19 September, 2017
06 May, 2018
27 Sadiel Rojas (ESP)
16/01/2018
Game Report
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Tempers flair as UCAM Murcia win big at home over EWE Baskets


MURCIA (Basketball Champions League) - UCAM Murcia routed EWE Baskets Oldenburg in Spain on Tuesday night to leave the battle for second, third and fourth place as tight as it can be in Group A of the Basketball Champions League.

Thumped by 20 points in their first meeting in Germany, Murcia got revenge, though not as much as they would have liked, with an 85-65 triumph. Needing a single point more to gain the advantage in a potential tie-breaker at the end of the Regular Season, the teams are instead level at 7-4. There is a logjam because Pinar Karsiyaka's 95-93 victory at UNET Holon has also left the Turkish club at 7-4, too.

Great Britain international Ovie Soko led the way with 27 points and 11 rebounds for Murcia, who lost coach Ibon Navarro to two technical fouls late in the third quarter. Alberto Martin and Soko were also slapped with technicals.

Murcia got inspirational performances from Dominican Republic forward Sadiel Rojas, Brad Oleson and Belgium center Kevin Tumba. Rojas deserved most of the credit for limiting EWE Baskets captain Ricky Paulding to just 2 points in the first half. The 35-year-old Paulding, who went into the contest averaging 18.5ppg, finished with 14.

There are three Gamedays remaining in the Regular Season, with Murcia set to play at Pinar Karsiyaka and unbeaten AS Monaco the next two weeks, and a final game at home to Juventus Utena.

EWE Baskets host Monaco next week and then travel to Lithuania to face Juventus Utena before wrapping up the campaign with a home game against UNET Holon.