May 22, 2013
Regular Season Game 2 - October 29, 2009 CET: 20:30 Local time: 20:30 - TIVOLI ARENA
Union Olimpija 75 - 81 Maroussi BC

Records

Ave.   Ave.
0-0 Final Four 0-0
0-0 Playoffs 0-0
0-0 Top 16 0-0
0-1 Regular Season 0-1
0-1 Overall 0-1

Referees

Crew Chief
RYZHYK, BORYS, Ukraine
Referee
CHIARI, ROBERTO, Italy
Umpire
MIKHAYLOV, SERGEY, Russia

Team Stats

Ave.   Ave.
65.0 Points 65.0
36.0 Rebounds 31.0
18.0 O. Rebounds 9.0
18.0 D. Rebounds 22.0
12.0 Assists 12.0
9.0 Steals 10.0
1.0 Blocks 6.0
20.0 Turnovers 13.0
42.9 % 2PT 47.4 %
28.6 % 3PT 38.1 %
68.8 % FT 45.5 %
45.0 Index 65.0
Team Stats - Union Olimpija
Team Stats - Maroussi BC

Player Stats

Ave.   Ave.
18.0 / Walsh Points 15.0 / Kaimakoglou
8.0 / GOLUBOVIC, VLADIMIR Rebounds 9.0 / Mavroeidis
5.0 / GOLUBOVIC, VLADIMIR OR 4.0 / Mavroeidis
4.0 / Walsh DR 5.0 / Mavroeidis
3.0 / OZBOLT, SASO Assists 4.0 / Lucas
2.0 / Walsh Steals 3.0 / PELEKANOS, MICHALIS
1.0 / GOLUBOVIC, VLADIMIR Blocks 3.0 / Mavroeidis
4.0 / GOLUBOVIC, VLADIMIR Turnovers 3.0 / KEYS, WILLIAM AMAR
100.0 % / SLOKAR, UROS 2PT 100.0 % / KEYS, WILLIAM AMAR
44.4 % / Walsh 3PT 100.0 % / Batis
100.0 % / BAVCIC, EDIN FT 100.0 % / Kaimakoglou
12.0 / BAVCIC, EDIN Index 20.0 / Mavroeidis
Team Roster - Union Olimpija
Team Roster - Maroussi BC

THE TAKE

Two teams looking to bounce back from disappointing opening nights meet in the Slovenian capital on Thursday when Union Olimpija Ljubljana hosts Maroussi BC in a Group C matchup. Olimpija played its opener two weeks ago in the traditional opening games against Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv, falling 85-65 despite a strong shooting performance from Matt Walsh and Vladimir Golubovic’s rebounding efforts. Maroussi BC was seconds away from victory in its Euroleague debut before CSKA’s Viktor Khryapa lifted his team to a 65-66 victory with a buzzer-beating triple. Maroussi faces several question marks heading to Slovenia as last week’s top scorer, forward Kostas Kaimakoglou, defensive ace Michalis Pelekanos and big man Levon Kendall are all question marks with flu-like symptoms. Furthermore, center Stephen Arigbabu is sidelined, giving head coach Georgios Bartzokas plenty to worry about this week. Jared Homan and Dimitrios Mavroeidis figure to be Maroussi’s most important big men this week and they’ll need to contend with an Olimpija frontline that features Golubovic, Gasper Vidmar, Edin Bavcic and Uros Slokar. Olimpija’s backcourt, led by Sani Becirovic and featuring Saso Ozbolt and Dusan Djordjevic, will tangle with Maroussi’s Billy Keys, Jamon Lucas and Mario Batis. If neither Pelekanos nor Kaimakoglou are available at small forward, Pat Calathes could have an extended role, though guarding the smaller Matt Walsh could create problems. The chief issue shadowing this game will be the health of Maroussi’s players. If illness leaves the team shorthanded, Olimpija becomes the clear favorite. However Maroussi at full strength presents a much bigger problem for the home team. Accordingly the key players for Olimpija will be the guard duo of Becirovic and Ozbolt, who will have the task of attacking any weaknesses they see in their opponents. Meanwhile Keys and Lucas must not only stop Olimpija’s star guards, but also generate points for their team to have a real chance at a road win.

