 Gran Canaria 2014 took a big step forward in the direction of the Last 16 by taking a 70-89 road win over Siauliai in Lithuania on Tuesday. Gran Canaria's third consecutive victory gave it a 3-1 record in Group C while Siauliai was eliminated from Top 16 contention with a 0-4 record. Jaycee Carroll led the way with 17 points for the visitors, who played without their top scorer and rebounder, forward C.J. Wallace. Taurean Green and Spencer Nelson followed with 13 points each while Tomas Bellas added 10. For Siauliai, the former Euroleague champion Mindaugas Zukauskas had great accuracy from beyond the arc, hitting 6 of 8 three-pointers to finish with 20 points. He also added 5 assists, one more than Zygimantas Janavicius, who also scored 19 points. Siauliai blasted off on a 23-7 run to start the game, but Gran Canaria made with a just-as-loud 5-21 response in the second quarter to tie at 28-28. Gran Canaria's next big run, 4-15, meant a 44-45 lead on a three-pointer by Jim Moran, and the visitors never looked back.
Edvinas Ruzgas was assisted by Janavcius on a basket to make it 8-2 for Siauliai after 3 minutes. Carroll responded for Gran Canaria, but a new 8-0 run by the hosts, with Ruzgas on fire from downtown, gave a 16-4
cushion to the home team. Zukauskas pumped up the crowd by scoring another long-distance shot to make it 19-7. Only a basket to end the quarter by Javier Beiran let Gran Canaria get as close as 23-9
after 10 minutes. The visitors changed their tune quickly with a 9-0 start to the second quarter as Moran's three-pointer closed the gap to 23-18. Janavicius responded from long distance, but Gran Canaria remained hot as Carroll's mid-range jumper cut the difference to 26-25. Janavicius again kept Siauliai in charge, but Xavi Rey made 1 of 2 free throws to cap Gran Canaria's 5-21 run with a 28-28 tie on the scoreboard. Janavicius remained the only man scoring for
the hosts, giving Siauliai a 31-28 advantage at halftime.
 David Weaver posted a layup assisted by Janavicius for the 38-30 early in
the third quarter before the Spaniards answered with back-to-back three-pointers by Carroll to close within 40-38. Rey again from the foul line tied it 42-42,and one more time Janavicius gave his side a lead back with a layup. But Moran, from beyond the arc, gave is team its first advantage at 44-45 and soon Green increased it. Soon .
Micheal Bramos and Rey were extending the visitors' lead to 48-55
before Cepulis hit free throws to end the third quarter at 52-57. Zukauskas buried one of his three-pointers to start the final quarter, but Bellas and Beiran were ready with their own points to push the visitors further ahead, 55-63. Vytautas Sarakauskas slammed to keep Siauliai as close as 62-66, but Bellas and Carroll combined then to rejected any attempt by Siauliai to come back. Beiran gave Gran Canaria its first first double-digit margin at 62-72 on a pair of free throws. Nelson capped his team's late 2-15 run with win-clinching free throws 64-81, by which time Siauliai was already eliminated and Gran Canaria looking strong with its third straight victory.
Tuesday, December 07, 2010
Eurocupbasketball.com
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