Home was where the heart was in Qualifying Round 1, for some more than others, however. If all four home teams struck first in Game 1 of each series on Tuesday, winning by between 2 and 5 points, just three days later, in Game 2, their opponents struck back even harder, winning by double-digits each and by an average of 20.5 points each. In the end, those blowout second-game winners - Maroussi, Alba Berlin, Entente Orleanaise and Benetton - are going to Qualifying Round 2 next week to decide which two of them will reach the Euroleague regular season. The tone was set in Game 2 on Friday by Maroussi, which overwhelmed Aris BSA 89-60 from the start thanks to 18 points each from Michalis Pelekanos and Billy Keys. The hint was picked up next by Alba Berlin, which stopped Le Mans 77-62 as Adam Chubb and Julius Jenkins scored 12 each. Next came another sure thing, Entente Orleanaise blasting Spirou 81-56 behind Ryvan Covile's 17 points. And finally, in the closest game Friday, Benetton topped Ventspils 88-76 as Daniel Hackett scored 22 points. Maroussi faces Alba Berlin in one of next week's two-game series to make the Euroleague, while Entente Orleanaise and Benetton face off in the other. While the four winners move onto the last qualifying round, the foursome of Spirou, Ventspils, Le Mans and Aris will play the 2009-10 Eurocup.

Spirou Basket Entente Orleans BK Ventspils Benetton Basket Le Mans Alba Berlin Aris BSA 2003 Maroussi BC

GROUP A W-L PTS Asvel Basket 0-0 +0 Montepaschi Siena 0-0 +0 Regal Barcelona 0-0 +0 Cibona 0-0 +0 Zalgiris 0-0 +0 Fenerbahce Ulker 0-0 +0

GROUP B W-L PTS Unicaja 0-0 +0 Efes Pilsen 0-0 +0 Team QR2A 0-0 +0 Lietuvos Rytas 0-0 +0 Partizan 0-0 +0 Olympiacos 0-0 +0

GROUP C W-L PTS Union Olimpija 0-0 +0 Caja Laboral 0-0 +0 CSKA Moscow 0-0 +0 Virtus Roma 0-0 +0 Maccabi Electra 0-0 +0 Team QR2B 0-0 +0

GROUP D W-L PTS Real Madrid 0-0 +0 Panathinaikos 0-0 +0 EWE Oldenburg 0-0 +0 AJ Milano 0-0 +0 BC Khimki 0-0 +0 Asseco Prokom 0-0 +0