REFEREES: Boris Ryzhyk, Roberto Chiari, Sergey Mikhaylov


GAME NOTES

Union Olimpija

Sani Becirovic recorded the 100th steal of his Euroleague career in his last game.

Matt Walsh was a teammate of Maroussi big man Stephan Arigbabu at Olympia Larissa during the 2006-07 season.

Olimpija head coach Jure Zdovc played for and coached Greek clubs during his career. He played for Iraklis and Panionios with great success in the 1990s and coached Iraklis during the 2005-06 season.

Maroussi BC

Head coach Giorgos Bartzokas coached Olimpija player Matt Walsh in Greece at Olympia Larissa during the 2006-07 season.

Michalis Pelekanos matched a career high with 5 assists against Union Olimpija during a January 2006 game for AEK Athens. Pelekanos also posted 9 points and 4 steals in a 68-77 loss. Pelekanos has just 11 assists in 30 Euroleague games since then.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Euroleague.net

Quotes Head Coaches

ZDOVC, JURE
Union Olimpija
"I have a lot of experience when it comes to Greeks. We know that we should not underestimate Maroussi. I know the history of the club very well and I know that they work really hard. A few years ago the club had the great Panagiotis Giannakis as a head coach. That is why it is not strange that they came through qualifications for the Euroleague where they beat Alba and Aris. Last week they were on the right way to beat great CSKA Moscow in the first round, but had a bit of bad luck. I can say that Maroussi will be a strong opponent for everyone in the Euroleague. The team of Maroussi is made out of nine or ten players who are very dangerous from all positions. Their main quality is that they play aggressive and controlled. They are also very good in rebounding. They probably have the advantage of playing more difficult games than us in this season, considering they went through qualifications successfully, but on other hand they just started with their championship."
BARTZOKAS, GEORGIOS
Maroussi BC
"Union Olimpija is a team with great tradition in the Euroleague, I would say that after so many consecutive participations, it is like a trademark for the competition. This season it appears with an upgraded roster, including players with quality and a coach who led the national team of Slovenia to fourth place at the last European Championships. We respect them a lot, but we will go there to play the best game we can. They are quite strong at their own home court and they play a high-tempo system, so we must try to stop them. We regret losing to CSKA Moscow at the buzzer, but we are not disappointed and we keep working hard."

Players

BECIROVIC, SANI
Union Olimpija
"Maroussi is a very difficult opponent. I know them very well from the times I played for Panathinaikos and even in the year when we were champions in all the competitions we could, we had problems with Maroussi. We will have to play aggressive in defense all forty minutes of the game. We play at home, so we have to think only about winning this game."
LUCAS, JAMON-ALFRED
Maroussi BC
"In such a game on the road, the key point is to control the rhythm and this might be our priority in Ljubljana. We have to react properly and not allow them to play fast. They have more pressure than we have and this is something we can take advantage of."
Pat Calathes - Maroussi BCMaroussi BC registered its first Euroleague win in club history by downing Union Olimpija 75-81 in epic fashion in Group C in Ljubljana, Slovenia on Thursday night. Maroussi overcame key absences and improved to 1-1. It faces undefeated Group C leader Lottomatica Roma next week. Meanwhile, Olimpija dropped to 0-2 and hosts Caja Laboral in already a critical showdown for both teams. Dimitrios Mavroeidis paced the winners with 18 points. Jamon Lucas added 14, Pat Calathes had 13 while Jared Homan got 12 for Maroussi, that travelled to Ljubljana without Kostas Kaimakoglou and Michalis Pelekanos, both sidelined with the H1N1 flu. Matt Walsh led Olimpija with 32 points on 7-of-9 three-pointers. Sani Becirovic added 13 while Saso Ozbolt had 11 for the hosts, that committed as many as 22 turnovers tonight. Olimpija led 49-48 late in the third quarter but Marios Batis and Mavroeidis allowed Maroussi to get a 52-58 edge soon after that. Walsh buried three consecutive three-pointers to tie the game, 64-64, midway through the fourth quarter. A 2-14 run that Levon Kendall capped with consecutive layups allowed Maroussi to seal a well-deserved win.

