 BC Azovmash avoided early elimination on Tuesday night thanks to a resounding 96-85 home win over Galatasaray Cafe Crown. The win allows Azovmash to improve its record to 2-3 in Group A and still retains
some options to enter the Last 16 in the last game. Galatasaray is also 2-3 and will see its fate decided in the last week. Azovmash controlled most of the game, but Galatasaray managed to jump ahead during
the third period. However, in the final 13 minutes, the hosts put on a great show for the fans and at the same time managed to pull away for good. Erik Daniels led the winners with 29 points, Hasan Rizvic added 20, Oleksandr Skutyelnik posted 18, Bogdan Bayda 14 and Rolandas Jarutis helped with 11. For Galatasaray, Rado Rancik led the way with 17 points, Simas Jasaitis and Mike Wilkinson added 16 apiece, Darius Washington
Evren Buker opened the game with 5 points of his own for a Galatasaray 0-5 start, but Hasan Rizvic's basket plus foul got things going for Azovmash. Erik Daniels put the hosts ahead with a basket for 7-5.
However, the guests manage to build a 0-8 run capped by Darius Washington's layup to make it 10-15. At that point both teams shared leads in the score, as Mike Wilkinson and Daniels took the initiative for
their respective teams. In the final play of the first period, Rizvic left a layup to make it 24-21 for the hosts. The second quarter started started with a 10-3 run for Azovmash capped by Daniels' dunk for
a 34-24 lead that forced Galatasaray's timeout. The hosts marke the tempo of the game at this point and they controlled the situation. Galatasaray's insistence from the arc despite a 1 of 10 at that point
was too heavy a burden to carry while Azovmash's 13 assists versus Galatasaray's 5 also left things clear. A shy reaction of the guests in the final minutes allowed Galatasaray to pull within 46-40 at the
break with Murat Kaya's three.
Simas Jasaitis' three-pointer to start the second half made it a one-point game for the hosts, 46-45. Daniels reacted fast for Azovmash and copied him, but Jasaitis insisted from the arc as the score
progressed to 51-48. A couple good defensive situations for the hosts and two new points by Jasaitis from the charity line finally put Galatasaray in the driver's seat, 51-52. Rolanda Jarutis replied to the
scenario with his three for Azovmash, but the guests maintained a slim margin in the next plays and then it increased to 63-55 when Rizvic finalized a layup. Daniels stepped up again for the hosts when they
needed it the most to open an 11-point gap, 66-55, thanks to his three that closed the third period. Galatasaray managed to post a 0-7 to start the last period and keep the game a live, but Bogdan Bayda and
Jarutis replied with threes to let the guests know that Azovmash was alive and kicking. Darius Washington was the man in offense for Galatasaray at this point keeping the guests alive, but Azovmash made sure
that the game stayed the way it was though Bayda and Daniels, 87-74. It rained hard on Galatasaray's rim as a new 6-0 to enter the last minute made it 93-74, good enough to save Azovmash from elimination
this time.
Tuesday, January 05, 2010
Eurocupbasketball.com
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