 Brose Baskets registered its first win in Last 16 Group K by downing Benetton Gioco Digitale 73-63 in Bamberg, Germany on Tuesday night. Brose improved to 1-1 and ties with Panellinios BC for second place in Group K. Meanwhile, Benetton dropped to 0-2 and needs to start winning right away if it wants to reach the Eurocup Quarterfinals for the second consecutive season. Predrag Suput led the winners with 22 points and 9 rebounds. Casey Jacobsen added 17 points while Tibor Pleiss pulled down 10 boards for Brose. Gary Neal led Benetton with 13 points. Sandro Nicevic added 12 while Davor Kus had 11 for the guests. Suput led a 10-0 run that allowed Brose to get a 21-11 lead after 10 minutes. CJ Wallace and Nicevic brought Benetton back to life and a four-point play by Kus tied the game, 31-31, at halftime. Nicevic gave Benetton its last lead, 49-51, early in the fourth quarter. Suput and Jacobsen fueled an 11-0 run that put Brose ahead for good, 60-51. Benetton never recovered, allowing Brose to cruise to a well-deserved win.
Benetton ran its offense through Daniel Hackett in the early going, as he stepped up with back-to-back layups for a 4-4 tie. He didn't find much help around, however, and Brose soon adjusted its defense. Meanwhile, a three-pointer by Suput ignited a 10-0 run in which Anton Gavel also struck from downtown to give the hosts a double-digit lead, 14-4. Jasmin Hukic tried to change things with a triple but Pleiss set the crowd on fire with a big dunk. Benetton kept struggling to score and free throws by Elton Brown made it an 11-point game, 18-7. Donatas Motiejunas shined with a three-point play but Brian Roberts kept Brose way ahead, 21-11, after 10 minutes. Nicevic hit free throws early in the second quarter, igniting a 0-8 run that Wallace capped with a three-pointer to bring Benetton back to lige, 21-19. Brose had been scoreless for 4 minutes, missing six consecutive shots until Suput and Gavel stepped up with consecutive layups. Wallace scored down low but a jumper by Suput and a layup by Jacobsen allowed Brose to restore an eight-point lead, 29-21, making Benetton call a much-needed timeout. Neal and Kus shined with consecutive jumpers but a put-back layup by Suput kept Brose ahead at 31-25. It didn't last long, however, as an easy basket by Wallace and an unbelievable four-point play by Kus tied the game, 31-31, at halftime.
The guests improved their defense immediately after the break, playing much more physical now. Kus stayed on fire with another three-pointer but free throws by Jacobsen and a jumper by Roberts allowed Brose to regain the lead, 35-34. Neal kept pacing Benetton with a triple and a layup by KC Rivers gave the guests a 37-41 edge. Jacobsen tried to change things for Brose but Hackett and Neal kept Benetton ahead, 41-45. John Goldsberry and Jacobsen helped the hosts to tie the game, 45-45, late in the third quarter. Motiejunas shined with a layup that Jacobsen matched with more foul shots. A layup by Goldsberry and a jumper by Kus fixed the score at 49-49 after 30 minutes. Nicevic and Suput traded baskets early in the fourth quarter, as Brose improved its defense right when it mattered. Benetton struggled to score while a dunk by Suput and a layup by Gavel put the hosts ahead for good, 55-51. Gavel sank free throws and fed Jacobsen for a big triple that boosted Brose's lead to 60-51 midway through the fourth quarter, after an 11-0 run. Rivers and Nicevic stepped up with consecutive jumpers and Neal brought Benetton within 62-56 with 4 minutes left. A jumper by Suput and another dunk by Pleiss sealed the outcomr, 68-60, as Benetton could not return to the game in the final two minutes.
Tuesday, February 02, 2010
Eurocupbasketball.com
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