 With a second strong showing in as many Eurocup games, Unics improved to 2-0 after beating Banvit 80-52 on Tuesday night. Head coach Evgeny Pashutin’s men displayed great poise and intensity from beginning to end, as they capitalized on a good start and a 22-5 second quarter run to derail Banvit, who were not able to overcome a 50-25 first half deficit. The hosts, who play next against Le Mans, enjoyed 19 points from Terrell Lyday and 13 plus 7 assists from Marko Popovic, while Kelly McCarty and Victor Zvarykin scored 11 each and Zakhar Pashutin added 10 to seal the win. Banvit, which dropped to 1-1, travels to play EWE Baskets in Week 3. Vladimir Golubovic paced Banvit with 14 points and 9 rebounds and Chuck David added 9 points.
Golubovic went to work early on against Maciej Lampe and Hasan Rivzic in the post, scoring 7 first quarter points to go with a consistent defensive effort at the other end. The problem for Banvit though, came from the perimeter, as Unics guards Popovic and Lyday combined to hit 5 of 8 from the floor in the quarter, stretching the visitor’s defense while also getting to the line consistently on penetrations. With the athletic Lyday crashing the rim and the boards, Banvit was unable to contain Unic’s all out attack, as the hosts dominated the glass and sparked a 22-5 scoring run to enter the second quarter with a significant 27-13 advantage. Baris Ermis tried to get Banvit some better looks after the break and big man Lance Williams did score some early buckets down low, but the point guard was unable to settle his team down as the perimeter shooting of Safak Edge, Keith Simmons and Mutlu Akpinar just wasn’t there. Fueled by McCarty’s solid play at both ends and good ball movement by Popovic, Unics cruised to another 21-6 run that doubled the score, 50-25, for the home team at the half.
Forward Chuck Davis joined Golubovic as the main offensive focus for Banvit to start the third quarter, and Simmons finally got going with his first field goal of the game, but Unics was intent on establishing an inside presence defensively, as Lampe and Slavko Vranes started causing havoc in the paint. Ene Orhun’s squad tried to get back in it with renewed defensive intensity, but the host’s simply were too solid, keeping Williams and Davis off the boards, closing in on the perimeter shooters and executing flawlessly on offense, as they shot 58% for the game, thanks to 18 assists, compared to 7 for Banvit. The visitors kept going to Golubovic in the post, but could never hit a triple or get closer than 68-45, as Lyday sealed the deal in the fourth quarter, netting Unics’ second victory of the regular season with an impressive overall performance.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Eurocupbasketball.com
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