In the first-ever Eurocup matchup between them, Banvit squeaked by Fraport Skyliners 73-72 at home in Bandirma, Turkey on Tuesday to take a quick share of first place in Group E. Lance Williams scored 20 points on 8-for-11 two-point shooting, including the decisive free throw with 20 seconds left, to lead the winners. Serkan Erdogan added 15 points and Keith Simmons finished with 9, including a team-leading 5 rebounds. Baris Ermis dished 7 assists for Banvit. Jermareo Davidson paced the losers with 21 points and 7 rebounds, and Jimmy McKinney added 19 points. Although Banvit shot lower percentages across the board and made fewer three-pointers, the hosts committed fewer turnovers (9 to 14) and nabbed 3 more steals than Skyliners, all of which proved decisive.
Banvit got out front on a Chuck Davis three-pointer, setting the tone for the game's opening minutes. Williams added 4 points on a pair of layups, then Keith Simmons downed another three-pointer to put the hosts out front 13-5. Marius Nolte came in for Fraport to cut the lead to 13-7, but Simmons drained his second three-pointer to extend the lead to 16-7. After Williams hit from the outside, Fraport hit the gas offensively as Jimmy McKinney hit consecutive baskets. That was followed by Fraport getting consecutive three-pointers from Michael Thompson and Tim Ohlbrecht, who also added a free throw, to cut the lead to 21-18. The quarter ended 22-20 on free throws from both teams. The second quarter opened slowly, then Banvit reasserted itself, going up 28-22 on 4 quick points by Erdogan. Quantez Robertson hit from downtown to keep it close, 28-25. A layup by Ermis and 5 consecutive free throws from Erdogan kept Banvit a step ahead, at 32-25. But Fraport answered on baskets by Davidson, Robertson and McKinney to pull within 35-32, prompting a Banvit timeout. The hosts returned to the attack on layups from Williams and Ermis, but Davidson hit the last basket of the quarter as Banvit clung to a 39-34 advantage at the break.
The scoring momentum picked up in the third quarter as the teams exchanged a quick succession of points. Davidson hit 2 baskets for Fraport, while Erdogan nailed a three-pointer along with a shorter jump shot for a 46-40 Banvit lead. Davidson kept up the pressure for Fraport, hitting 6 consecutive points, including a dunk, to knot the game at 46-46. Cliff Hammonds drained a three-pointer, then Thompson and Johannes Herber both answered from downtown to tie the game at 52-52. A dunk by Ohlbrecht gave Fraport its first lead of the game, 52-54. Free throws by Williams and Ohlbrecht, who added a layup, padded the Fraport lead to 54-58, but Banvit wasn't giving in. Davis hit a layup and Williams added a basket and the accompanying free throw as Banvit edged out front again, 59-58, after 30 minutes. Both teams banged out points to start the final quarter as Davis, Erkan Veyseloglu and Williams hit baskets for Banvit, then McKinney went on a tear, nailing 2 three-pointers and another jumper as Fraport retook the lead 65-66. Davidson took over for McKinney as Fraport's go-to guy at that point, scoring 3 baskets in a row, but Williams put in a layup and Simmons nailed a three-pointer for Banvit, locking the score at 72-72 with a little under 2 minutes to go. With the game on the line, neither team could score until Williams split foul shots with 20 seconds left to give Banvit the narrowest of victories, 73-72.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Eurocupbasketball.com