Regular Season Game 4 - November 12, 2008 CET: 20:30 Local time: 20:30 - PALAIS DES SPORTS JEAN WEILLE

Records

Ave.   Ave.
0-0 Final Four 0-0
0-0 Playoffs 0-0
0-0 Top 16 0-0
0-3 Regular Season 0-3
0-3 Overall 0-3

Referees

Crew Chief
CHRISTODOULOU, CHRISTOS, Greece
Referee
JOVCIC, MILIVOJE, Serbia
Umpire
PEREA, OSCAR, Spain

Team Stats

Ave.   Ave.
62.0 Points 59.3
31.0 Rebounds 36.0
9.0 O. Rebounds 11.7
22.0 D. Rebounds 24.3
8.0 Assists 11.0
6.7 Steals 7.0
1.3 Blocks 2.0
15.0 Turnovers 21.7
38.6 % 2PT 46.2 %
35.2 % 3PT 30.9 %
65.1 % FT 46.8 %
52.3 Index 52.3

Player Stats

Ave.   Ave.
14.3 / WILSON, LAMAYNE Points 13.7 / WOODS, LOREN
6.0 / JULIAN, CYRIL Rebounds 9.3 / WOODS, LOREN
1.3 / BENSON, ROD OR 3.3 / WOODS, LOREN
4.7 / JULIAN, CYRIL DR 6.0 / WOODS, LOREN
2.7 / Tchicamboud Assists 1.7 / Janavicius
1.7 / GREER, RICARDO Steals 1.0 / Salenga
0.3 / WILSON, LAMAYNE Blocks 1.0 / WOODS, LOREN
5.7 / GREER, RICARDO Turnovers 3.7 / WOODS, LOREN
56.3 % / JULIAN, CYRIL 2PT 66.7 % / Janavicius
66.7 % / Tchicamboud 3PT 50.0 % / Janavicius
100.0 % / BENSON, ROD FT 100.0 % / Kalnietis
14.0 / Tchicamboud Index 20.0 / WOODS, LOREN

THE TAKE

Two teams facing an early-season must-win battle square off on Wednesday in France when SLUC Nancy hosts Zalgiris Kaunas. The two teams arrive at the encounter winless and knowing that a fourth loss would severely damage their hopes of reaching the Top 16. However, the winning side will find itself just one win behind the fourth place team and in the heart of the battle to reach the next stage. Nancy arrives after an impressive showing against mighty Panathinaikos, in which the French champion trailed by 1 late in the game before the visitors closed out a 70-80 win. The biggest bright spots were the play of Ricardo Greer and Steed Tchicamboud. The point forward Ricardo Greer scored a career-high 26 points and drew 8 fouls in his best game yet, while point guard Tchicamboud made his first start and responded with 18 points and 6 assists. Among the things Nancy must improve are its bench support – last week the reserves combined for just 9 points, 0 assists and 7 turnovers in 50 minutes – as well as its 2-point shooting (38.6%) and assists (8 apg.) as it ranks last in the Euroleague this season in those areas. Meanwhile Zalgiris played Asseco Prokom to a standstill for more than three periods before succumbing in the end for a 65-60 road loss. The Lithuanian champs were and continue to be without starting point guard Willie Deane, who is sidelined with a broken nose. In his place head coach Gintaras Krapikas has used a largely inexperience backcourt, which is a large reason the club has committed the most turnovers in the competition – 21.7 per game. The club has also wasted many scoring opportunities by shooting a collective 46.8% from the free-throw line. Zalgiris’s biggest strength is in the frontcourt, where Ratko Varda returns from injury to join league co-rebounding leader Loren Woods as well as Paulius Jankunas and Jonas Maciulis. Nancy will look to veteran Cyril Julian and newcomer Rod Benson to provide muscle in the paint, with rookie Amadou Aboubakar Zaki waiting in the wings, while Lamayne Wilson and Victor Samnick handle the duties at power forward. Ricardo Greer joins brother Jeff Greer plus Tchicamboud, John Cox and Michel Morandais on the perimeter, where they will try to use their combined experience to their benefit against Zygimantas Janavicius, Mantas Kalnietis and Rolandas Alijevas, with veteran Dainius Salenga helping out at small forward. These two teams are the lowest scoring in the Euroleague so far, with Nancy averaging 62 points per game and Zalgiris 59.7. The tempo could be the key this week, with Nancy looking to run, while Zalgiris hopes to slow it down and use its size in the paint. The team that sets the tempo will have an important advantage in this must-win duel.

