TwitterVentspils EuroCup run ends this year
photo: bkventspils.lv
On Wednesday night BK “Ventspils” players lost the EuroCup game in Thessaloniki against the local “PAOK” thus losing even theoretical chances to make the next round of the tournament. It means Ventspils has just one EuroCup game left – next Wednesday hosting “Stelmet” from Poland.
Lately widely discussed Mire Chatman wasn’t just registered for the game, he was part of the starting line-up but he didn’t make a big change in his first minutes. Just like the team – the beginning of the game was slow, it seemed the same as the game in Ventspils, because the score grew slowly. For a long while the scoreboard showed 8:6, but three minutes till the end of the first quarter Barnies tied the game. Afterwards both teams scored baskets quicker but the hosts were more successful, leading by two points at the end the quarter – 14:12. Good news was the fact that even when playing on the road the defence was still more or less intact.
During the first two minutes of the second quarter Ventspils offence was still stiff while hosts made a five point run. Then Davis Lejasmeiers made a three which was the first for the team at that point, this play was followed by another three-pointer by Lejasmeiers, then Martins Meiers got a chance for a three point play, and the game was tied – 21:21.
Unfortunately, own turnovers, missed shots and wrong actions on the defence didn’t allow to go ahead and lead. At 18 minute mark hosts were up by eight points and the lead could have grown more but Ventspils did not let them do that. The first half ended with five points made by Chatman that gave Ventspils some hope for a positive outcome of the game – 31:34.
After the half-time break hosts started the game better, growing their lead while Ventspils were just starting to catch up. Hosts did not run very far as at the end of the third quarter Ventspils was even leading by couple of points. That was for a short while, though. Akselis Vairogs caught the Lady Luck by her dress and used the chance to score a three, thus putting Ventspils up by two points – 45:43 – and making PAOK take a minute. This move let the Greeks to overcome the cirisi – they scored two three-pointers. This Greek run was stopped by a basket by Vairogs, ending the third quarter with Ventspils down by two points – 47:49.
Unfortunately, Ventspils had already lost the chance to take over the game. The Greeks – even if showed some traces of weakness in the third quarter – did not allowed something like this to come up again. PAOK were up even by 12 points that Ventspils cut down to six but any chances for a successful result ended by two turnover by Troy Barnies. Game lost – 62:76.
In the meantime “Lokomotiv” took over “Buducnost” 79:76, while “Stelmet” quite unexpectedly bested “Karsiyaka” – 71:69. It means that the results of the game next Wednesday between the Poles and Latvians will show which team will place fifth because now “Stelmet” has the chances, too. So the game won’t be played just for the sake of playing. There is a price even if it is quite small now.
EuroCup regular season, December 10
PAOK – Ventspils 76:62 (14:12, 20:19, 15:16, 27:15)
PAOK: Langford 15, Carter 13, Tsochlas 10, Kakaroudis 10m, Odum 9, Margaritis 8, Vaughn 6 (7r), Liapis 3, Bremer 2, Saloustros, Dedas
Ventspils: Lejasmeiers 17, Vairogs 10, Chatman 10, Meiers 7 (6r), Gulbis 7, Barnies 4, Ate 3, Grazulis 2, Grant 2 (6r)
