Qualifying Round F, first-leg report: BC Triumph 78-78 Base Oostende
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 BC Triumph and Base BC Oostende left everything open for the second leg of the Eurocup first qualifying rounf in Matchup F, as both teams registered a 78-78 tie in Lyubertsy, Russia on Tuesday night. As such, Oostende hosts the second leg, that has turned into a do-or-die game in which the winner will face Le Havre in the second qualifying round for a spot in the Eurocup regular season. The loser of the series will play the EuroChallenge. Alan Anderson led Triumph with 17 points. Nenad Krstic added 13 while Kerem Tunceri had 12 for the hosts. Rashid Atkins led Oostende with 24 points and 7 assists. Jimmy Baxter added 14, Ivan Paunic and Mike Bauer each had 12 while Matt Haryasz got 10 for the guests. Oostende had a near-perfect first quarter, hitting 7-for-9 two-pointers, 5-for-6 triples and making Triumph commit 6 turnovers for a 15-31 margin after 10 minutes. Triumph improved with Tunceri on court and found a go-to guy in Panin to get back in the game, 45-46, at halftime. J.R. Bremer briefly put the hosts ahead, 49-48, but Baxter, Atkins and Bauer joined forces to give Oostende a 57-61 edge after 30 minutes. It all came down to the final seconds, but Oostende did not score in the game's final possession.
Baxter nailed one from downtown in the opening minute, scoring the first-ever points in a Eurocup qualifying game. He soon added consecutive jumpers while Atkins added free throws for a 2-11 Oostende margin. Triumph missed 7 shots and committed 4 turnovers in the opening 7 minutes. Meanwhile, Atkins sank a triple while Sebastien Bellin gave Oostende a 4-16 lead. Sergei Toporov tried to ignit the hosts' comeback with a jumper and a three-pointer. Oostende did not panic, however, as Paunic and Bauer stroke from downtown to make it a 16-point game, 15-31, after 10 minutes. All Triumph fans had already started to wonder but Panin stepped up with 7 points in a 9-0 run that brough the hosts back to life, 24-31. Haryasz and Atkins stepped up for Oostende but Anderson, a three-pointer by Tunceri and a dunk by Panin got Triumph as close as 33-35. Baxter nailed a triple while Paunic stayed on fire to keep Oostende ahead, 45-46, at halftime.
Back-to-back layups by Tunceri and Bremer gave Triumph its first lead, 49-48, early in the third quarter. Oostende fired back with consecutive jumpers from Baxter and Atkins, but the hosts stayed in the game led by an outstanding Tunceri. Oostende regained its momentum, as Atkins fed Veselin Petrovic for his first basket while Bauer shined with a tip-in, making Triumph call timeout at 52-59. Krstic tried to rescue Triumph with free throws but he only managed to get the hosts within 57-61 after 30 minutes. Oostende ran its offense through an unstoppable Atkins, who singlehandedly gave his team a 64-70 edge. Krstic and Anderson took over to tie the game, 72-72, with 3 minutes to go. Bauer and Atkins stepped up with 4 quick points but Anderson answered again for a 76-76 tie. Bauer sank a jumper already in the final minute but Bremer matched it with free throws. Oostende could not score in the game's final possession, so the two-way series remains tied for an exciting second leg in Belgium.
QUOTES
Telindus Oostende head coach Vlada Vukoicic:
"It's unusual to comment on a game like this. We didn't win or lose. It is zero-zero. So I'm not happy or disappointed because that we didn't win, but we had a good chance to make a good result. We started the first quarter excellent, we were leading by 16 points, and it was very important for the whole game. Sometimes there was an equal score, and we have the home game in Oostende, so we have some advantage. But it's not too big, because Triumph is a good, strong team with a strong experienced coach, and they will play on the highest level in Belgium."
Triumph Lyubertsy head coach Stanislav Eremin:
"Oostende played better us may be because they got more information about us than we had about them. Oostende lost two Belgian League games at home by one or two points, but we didn't know the real power of this team. Our starting five wasn't defending as they had to do. Three players of my team - Askrabic, Vyaltsev and Sergeev - got injures and maybe it influenced the team because Askrabic, for example, is one of the key big players. I think they will play in Belgium and will help our team to win."
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Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Eurocupbasketball.com
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