GAME QUOTES

SLUC Nancy
  • Ricardo Greer averaged 13.5 points on 3-for-5 three-point shooting and 3.5 steals in two games against Zalgiris for SIG Strasbourg in the 2005-06 regular season. Strasbourg lost both games. The next season, he averaged just 1 point in over 30 minutes per game for EB Pau-Orthez against Zalgiris. Pau won both games.
  • This game marks the first ever between SLUC Nancy and Zalgiris Kaunas.
Zalgiris
  • The last time center Loren Woods played a Euroleague game in France, he was the competition’s MVP of the week. Woods recorded 16 points and a career-high 18 rebounds for a 35 index in an 84-91 road win at Le Mans last season in January.
  • Zalgiris is looking to avoid its worst start to a season in seven years. The club started the 2001-02 campaign with five consecutive losses.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Euroleague.net

Quotes Head Coaches

MONSCHAU, JEAN-LUC
SLUC Nancy
"The game against Zalgiris is, of course, our last chance to reach the Top 16. Zalgiris has a very complete team, with power in the paint and very good Lithuanian guards! It will be tough, but we want to believe in our chances: our players are ready to give their best efforts."
KRAPIKAS, GINTARAS
Zalgiris
"This is a very important game for both teams. A victory in this game will give us a fighting chance for a spot in the Top 16. We are going there to fight and to show our best basketball. Of course with such a tight schedule that we have now, it’s hard to improve our physical condition fast, but we are getting better and I guarantee there will not be such a game as the one we had against Siena. SLUC team is very balanced team, but they have their leaders too. Lamayne Wilson and Jeff and Ricardo Greer are able to take over the control and responsibility. They have a lot of players who are very strong individually, so our main defensive task will be to limit their ability to play one on one. However, we are almost good to go as our big man Ratko Varda is getting back to lineup. He is not 100% ready, but we will try to use him, but of course will err on the side of caution."

Players

SAMNICK, VICTOR
SLUC Nancy
"To have a chance to win, we need to run. But if we start running before taking rebounds, we cannot do it. It would be a mistake. Anyway, we know that we're an unusual team in the sense that we don't have specific players at a single position. Against Zalgiris, the only solution is collective. Especially in defense. Today, I would normally play at the center position. In front, there will be Woods who is taller... But I repeat, it's a matter of intent. We must play together and help each other."
WOODS, LOREN
Zalgiris
"We are in tight spot right now. Definitely we need to win. Right know we’ve lost three games in the Euroleague and there are only seven games left and with the new competition format, you have to win more games. Before it was more teams in each group, now it’s less teams so you have to win more games. We definitely have to win and everybody has to come out and play hard and play well because we need this game."
Ricardo Greer - SLUC NancySLUC Nancy recorded its first Euroleague win on Wednesday by beating Zalgiris Kaunas 69-64 behind a great second half from Lamayne Wilson. The hosts finished the third quarter with 13 unanswered points to take at 16-point lead and then held strong when Zalgiris rallied late. Wilson, who sat down after less than four minutes in the first period with three fouls, came back and sparked Nancy in the second half, when he scored all of his 17 points. Nancy now improves to 1-3 in Group B with a trip to Montepaschi looming next week. Meanwhile Zalgiris remains winless and will return home to host Regal FC Barcelona next week. Ricardo Greer added 17 points and 7 rebounds and his brother Jeff Greer posted 11 points for Nancy. Victor Samnick was also a key part of the win with 8 points, 8 rebounds and 3 steals. Dainius Salenga led Zalgiris with 15 points and 6 assists, while Jonas Maciulis and Paulius Jankunas added 13 points apiece. Loren Woods was good for 9 points, 9 rebounds and 2 blocks in just 20 minutes.

