Juventus Utena down Lukoil to book return trip to Regular Season
UTENA (Basketball Champions League) - Juventus Utena are back in the big time after beating Lukoil Academic for the second straight time in the Basketball Champions League Qualification Round 3.
Following Friday's 82-81 victory in Sofia, the Lithuanian club returned home on Monday and prevailed 86-79 for a triumph of eight points on aggregate.
🔥@AIreland3LA was unstoppable tonight vs @Lukoil_Academic, as @BCJuventus' PG registered a HUGE double-double (21pts & 10ast)! #BasketballCL pic.twitter.com/vfvhjcsdYR
— #BasketballCL (@BasketballCL) October 2, 2017
Only early in the game did Lukoil manage to take a one-point advantage to pull even in the tie on aggregate.
Juventus Utena's key surge came midway through the opening quarter when they stretched a 10-9 advantage to 26-14.
Anthony Ireland, who had a game-high 21 points for the hosts, hit a couple of 3-balls in that spurt.
Twice Keith Clanton, a star with PAOK in last season's Basketball Champions league, had baskets for the Bulgarian team in the third quarter to trim the deficit to just three points but each time, Ireland answered with scores.
Clanton's 16 points and 10 rebounds weren't enough for Lukoil on the night
The visitors never got any closer.
Clanton finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds to lead Lukoil.
Juventus Utena, who had a solid campaign in the 2016-17 Basketball Champions League Regular Season and advanced from the Group Phase, are now back. They will play in Group A with Pinar Karsiyaka, AS Monaco, Enisey Krasnoyarsk, UCAM Murcia, Hapoel Holon, EWE Baskets Oldenburg and Dinamo Sassari.
