In a clash of two unbeatens, Panellinios defeated SLUC Nancy in overtime 72-81 to claim sole possession of first place in Group G. Devin Smith was the undisputed hero for the visitors making a layup to send the game into an overtime where he hit 2 three-pointers and a dunk to almost single-handedly win the game. Smith ended the night with 21 points to go with 5 rebounds. Ian Vougioukas seconded him with15 points, and Kostas Charalampidis added 10. Nancy, which slides to 1-1, was paced by Jeff Greer’s 15 points and Marcus Slaughter’s 10 points, 9 boards and 4 blocks. The two players scored all their points in the second half and were key in bringing Nancy back from a 6-point deficit at the break. Steed Tchicamboud and John Cox added 13 and 10 points, respectively, in the valient losing effort.
Britton Johnsen got the scoring going with a layup for Panellinios before Tchicamboud scored 2 for the home team and Kaniel Dickens added a jumper moments later. Panellinios went ahead 5 points on layups by Djuro Ostojic and Roderick Blakney. Dickens pulled the home side back with a three-pointer, and Tchicamboud tied it at 9-9 with a field goal. Blakney scored inside, and Tchicamboud took the lead for Nancy with a triple, but Devin Smith grabbed it right back on a jumper. The first quarter ended with both teams combining for 6-straight three-pointers as both side traded long-range blows. Smith and Tchicamboud got it started, Manolis Papamakarios and Dickens matched them, and Tchicamboud and Blakney joined the three-point party to end the high-scoring first quarter knotted at 24-24. Vougioukas hit a jumper to start the second period for the visitors. Charalampidis drained a three, but Akin Akingbala scored inside before Vougioukas hit again. Panellinios went up 30-34 on a triple by Charalampidis. Both teams then cooled down as the defenses started to clamp down on shooters and fouls came more easily than baskets. Johnsen finally broke the drought for Panellinios with a jumper and Vasilis Xanthopoulos added a pair of free throws to extend the lead to 8. Nancy’s Cox finally cut the run with a pair of free throws, and Panellinios went into halftime with 34-40.
Slaughter notched 2 foul shots for Nancy to begin the third quarter. Ostojic then matched him with 2 free throws of his own before Jeff Greer scored his first points of the night on a layup. After back-to-back turnovers by Panellinios, Jeff Greer found the bottom of the net again, 40-42. Nancy continued to lock down on the visitors who stayed cold, and Slaughter tied the game with a dunk with four to go in the third. The very same Slaughter grabbed the lead for Nancy with a free throw, but Joshua Davis finally hit a three-pointer to reclaim the lead for the visitors. Vougioukas scored inside and later added a free throw to send Panellinios into the final stanza up 43-48. Saidou Njoya scored a layup for Nancy to open the fourth quarter. Vougioukas hit again, this time for a 2-plus-1, but Jeff Greer drilled a three, 48-51. Slaughter attacked the rim and was rewarded with a layup plus foul shot which he converted to even the score at 53-53. The Nancy big man added 2 more foul shots, and Jeff Greer nailed a three to give the home side a five point lead. Xanthopoulos and Charalampidis made 4 foul shots, but, with Panellinios with 1 point, Slaughter scored a layup. Papamakarios and Smith then erupted for back-to-back three-pointers to give Panellinios a 60-63 lead. Out of a Nancy timeout, Cox stepped hit a jumper and Jeff Greer got a three-pointer to drop to grab the 2-point lead. Smith knotted the score at 65-65 with a layup to send the game into overtime. Papamakarios opened the overtime with a three-pointer and Smith added two more three-point bombs to push out to a quick 9-point lead. Cox made a three to keep Nancy alive, but Smith dunked with a minute to go to maintain the 68-77 advantage. Ricardo Greer made a jumper, but Charalampidis made a layup and Panellinios held on for the 72-81 win.
Tuesday, December 01, 2009
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