08 October, 2019
04 October, 2020
35 Zach Hankins (NYMB)
14/01/2020
Game Report
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Nymburk, Tenerife punch first tickets to Play-Offs - Gameday 11, Tuesday roundup

MIES (Switzerland) - ERA Nymburk edged out Iberostar Tenerife in the huge Group C clash that capped Tuesday's gripping action but both teams secured a Play-Offs berth in the 2019-20 Basketball Champions League, following Brose Bamberg's loss at Mornar Bar.

Meanwhile in Group B, 20-year-old Sehmus Hazer engineered a memorable upset as Teksut Bandirma defeated AEK in Athens and Pau managed to prevail against Burgos for the second time this season. Let's have a closer look at all eight Tuesday encounters:

Iberostar Tenerife 84-89 ERA Nymburk - Group C


Nymburk prevailed 89-84 over Tenerife in a hard-fought encounter, snapping the Spanish team's eight-game win streak at home, but both teams earned possession of a ticket to the Play-Offs by the end of the night.

The Czech champions made their intentions known right from tip-off and led for over 30 minutes, albeit never by a double-digit margin.

Nymburk took advantage of their edge inside by winning the battle on the glass 38 to 31 and scoring 40 points in the paint, compared with Tenerife's 30, and became the first team to score more than 70 points against Tenerife in the last eight games on the Spanish island.

After Tenerife's Santi Yusta split two free-throws 3:18 from the final buzzer and reduced the deficit to just one point, Hayden Dalton sunk a jumper to make it 82-79 for Nymburk.

Zach Hankins followed up with two free-throws and Michael Dixon, in only his second game with Nymburk since his return to the Czech team, stretched the lead to 86-79 with a layup 1:41 from time.

Dixon led the way for the winners with 21 points, 6 assists and 4 rebounds, while Hankins and Vojtech Hruban had 18 points apiece, the latter also adding 11 rebounds to register a double-double. For Tenerife, Marcelinho Huertas had 20 points and 4 assists in defeat.

The two teams are now tied at 9-2 but in case they finish with the same record Tenerife have the head to head advantage, as they won by 10 points in the reverse fixture.

AEK 84-96 Teksut Bandirma - Group B


Youngster Sehmus Hazer delivered the best performance of his BCL career to lead Bandirma to a famous 96-84 triumph in Athens over AEK, who entered the clash as joint group leaders.

Tyler Kalinoski drained a triple at the second buzzer to send Bandirma to the interval with a five-point cushion, 47-42, and Hazer instigated a dominant third-quarter stretch for the Turkish side to pull away decisively.

The 20-year-old Turkish shooting guard poured in 10 points and added 2 assists and 2 steals in the third frame and the visitors stretched their lead to 72-54 on a Jaime Smith triple 2:07 from the end of the period.

AEK tried to mount a comeback and reduced the gap to 80-73 midway through the final stanza but an Emanuel Terry layup 4:39 from the final buzzer restored an 11-point lead for Bandirma.

Bandirma out-rebounded their hosts 33 to 17 and scored 17 second-chance points, compared to AEK's 4 second-chance points.

Hazer finished with a season-high 23 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 steals while Smith added 19 points and 2 assists. Keith Langford had a game-high 27 points for AEK in a losing effort.

Bandirma have now improved to 5-6 while AEK have dropped to 7-4.

UNET Holon 101-94 SIG Strasbourg - Group A


Holon used a sublime stretch late in the second quarter to pull away from Strasbourg and clinched an 101-94 win that improves their chances in the Group A play-off race.

With Strasbourg leading 37-36 and 5:58 remaining to the end of the second quarter, Ryan Thompson knocked down a triple to spark an 18-2 Holon run that Marcus Foster capped off with a dunk 12 seconds from the half-time buzzer.

The hosts, who scored 16 of their 21 fast-break points in the first half, led by as many as 17 points late in the third frame but Strasbourg threw everything at them with the start of the final stanza.

The French side reduced the gap to six points but, with 1:39 left on the clock, veteran Yogev Ohayon hit a triple right at the end of the shot clock to stretch Holon's lead to 97-87 and seal the hosts' win.

Marcus Foster led six Holon players in double digits with his 22 points and 4 assists, while T.J. Cline posted a double-double of 18 points and 10 rebounds. Gabe York finished with a game-high 23 points and added 5 rebounds in a losing effort.

The Israeli side, who had defeated Strasbourg 86-81 in the reverse fixture in France, celebrated their first ever win over a French team at home in the competition.

Holon have now improved to 5-6, while Strasbourg have dropped to 4-7.

Lietkabelis 68-76 Filou Oostende - Group A


Oostende stifled Lietkabelis, holding them to just nine third-quarter points, to clinch a potentially crucial 76-68 win that greatly boosts the Belgian side's options of making the Play-Offs.

