 Unics Kazan started off the 2009-10 Eurocup regular season as a record-setter by blasting Besiktas ColaTurka out of the building 101-76 with historic long-range shooting to grab a piece of first place in Group D. Unics as a team went into the record books by scoring 20 three-pointers, beating the previous high by 2 shots, while Marko Popovic tied Ruben Douglas's individual record of 9 triples. Popovic finished with a game-high 36 points. Kresimir Loncar added 16, and Saulius Stombergas hit 5 three-pointers for 15 points more. Victor Zvarykin and Igor Zamanskiy chipped in 11 and 10 points, respectively. Mire Chatman and Lonny Baxter led Besiktas with 19 points apiece. Cevher Ozer scored 15 and Muratcan Guler 11 in the losing effort. After Besiktas pulled to within 34-31 midway through the second quarter, Unics broke the game open on a 15-2 run composed entirely of three-pointers to close out the half with a 16-point lead that it only continued to extend in the third quarter behind Popovic's smoking hand as the entire team caught fire.
Baxter got the scoring going for Besiktas with a basket inside, while Igor Zamanskiy quickly answered for the hosts by draining a triple. Cevher Ozer and Vladimir Veremeenko traded field goals in a hot-shooting opening sequence befor Popovic appeared with 4 straight points on a free throw and triple to put Unics ahead 9-4. Ozer hit a jumper and Muratcan Guler followed up with a three to tie the game. Loncar Kresimir bracketed a dunk by Ozer with two scores, and Unics went ahead 24-18 as Zamanskiy hit a three and Popovic nailed two more from downtown. Baxter scored inside and Mire Chatman dropped a triple to pull the visitors back, but Popovic hit a field goal to bring his personal tally to 12 and end the quarter 26-23. In the second period Popovic remained on fire by drilling another triple. His teammate Victor Zvarykin added another to push Unics to a 32-25 lead. Baxter and Chatman combined for 4 points, but Zvarykin hit back with a field goal. Both teams struggled to score until Chatman slammed it home to pull Besiktas to within 34-31. Out of a Unics timeout, Saulius Stombergas hit two threes and Popovic added a third to claim a 12-point lead for Unics. Guler tried to stop the bleeding with 2 foul shots, but Zvarykin and Veremeenko dropped two more bombs from behind the arc to give Unics a 49-33 lead at the break.
The third quarter got under way with a free throw by Baxter. Petr Samoylenko scored for Unics, and Guler answered for the visitors. Popovic picked up where he left off with his sixth three-pointer, and Loncar added a dunk-plus-foul shot to push the lead out to 57-36. Baxter, once again, stepped up with a dunk, but Zamanskiy bookended a score by Kerem Ozkan with 2 layups. Unics went up by 26 on yet another three by Popovic and a dunk by Veremeenko. Besiktas called for time but could not stop Popovic who connected again from long distance. Stombergas hit a triple to break to 30-point barrier, 72-40. Guler responded with one of his own only to see Stombergas drain another three the next time down. After a brief 2-6 spurt from Besiktas, Stombergas scored for the fifth time from behind the arc as Unics went into the final period up 80-52. Ozer hit a three and Baxter added a dunk to begin the fourth quarter. Samoylenko and Loncar answered with two scores, but Chatman scored from behind the arc, 84-60. After a dry spell for both teams, Ozer dunked and Loncar made a layup. Zvarykin made his teams record setting 19th three-pointer at 89-62. Besiktas rolled off an 0-8 run capped with 4 points by Chatman till Popovic hit back-to-back layups. A layup and foul shot by Loncar and a dunk by Igor Tkatchenko gave the final score of 101-76.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Eurocupbasketball.com
|