Qualifying Round D, first-leg report: Allianz Swans 86-64 Tartu Rock
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 Austrian Allianz Swans downed Estonian champions Tartu Rock 86-64 after an excellent defensive effort in the second half. Swans' main man Deteri Mayes led his team with 23 points, Anthony Fisher added 15 points while dishing 8 assists, and Matthias Mayer chipped in with 14 points. Tartu opened the game with two three-pointers and didn't slip the lead until Florian Schoninger came off the bench for the Swans to turn the game around and make it an even first period. It was all the same in the second period, with neither team being able to build a solid lead. Mayer and Mayes combined for 4 three-pointers for the Swans, while former Euroleague star Tanoka Beard led the way for Tartu. The Swans' defence took completely over the game in the third period, winning it 19-7. Tartu tried to come back in the fourth, but the Austrians kept making shots, and in the end it was only a question of how big the victory will be. The Swans made a 6-0 run to finish the game and put Tartu in a very difficult position before the return game in Estonia. Giorgi Tsintsadze led Tartu with 18 points, while Beard scored 14 to go with 8 rebounds, and Viktor Sanikidze added 12 points.
Shelton Colwell made the first shot of the game to put Allianz Swans ahead, but Silver Leppik and Janar Talts answered with two three-pointers to give Tartu Rock a 2-6 lead. The Estonian Champion stayed in front until Schoninger came in for the Swans and scored 8 points in less than two minutes to put the home team up by 3 points. But Tartu succeeded in pressing the ball inside the rest of the period and finished the first ten minutes one step ahead of Swans: 24-25. Austrian shooters Mayes and Mayer found their touch in the second period, combining for 4 hits from downtown, while Tartu relied on Beard, who muscled 8 points in for the guests. Fisher made a jump-shot for the Swans with only three seconds left before the big break, but these three seconds were all Tartu's forward Marek Doronin needed to get the ball and put in the ring. With the scoreboard showing 46-45, it seemed to be anybody's game in the second half.
However, the Swans' defence took over the game in the start of the second half, only allowing Tartu 4 points by Sanikidze in a span of 7 minutes. As the Austrian champs didn't have trouble scoring themselves, it meant a 17-4 run for the Swans, with point-guard Peter Hutter and top scorer Mayes each scoring 7. Neither team seemed to be able to score in the last minutes of the third period that ended with a double digit Swans lead: 65-52. Tartu came out strong in the fourth quarter, with Tsintsadze showing the way with 6 points that led to an 8-2 Estonian run. But the Swans managed to answer with a run of their own and put the lead back to 14 points on a Reggie Hufmann lay-up plus free-throw. Beard put two in for Tartu only to see Mayes nail another three-pointer to make it 79-64. With 03:21 left on the clock, it was only a question of how big the Swans victory will be; an important matter before the return game in Estonia. The Swans managed to score another 6 unanswered points to the final result 86-64. Now Tartu will have to win with at least 23 points in Estonia to go on to the next round.
Allianz Swans head coach Bob Gonnen:
"We played good defense in the second half. And without taking away anything from the other players who played very well: Reggie Huffman was the X-Factor today."
Allianz Swans guard Deteri Mayes:
"We played a great second half. We accomplished what we wanted to do by getting a wind. We deserved this victory tonight. But in Estonia it is 0-0 again. We should not think of this 22 points."
Tartu Rock head coach Ullar Kerde:
"We are a young team and obvisouly we are not ready to play in a top european league."
Tartu Rock center Tanoka Beard:
"We have not played well away from home during the season. Today we did not even try. They are a good team. The difference was, they trusted each other and they played together."
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Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Eurocupbasketball.com
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