Zalgiris won the opening tip and promptly scored on a Jankunas triple. Ricardo Greer banked one in at the other end to tie it at 3-3. The teams traded baskets in a slow-paced start, but more noteworthy for the hosts was having forward Wilson sit down with 3 fouls in less than three minutes. Rod Benson made a pair from the line to give the hosts a modest 12-9 lead midway through the period as the Cougars started a run. Jeff Greer fed Samnick as Nancy wet up 5 and then Zygimantas Janavicius committed an unsportsmanlike foul on Ricardo Greer. John Cox followed with a basket as Nancy went ahead 17-9. Salenga answered for Zalgirs with a three, but Jeff Greer converted a three-point play on the offensive glass for the hosts. A Mantas Kalnietis fast break slam and another Salenga three cut the gap to 3, however Ricardo Greer scored to give Nancy a 22-17 lead after 10 minutes.

Loren Woods - ZalgirisZalgiris cut the deficit as the second period started, first with a Ratko Varda slam and later with Salenga free throws. A tip-in by Amadou Aboubakar Zaki and 2 Ricardo Greer free throws kept Nancy ahead. Woods scored in the paint to get Zalgiris within 2 only for Ricardo Greer and Steed Tchicamboud to stretch the lead to 31-25. Woods fed Jankunas in a nice give-and-go. And Maciulis connected on a triple that made it 32-30. A physical end of the half saw numerous fouls and trips to the line. At one point Tchicamboud made 2 to put the hosts up 5 and then Cox added a floater to make to 38-32. Woods corrected a Rolandas Alijevas miss in the final seconds to make it 38-34 at the half.

Jankunas and Woods scored early in the third quarter as Zalgiris tied the game. Wilson came off the bench to drill a big three and Samnick added a basket to put the home team up 5. Woods threw down a two-handed slam, but Wilson scored in transition to keep the lead. Ricardo Greer and Wilson pushed the advantage to 50-42 and then a Ricardo Greer basket followed by a Samnick tip-in put the hosts up 12. A Wilson slam in transition ignited the fans and then Jeff Greer added 2 from the line as Nancy finished the period on a 13-0 run to take a 58-42 lead.

