Liga Endesa is at the halfway of the Regular Season and there are still another 17 rounds left. Here is the last round review presented by Job Market.
An exciting game between Top Four teams was played in Malaga. First ranked Unicaja faced second-ranked Valencia. Host Unicaja (14-3) defeated guests from Valencia (13-4) 94-86. It ended at the same time the three-game winning streak of Valencia. It was a key game for the top position in the league. Unicaja looked well-organized offensively handing out 24 assists. Great defensive blocking was one of the keys in this match when Unicaja made 7 blocks. The best player for the winners was American-German center Dylan Osetkowski (206-1996, college: Texas) who scored 20 points and 5 rebounds. American-Montenegrin point guard Kendrick Perry (183-1992, college: YSU) chipped in 13 points and 6 assists. Dominican guard Jean Montero (188-2003) produced 17 points and 4 assists for the guests. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Unicaja have an impressive series of six victories in a row. They maintain first place with 14-3 record. Valencia at the other side keeps the second position with four games lost. They share it with Real Madrid. Unicaja are looking forward to face Girona (#17) on the road in the next round which should be an easy win for them. Valencia will play against Manresa (#6) and is hoping to prove to their supporters that the loss was just an accident.
Another exciting game was between seventh ranked Manresa and 4th placed Joventut where host Manresa (10-7) won against Joventut (11-6) with 15-point difference 87-72. It ended at the same time the six-game winning streak of Joventut. American Derrick Alston Jr (206-1997, college: Boise St.) orchestrated the victory by scoring 22 points and 8 rebounds (on 8-of-10 shooting from the field). Cameron Hunt contributed with 10 points for the winners. BAXI Manresa’s coach Diego Ocampo used entire bench and allowed the starting five to rest. Croatian center Ante Tomic (217-1987, agency: Octagon Europe) answered with a double-double by scoring 14 points and 11 rebounds for Joventut. The victory was the fourth consecutive win for Manresa. They moved-up to sixth place, which they share with Gran Canaria. Joventut at the other side dropped to the fifth position with six games lost. Manresa will play against league’s second-placed Valencia on the road in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Joventut will play against Granada and hopes to get back on the winning track.
We should mention about the upset which took place in Lleida, where higher ranked Gran Canaria (10-7) lost to fourteenth ranked Lleida (6-11) in a road game 78-88 on Sunday. Oriol Pauli stepped up and scored 15 points for the winners. Joe Thomasson responded with 19 points. Both coaches tested many bench players saving starting five for next games. Lleida moved-up to twelfth place, which they share with Rio Breogan and Bilbao. Loser Gran Canaria keeps the sixth position with seven games lost. They share it with Manresa. Lleida will meet at home higher ranked Baskonia (#10) in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Gran Canaria will play against Tenerife (#4) and will have a slim chance for a victory.
Other games of round 17 were very predictable and ended without any surprises. Here they are:
Murcia defeated Coruna in a road game 86-78. Tenerife smashed Girona at home 100-80. Zaragoza lost to Granada on the opponent’s court 91-97. Barca managed to outperform Bilbao in a home game 97-84. Rio Breogan recorded a loss to Baskonia on the road 97-91. Andorra lost to defending champion Real Madrid on its own court 84-100.
The best stats of 17th round was 24 points by Jerrick Harding of Andorra.
