EiffelTowers Den Bosch broke its five-game losing streak in Group D and rejoined the fight to reach the elimination rounds to beating Dexia Mons-Hainaut 87-70 at home on Tuesday night. EiffelTowers improved to 2-5 and is fifth in the standings, still two wins away from PAOK and Real Madrid, who share the third spot each with a 4-3 record. Meanwhile, Mons dropped to 1-6 and is all but mathematically out of the elimination rounds. Leon Rodgers led the winners with as many as 35 points on 10-for-19 shooting and 10 of 14 free throws. Kees Akerboom added 19 points, Erik Nelson and Robert Owens each had 13 while Sam Jones scored 10 points and dished 8 assists for EiffelTowers. Kevin Houston had 21 points for Mons, Bingo Merriex added 19 in just his second ULEB Cup game this season, while George Evans tallied 14 for the hosts. EiffelTowers opened the game with a 12-0 run while Rodgers and Akerboom helped their team to boost its margin to 46-31 at halftime. Nothing changed after the break, as EiffelTowers kept a double-digit lead all the way and pleased its fans with its second win of the season.
EiffelTowers rolled in the opening 5 minutes, as Rodgers opened the game with a three-pointer, igniting a 12-0 run in which he and Jones had 10 points. Mons had been scoreless for 5 minutes but found a go-to guy in Merriex, who came off the bench and immediately hit a triple and added a layup-plus-foul. Houston hit free throws to get Mons within 12-8. Akerboom buried a jumper which Merriex erased with a close basket. Akerboom stayed on fire, as he had 5 points in a 9-2 run which Rodgers capped with a layup for a 21-12 EiffelTowers lead. Free throws by Houston and a mid-range jumper by Yemi Nicholson got Mons within 21-16 after 10 minutes. EiffelTowers opened the second quarter with a 7-9 run which Owens capped with a layup, good for a 28-16 lead. Mathias Desaever stepped up with a layup, but Jones answered from downtown and Akerboom buried a jumper to make it a 15-point game, 33-18. Houston tried to ignit the Mons comeback with a three-pointer, but Nelson and Owens gave EiffelTowers another game-high lead, 40-21, after 16 minutes. Shawnta Rogers nailed a triple and Evans added his first basket, but Jones buried another one from downtown to keep EiffelTowers way ahead, 44-26. Rogers fired in another three-pointer and Evans hit free throws, but they only brought Mons within 46-31 at halftime.
 Rodgers went on fire after the break, as he nailed a triple and soon added free throws to make it a 20-point game, 51-31. Houston and Merriex tried to ignit the Mons comeback with respective three-pointers, and by the time Rogers also stroke from downtown, Mons had erased its deficit to 52-42. EiffelTowers called timeout and Young stepped up with a driving basket in a 7-0 run which Rodgers capped with a layup off a steal for a 59-42 margin. Rodgers kept pacing EiffelTowers with a layup and free throws. Owens made more foul shots while the ever-present Rodgers buried a triple which gave the hosts a 48-49 lead after three quarters. Mons needed a miracle comeback and Evans tried to ignit one with a layup but Owens answered from downtown and Akerboom added a jumper to make it a 22-point game, 73-51. Evans scored twice inside, igniting a 3-9 run which Dragan Markovic capped with a layup to get Mons within 76-60. The outcome was clear and the points differential was the main issue now, as Mons had beaten the EiffelTowers by 8 points in Game 2. Mons got as close as 78-64, but a technical foul on Houston allowed EiffelTowers to keep a double-digit lead all the way and stay alive in the fight to reach the elimination rounds.
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Euroleague.net
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