Olimpija tried to open the court with Becirovic, Walsh and Uros Slokar in its starting lineup. Meanwhile, Maroussi tried a more convencional lineup, trying to feed Homan and Kendall down low. Slokar got Olimpija going with a layup but Homan sank a jumper while Calathes added a close basket to give Maroussi its first lead, 3-4. Walsh scored in transition and even when Homan scored again, Becirovic soon gave Olimpija a 7-6 lead. Kendall scored again, igniting a 0-6 dunk that Lucas capped with a dunk to make Olimpija call timeout at 7-12. Walsh rescued the hosts with a three-pointer but Maroussi kept running its offense through its big men. Mavroeidis stepped on court and scored twice in the paint to keep the guests ahead, 12-16. Walsh fed Gasper Vidmar for an easy basket while Ozbolt strck from downtown to give Olimpija a 17-16 edge. Free throws by Mavroeidis allowed Maroussi to regain the lead, 17-18, after 10 minutes.

Matt Walsh - Union OlimpijaCalathes scored twice around the basket early in the second quarter but Walsh stayed on fire while Ozbolt scored off a steal to keep Olimpija within 21-22. Olimpija tried to get Vladimir Golubovic involved without much success. Meanwhile, newcomer Igor Milosevic fed Mavroeidis for another easy basket and soon added a layup that made it a three-point game, 23-26. Olimpija tried to run its offense through Slokar, that followed a free throw with a put-back layup to tie the game again, 26-26. Calathes kept pacing Maroussi but he didn't find much help around. Meanwhile, Walsh followed a jumper with a bomb from downtown to make Olimpija regain the lead, 31-28, late in this period. Lucas took over with a dunk but the guests kept committing turnovers - as many as 13 in the first half. Slokar scored again but Mavroeidis bettered that with a three-point play that allowed Maroussi to tie the game, 33-33, at halftime.

Lucas scored in penetration immediately after the break but Becirovic answered from downtown and added a coast-to-coast layup for a 38-35 Olimpija edge. Calathes struck from downtown, as Maroussi stayed patient in offense, extending its possessions until it found an open shot. Lucas found space for an uncontested layup but Golubovic put the hosts back ahead, 41-40. Homan shined with a jump hook while a jumper by Billy Keys - his first points - gave Maroussi a 41-44 edge. Walsh made free throws off an Olimpija timeout and soon added an off-balance three-pointer for a 46-46 tie. Calathes scored in transition but an unstoppable Walsh answered from downtown to provide another lead change, 49-48. Olimpija had improved its defense, not allowing open shots now. Even with that, Homan shined with a power basket in the low post while Ozbolt and Lucas traded triples to fix the score at 52-53 after 30 minutes.

