Galatasaray Cafe Crown stayed undefeated atop Group E by downing Panellinios 79-53 in Istanbul, Turkey on Tuesday night. Galatasaray confirmed its status as
the top candidate to win this group and will seal a Last 16 spot if it beats Panellinios in Greece next week. Josh Shipp led the winners with 19 points on 7-of-8 two-pointers. Tutku Acik added 15, Preston Shumpert had 12 while Rado Rancik got 10 for Galatasaray. Djuro Ostojic had 15 points for Panellinios while Manolis Papamakarios added 10. Panellinios trailed 16-15 after 10 minutes but an outstanding Acik and three-pointers by Shumpert and Evren Buker allowed Galatasaray to boost its margin to 35-22 at halftime. Nothing changed after the break, as Rancik, Luksa Andric and Shipp allowed the hosts to make it a 20-point game, 50-30, late in the third quarter. Panellinios kept trying but Galatasaray managed to seal the outcome long before the final buzzer.
Rancik got Galatasaray with a free throw, as Panellinios picked up 3 team fouls in the opening 33 seconds. Papamakarios, however, struck twice from downtown
for a 1-6 lead. Andric stepped up with a close jumper that Joseph Krabbenhoft bettered with a three-pointer. Taylor Rochestie tried to change things with a backdoor layup but free throws by Papamakarios kept the guests ahead, 5-11. Galatasaray found a go-to guy in Shipp, who had 6 points in a 10-0 run that allowed the hosts to regain the lead, 15-11. Ostojic made free throws and Ioannis Karathanasis sank a long jumper for a 15-15 tie. A foul shot by Acik restored a 16-15 Galatasaray edge after 10 minutes. Acik nailed a corner triple early in the second quarter but a put-back layup by Maurice Bailey kept the guests within 19-17. Buker and Shumpert joined the three-point shootout to make the guests call timeout at 25-19. Acik set the crowd on fire with another three-pointer but Karathanasis shined with a reverse layup for a 28-21 score. Acik kept pacing Galatasaray with a layup off a steal and an off-balance shot from downtown, good for a 33-21 lead. Buker shined with a layup in transition to make it a 13-point game, 35-22, at halftime.
Rancik sank a mid-range jumper right after the break, as Panellinios went scoreless for more than 2 minutes. Andric fed Shipp for an easy layup that Ostojic
matched in the other end. Rancik sank free throws and followed Andric's easy basket with a fast break layup to break the game open, 45-26. Panellinios called
timeout and Krabbenhoft tried to change things with a wild over-the-backboard jumper. Shipp shined with a fast break dunk but Ostojic kept the guests within
48-30. Shipp took over with a power basket but free throws by Dimitrios Kompodietas and Ostojic kept Panellinios within 50-33 after 30 minutes. Papamakarios buried a baseline jumper and Ostojic added a tip-in but Shumpert kept his team way ahead, 55-37, early in the fourth quarter. Shipp sank free throws and a reverse layup by Ermal Kuqo sealed the outcome, 59-39, with 7 minutes left. Both teams kept working hard for points differential, which could be a critical issue in the outcome in this group. Acik and Shipp buried three-pointers, as Galatasaray dominated the boards and kept its momentum going. By the time Kuqo made free throws, everything was said and done, as Galatasaray had cruised to a well-deserved, convincing home win.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Eurocupbasketball.com
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