The visitors, who held the Lithuanian side to their lowest offensive output at home this season, went into the locker rooms at the interval trailing by five points but outscored Lietkabelis 26-9 in the third frame.

With both teams enduring a very poor night from three-point range, as they each converted less than 19 percent of their shots from downtown, Oostende's scoring prowess close to the rim proved the differentiating factor.

The Belgian side shot 64 percent from two-point range and scored 44 points in the paint, while the hosts hit 45 percent of their attempts from inside the arc.

Braian Angola paced the winners with 19 points and 9 rebounds while MiKyle McIntosh chipped in with 17 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals. Paulius Valinskas had 14 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals for Lietkabelis.

Oostende, who have now swept the Regular Season series with Lietkabelis, have improved to 6-5 and maintain fourth place in the group standings, while the Lithuanian team slide to 4-7.

RASTA Vechta 79-72 Telenet Giants Antwerp - Group B


Vechta went on a mini-run late in the third frame, created separation and kept Antwerp at arm's length down the stretch to prevail 79-72 over the Belgian side at home.

The German team have improved to 6-5 in the Group B standings while Antwerp have now abolished their hopes to stay in the race for a play-off berth, after sliding to 3-8.

The clash had featured nine lead changes and Vechta were leading by only two points, 47-45, when a Jordan Davis layup 4:44 from the end of the third period triggered an 11-2 run which Josh Young capped with another layup, 1:58 from the third buzzer.

Vechta held on until the end thanks in great part to the fact they took very good care of the ball when in possession while forcing 19 Antwerp turnovers, off which the hosts scored 29 points.

Young led the way for the hosts with 25 points on 9 of 16 shooting from the floor, also adding 6 assists, while Jordan finished with 16 points. Dennis Donkor had 14 points for Antwerp in defeat. 

Besiktas Sompo Sigorta 96-67 Happy Casa Brindisi - Group D


Besiktas scored an eye-popping 32 points off Brindisi turnovers and rolled over the Italian team 96-67 to rejuvenate their bid for a spot in the Play-Offs from Group D.

The hosts jumped in the lead shortly after the opening exchanges, built a double-digit gap already by the end of the first quarter and extended their cushion to 25 points before the interval.

Besiktas came up with 15 steals and forced 22 Brindisi turnovers, while they also shot an outstanding 36 of 60 (60 percent) from the floor.

Shaquielle McKissic had 18 points and 5 assists to lead six Besiktas players in double digits while Oguz Savas chipped in with 17 points and 4 rebounds. Brindisi's Tyler Stone finished with 18 points and 6 boards in defeat.

Besiktas have improved to 5-6 while Brindisi have dropped to 4-7.

Mornar Bar 77-73 Brose Bamberg - Group C


Derek Needham knocked down a dagger triple 11 seconds from time to lift Mornar Bar to a 77-73 win over Bamberg, their fourth success in the last five games.

The Montenegro side have rejuvenated their bid for a play-off spot and improved to 4-7 on the table while Bamberg slide to 5-6.

Mornar got off to a great start and led by as many as 13 points but Bamberg came back just before the half-break and once again after the hosts appeared to be opening up a gap anew in the fourth stanza.

Christian Sengfelder scored with a layup to reduce the gap to 73-71 with 45 seconds remaining and Mornar called a time out. When play resumed, Bamberg deployed half-court press and appeared to be coming close to stealing the ball but Needham pulled up from deep almost at the end of the shot clock to nail the dagger three.

Jacob Pullen led the way for the winners with 21 points while Uros Lukovic posted a double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds. Retin Obasohan, who instigated Bamberg's late push, finished with 20 points and 6 assists in defeat.

EB Pau-Lacq-Orthez 80-76 San Pablo Burgos - Group B


Pau wasted a large early lead but will live to fight another day in the play-off race after going on a late 15-0 run to turn back Burgos 80-76 at home.

The French side rode the hot hand of Justin Dentmon and Ekene Ibekwe and raced to a 49-35 lead shortly before the half-time interval.

Thad McFadden however drilled all four of his three-pointers in the third frame to spark a dominant Burgos stretch, which outscored the hosts 27-12 and grabbed the lead.

After Vojdan Stojanovski knocked down a triple 6:08 from the final buzzer for the hosts to pull even at 66-all, Dentmon sunk two free-throws to restore them in the driver's seat. Ibekwe capped Pau's burst from the foul line, making it 75-66 with just over three minutes remaining.

Dentmon finished with 24 points and 5 assists while Ibekwe added 20 points and 7 rebounds. Earl Clark had a near double-double of 17 points and 9 rebounds in a losing effort.