Mavroeidis rolled off the pick to score down low early in the fourth quarter, as Marossi played with more intensity at both ends. Batis fired in a seven-meter bomb to boost the guests' lead to 52-58. Becirovic returned to the floor off a timeout to feed Walsh for his fifth three-pointer. Batis beat the shot clock with an unbelievable triple that Walsh - who else? - bettered that with an incredible four-point play to keep Olimpija as close as 59-61. Mavroeidis scored again but an unstoppable Walsh took over with yet another triple while Becirovic tied the game with backdoor layup, 64-64. Kendall joined the three-point shootout and Jamon silenced the crowd with a jumper, 64-69. Walsh and Mavroeidis traded free throws but Olimpija kept committing turnovers right when it mattered. A six-meter jumper by Keys sealed the outcome, 66-74, with over 2 minutes to go. A jump hook by Kendall allowed all Maroussi players to celebrate that the team is ready to compete for a Top 16 spot in difficult Group C.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Euroleague.net
Referees: RYZHYK, BORYS (UKR), CHIARI, ROBERTO (ITA), MIKHAYLOV, SERGEY (RUS)
Attendance: 5500
By Quarter1234
Union Olimpija17161923
Maroussi BC18152028
End of Quarter1234
Union Olimpija17335275
Maroussi BC18335381
Head coach: ZDOVC, JURE
Union Olimpija
# 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
5 SUTULOVIC, MILORAD DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
7 BECIROVIC, SANI 27:27 13 4/8 1/3 2/2 1 2 3 6   5   2 2 4 11
8 KLOBUCAR, JAKA 11:55           1 1   2 2     2   -1
9 BAVCIC, EDIN 17:51   0/2       1 1 1         1   -1
10 DJORDJEVIC, DUSAN 10:30               1   1     2   -2
11 KIKOWSKI, PAWEL DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
12 ALEKSANDROV, NEMANJA DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
13 VIDMAR, GASPER 7:35 2 1/3               1     3 2 -2
15 SLOKAR, UROS 29:25 8 3/4 0/2 2/4 1 1 2     3   1 4 4 1
21 GOLUBOVIC, VLADIMIR 25:09 9 4/6   1/2   3 3     2     1 1 7
31 OZBOLT, SASO 34:11 11 2/5 2/3 1/1 2 4 6 4 1 4     3 2 13
44 WALSH, MATT 35:57 32 3/4 7/9 5/5 1 3 4 1 1 3     3 7 36
Team             2 2     1         1
Totals 200:00 75 17/32 10/17 11/14 5 17 22 13 4 22 0 3 21 20 63
53.1% 58.8% 78.6%
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: BARTZOKAS, GEORGIOS
Maroussi BC
# 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 MILOSEVIC, IGOR 6:41 2 1/2 0/1   1 1 2 2   3     1 1 1
5 KEYS, BILLY 37:03 6 3/6 0/5     3 3 2   3     2 3 1
8 BATIS, MARIOS 22:09 7   2/4 1/2   5 5   2 1     4 3 9
9 HOMAN, JARED 19:39 12 6/8     2 3 5 1   2 2   2 1 15
11 MAVROEIDIS, DIMITRIOS 21:21 18 6/8   6/8 2   2   1 3     3 6 17
12 CALATHES, PAT 26:03 13 5/7 1/1     3 3     1     3 1 11
14 KENDALL, LEVON 33:59 9 3/3 1/2   1 1 2 2   2 1   3 1 9
20 LAKKAS, CHRISTOS DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
21 PAPANTONAKOS, KOSTAS DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
22 LUCAS, JAMON-ALFRED 33:05 14 5/9 1/1 1/2 1 1 2 4   2     2 5 16
Team             1 1               1
Totals 200:00 81 29/43 5/14 8/12 7 18 25 11 3 17 3 0 20 21 80
67.4% 35.7% 66.7%
This game is not yet played

Head Coaches

ZDOVC, JURE
Union Olimpija
“We did not play well as we said in the locker room. We were not aggressive enough at the beginning and then we could not raise the level of our game. We made too many mistakes on both sides of the court. We did not play as a team and so we didn’t deserve to win the game. This team is pretty young, for the majority of the players this was their first game on the road in the Euroleague, so we need time to win in this competition.”
BARTZOKAS, GEORGIOS
Maroussi BC
“Before the game we had a ton of problems. Two players had to stay at home due to injuries, and we have two more who have caught the HINI virus. This victory is very important for us since we had lost our first game at home to CSKA. But if we beat Roma next week this win will lose importance. I have to congratulate Matt Walsh. I have been a coach for a few years and he almost beat us single-handedly.”

Players

KLOBUCAR, JAKA
Union Olimpija

“We are sad because we thought we had two points in the bag.  But today we did not play like we had in previous games.  With just one player, Matt Walsh, who had an incredible second half, you can not beat anyone in the Euroleague.”
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