulation, as Ovarense led 74-77 and Reed missed from downtown. Seth Doliboa grabbed the offensive board and fed Diogo Carreira for the game-tying three-pointer, 77-77. Ovarense got an early lead in the extra period on triples by Waller and Miranda and sealed the outcome from the foul line. Vagos had downed Barreirense / Unilogos 80-73 in the other semifinal. Hill had 34 points to lead Vagos, including consecutive key baskets that sealed the outcome down the stretch. Chad Mackenzie had 32 points for Barreirense. In the quarterfinals on Thursday and Friday, Barreirense beat Queluz 76-70, Vagos upset CAB Madeira 74-57, Benfica topped archrivals Porto Ferpinta 109-104 in overtime behind 31 points from Reed while Ovarense edged Iliabum 79-71 with 18 points from Roberts.

Sunday, January 25, 2009

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