Coruna – Murcia 78-86
There was no surprise when 17th ranked Coruna (4-13) was defeated at home by eleventh ranked UCAM (8-9) 86-78 on Saturday. Murcia made 18-of-22 free shots (81.8 percent) during the game. Canadian-Jamaican guard Dylan Ennis (188-1991, college: Oregon) stepped up and scored 20 points and 8 rebounds for the winners and Swedish point guard Ludvig Hakanson (189-1996, agency: Octagon Europe) chipped in 18 points and 5 assists. Serbian center Goran Huskic (210-1992, college: Howard Col., TX) responded with a double-double by scoring 13 points and 14 rebounds and British-Canadian guard Philip Scrubb (194-1992, college: Carleton, agency: Octagon Europe) scored 11 points and 6 rebounds. Both coaches tested many bench players saving starting five for next games. Murcia moved-up to ninth place, which they share with Baskonia and Zaragoza. Coruna lost their sixth game in a row. Newly promoted team dropped to the bottom position with 13 games lost. Murcia will meet at home higher ranked Barca (#8) in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Coruna will play against Real Madrid (#3) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Coruna: G.Huskic 13+14reb+3ast, Y.Barrueta 12+2reb, P.Scrubb 11+6reb+2ast, A.Diagne 10+2reb+1ast, T.Thompkins 9+5reb, B.Taylor 8+2reb+3ast
Murcia: D.Ennis 20+8reb+3ast, L.Hakanson 18+5ast, V.Brodziansky 10+6reb, R.Kurucs 9+7reb+1ast, J.Radebaugh 7+5reb+2ast, N.Radovic 7+3reb
gschID: 1186844
Manresa – Joventut 87-72
Another exciting game was between seventh ranked Manresa and 4th placed Joventut where host Manresa (10-7) won against Joventut (11-6) with 15-point difference 87-72. It ended at the same time the six-game winning streak of Joventut. American Derrick Alston Jr (206-1997, college: Boise St.) orchestrated the victory by scoring 22 points and 8 rebounds (on 8-of-10 shooting from the field). His fellow American import point guard Cameron Hunt (192-1997, college: Southwestern, KS) contributed with 10 points for the winners. Four BAXI Manresa players scored in double figures. BAXI Manresa’s coach Diego Ocampo used entire bench and allowed the starting five to rest. Croatian center Ante Tomic (217-1987, agency: Octagon Europe) answered with a double-double by scoring 14 points and 11 rebounds and American forward Sam Dekker (204-1994, college: Wisconsin) added 22 points in the effort for Joventut. The victory was the fourth consecutive win for Manresa. They moved-up to sixth place, which they share with Gran Canaria. Joventut at the other side dropped to the fifth position with six games lost. Manresa will play against league’s second-placed Valencia on the road in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Joventut will play against Granada and hopes to get back on the winning track.
Top scorers:
Joventut: S.Dekker 22+4reb+1ast, K.Robertson 18+4reb+1ast, A.Tomic 14+11reb+2ast, D.Dotson 7+4reb+3ast, Y.Kraag 7+3reb, G.Vives 4
Manresa: D.Alston Jr. 22+8reb+3ast, D.Perez 12+1reb+1ast, A.Reyes 11+3reb, C.Hunt 10+1reb+3ast, M.Sagnia 8+3reb+1ast, E.Cate 6+2reb+1ast
gschID: 1186845
Tenerife – Girona 100-80
No shocking result in a game when fifth ranked Tenerife (12-5) smashed at home 16th ranked Basquet Girona (5-12) 100-80 on Saturday. Tenerife looked well-organized offensively handing out 27 assists. Georgian center Giorgi Shermadini (217-1989, agency: Octagon Europe) stepped up with a double-double by scoring 24 points and 11 rebounds (on 8-of-9 shooting from the field) for the winners and Uruguayan point guard Bruno Fitipaldo (183-1991) chipped in 13 points and 5 assists. Sergi Martinez (202-1999) responded with a double-double by scoring 10 points and 10 rebounds and naturalized Argentinian point guard Juani Marcos (190-2000) scored 10 points and 7 assists. Four Tenerife and five Girona players scored in double figures. Both coaches tested many bench players saving starting five for next games. Tenerife moved-up to fourth place. Loser Basquet Girona dropped to the fifteenth position with 12 games lost. They share it with Andorra and Granada. Tenerife will meet Gran Canaria (#7) in the next round. Girona will play against the league’s leader Unicaja (#1) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Girona: J.Busquets 13+5reb, J.Fernandez 13+4reb, F.Caffaro 11+4reb+1ast, S.Martinez 10+10reb+1ast, J.Marcos 10+2reb+7ast, M.Geben 9+3ast
Tenerife: G.Shermadini 24+11reb, B.Fitipaldo 13+1reb+5ast, D.Kramer 13+1reb+2ast, F.Guerra 10+6reb+1ast, A.Doornekamp 9+1reb+5ast, J.Sastre 8+2reb+1ast
gschID: 1186846
Unicaja – Valencia 94-86
An exciting game between Top Four teams was played in Malaga. First ranked Unicaja faced second-ranked Valencia. Host Unicaja (14-3) defeated guests from Valencia (13-4) 94-86. It ended at the same time the three-game winning streak of Valencia. It was a key game for the top position in the league. Unicaja looked well-organized offensively handing out 24 assists. Great defensive blocking was one of the keys in this match when Unicaja made 7 blocks. The best player for the winners was American-German center Dylan Osetkowski (206-1996, college: Texas) who scored 20 points and 5 rebounds. American-Montenegrin point guard Kendrick Perry (183-1992, college: YSU) chipped in 13 points and 6 assists. Dominican guard Jean Montero (188-2003) produced 17 points and 4 assists and American-Ivorian power forward Matt Costello (208-1993, college: Michigan St.) added 13 points respectively for the guests. Five Unicaja and four Valencia players scored in double figures. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Unicaja have an impressive series of six victories in a row. They maintain first place with 14-3 record. Valencia at the other side keeps the second position with four games lost. They share it with Real Madrid. Unicaja are looking forward to face Girona (#17) on the road in the next round which should be an easy win for them. Valencia will play against Manresa (#6) and is hoping to prove to their supporters that the loss was just an accident.