Salenga’s third three of the night at the start of the fourth quarter gave Zalgiris hope, but when the team struggled to follow with points on its ensuing possessions, that hope faded. Wilson became Nancy’s main offensive reference and didn’t disappoint. However turnovers led to a pair of east scores for Salenga and Kalnietis as Zalgiris got within 62-51 and Nancy head coach Jean Luc Monschau called timeout. Zalgiris raised its intensity and a Kalnietis steal and layup brought the visitors within 9. Jankunas trimmed the deficit even more, but Cox and Samnick came through with a pair of big baskets. Maciulis banked in a three and then fed Tadas Klimavicius to make it 66-62 with less than two minutes to play, silencing the local fans as Nancy used another timeout. Wilson completed a three-point play to keep Nancy in charge. Zalgiris didn’t quit and Jankunas scored, but time was running out as started milking the clock and the hosts held on for a 69-64 win.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Euroleague.net
Referees: CHRISTODOULOU, CHRISTOS (GRE), JOVCIC, MILIVOJE (SRB), PEREA, OSCAR (ESP)
Attendance: 5500
By Quarter1234
SLUC Nancy22162011
Zalgiris1717822
End of Quarter1234
SLUC Nancy22385869
Zalgiris17344264
Head coach: MONSCHAU, JEAN-LUC
SLUC Nancy
# Player Min Pts 2FG
M-A
3FG
M-A
FT
M-A
Rebounds As St To Bl Fouls PIR
O D T Fv Ag Cm Rv
4 COX, JOHN 13:40 6 3/5 0/1     1 1 1 1 1       1 6
5 MORANDAIS, MICHEL 9:17     0/1     3 3 1   2     2   -1
6 WILSON, LAMAYNE 21:48 17 6/7 1/5 2/3   3 3   1 1     3 2 13
8 GREER, JEFF 33:19 11 2/2 1/4 4/5 1 2 3 2 1 4     1 4 12
10 TCHICAMBOUD, STEED 27:36 6 2/6 0/3 2/2 2 1 3 3 1 2   1 2 1 2
11 ABOUBAKAR ZAKI, AMADOU 7:33 1     1/2         1   1   3 1  
12 BENSON, ROD 10:39 4 0/3   4/4 1 4 5   1 2   2 1 2 4
13 SAMNICK, VICTOR 38:44 8 4/11 0/1 0/1 5 3 8 2 3 1 1   3 4 13
14 GREER, RICARDO 37:24 16 5/11 1/2 3/6 3 4 7   1 5     4 7 12
15 NJOYA, SAIDOU DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Team           2 3 5               5
Totals 200:00 69 22/45 3/17 16/23 14 24 38 9 10 18 2 3 19 22 66
48.9% 17.6% 69.6%
Min: Minutes played; Pts: Points; 2FG M-A: 2-point Field Goals (Made-Attempted); 3FG M-A: 3-point Field Goals (Made-Attempted); FT M-A: Free Throws (Made-Attempted); Rebounds: O (Offensive), D (Defensive), T (Total); As: Assists; St: Steals; To: Turnovers; Bl: Blocks (Fv: In Favor / Ag: Against); Fouls: Cm (Commited), Rv (Received); PIR: Performance Index Rating
Head coach: KRAPIKAS, GINTARAS
Zalgiris
# Player Min Pts 2FG
M-A
3FG
M-A
FT
M-A
Rebounds As St To Bl Fouls PIR
O D T Fv Ag Cm Rv
7 WOODS, LOREN 20:30 9 4/5   1/2 3 6 9 1   5 2   1 3 16
8 MACIULIS, JONAS 30:50 13 3/5 2/6 1/1   1 1 3 2       4 2 11
9 KALNIETIS, MANTAS 26:40 6 3/7 0/3   1 1 2 3 1 2     1   2
10 JANAVICIUS, ZYGIMANTAS 26:30 2 1/3     1 3 4 4 1 5   1 3 3 3
11 ZUKAUSKAS, EURELIJUS DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
12 KLIMAVICIUS, TADAS 21:48 4 2/3 0/1   1 5 6   1 2 1   4 3 7
13 JANKUNAS, PAULIUS 29:20 13 3/6 1/4 4/6   5 5 1 2       4 5 14
14 VARDA, RATKO 8:22 2 1/1     1 1 2     3     1    
15 MASIULIS, TOMAS DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
20 SALENGA, DAINIUS 32:50 15 2/3 3/10 2/2 1 3 4 6 4 3   1 4 3 16
33 ALIJEVAS, ROLANDAS 3:10   0/1                         -1
Team             3 3     1         2
Totals 200:00 64 19/34 6/24 8/11 8 28 36 18 11 21 3 2 22 19 70
55.9% 25% 72.7%
This game is not yet played

Head Coaches

MONSCHAU, JEAN-LUC
SLUC Nancy
"This is the first victory for our club in the Euroleague and we'll savor it. We could have had a larger victory in the third quarter when we had a 16-point lead, but we faced a true opponent and we made defensive mistakes that offered them easy shots. We'll be content with this 5-point win. We had several goals in this game: To control the rebound and cause Zalgiris turnovers. Except in the fourth quarter, we were defensively strong and we forced them to have complicated shots. For the next matches, we must have confidence in our defense."
KRAPIKAS, GINTARAS
Zalgiris
"I wish to congratulate Nancy for its first victory in the Euroleague. The key game was the number of turnovers (21) and the number of Nancy's offensive rebounds (14). It doesn't forgive. When in the third quarter we had a 16-point deficit, we thought we had no more chances to win. But we came back to 4 points by making great efforts offensively and defensively. This game gives us opportunities for the return game."
No pictures yet
There is no video yet
France: CANAL +
Greece: NOVASPORTS 3
Lithuania: TV3
Internet: EUROLEAGUE.TV