Top scorers:
Valencia: J.Montero 17+2reb+4ast, M.Costello 13+3reb+2ast, N.Sestina 12+5reb, B.Badio 11+4reb+3ast, S.Ojeleye 9+3reb+1ast, C.Jones 8+2reb+3ast
Unicaja: D.Osetkowski 20+5reb+3ast, T.Carter 15+1reb, K.Perry 13+4reb+6ast, K.Taylor 11+3reb+3ast, Y.Sima 10+7reb, T.Kalinoski 8+4reb
gschID: 1186847
Lleida – Gran Canaria 88-78
We should mention about the upset which took place in Lleida, where higher ranked Gran Canaria (10-7) lost to fourteenth ranked Lleida (6-11) in a road game 78-88 on Sunday. The former international swingman Oriol Pauli (201-1994) stepped up and scored 15 points for the winners and Liberian-American guard Thomas Bropleh (196-1991, college: Boise St.) chipped in 13 points. American-Georgian guard Joe Thomasson (193-1993, college: Wright St., agency: Octagon Europe) responded with 19 points and the former international point guard Carlos Alocen (194-2000) scored 6 points and 9 assists. Both coaches tested many bench players saving starting five for next games. Lleida moved-up to twelfth place, which they share with Rio Breogan and Bilbao. Loser Gran Canaria keeps the sixth position with seven games lost. They share it with Manresa. Lleida will meet at home higher ranked Baskonia (#10) in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Gran Canaria will play against Tenerife (#4) and will have a slim chance for a victory.
Top scorers:
Gran Canaria: J.Thomasson 19+3reb, J.Shurna 11+3reb+1ast, P.Pelos 10, M.Salvo 9+3reb, C.Homesley 9+4reb+1ast, J.Kljajic 7+1reb+1ast
Lleida: O.Pauli 15+4reb+2ast, T.Bropleh 13+3reb, E.Muric 11+2reb+1ast, L.Bozic 11+2reb+1ast, K.Van Der Vuurst 10+1reb+5ast, A.Madsen 8+3reb
gschID: 1186848
Granada – Zaragoza 97-91
There was an upset when higher ranked Zaragoza (8-9) was defeated on the road by seventeenth ranked Coviran Granada (5-12) 97-91 on Sunday. Granada made 20-of-21 free shots (95.2 percent) during the game. They also forced 19 Zaragoza turnovers. French Amine Noua (202-1997) stepped up and scored 16 points and 5 rebounds (was perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line) for the winners and American-North Macedonian center Jacob Wiley (203-1994, college: EWU) chipped in 16 points and 5 rebounds. The former international Santiago Yusta (200-1997) responded with 9 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals and Canadian guard Trae Bell-Haynes (188-1995, college: Vermont) scored 15 points and 6 assists. Five Granada and four Zaragoza players scored in double figures. Both coaches allowed to play bench players saving starting five for next games. Granada moved-up to fifteenth place, which they share with Andorra and Girona. Zaragoza lost their fourth game in a row. They dropped to the ninth position with nine games lost. They share it with Baskonia and Murcia. Granada will meet higher ranked Joventut (#5) in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Zaragoza will play against Andorra (#15) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Zaragoza: T.Bell-Haynes 15+1reb+6ast, J.Fernandez 15+3reb+1ast, E.Sulejmanovic 13+6reb, A.Slaughter 12+2reb+3ast, J.Bango 10+4reb, J.Rodriguez 10+1ast
Granada: S.Bamforth 17+1reb+2ast, E.Valtonen 17+3reb+1ast, J.Wiley 16+5reb+2ast, A.Noua 16+5reb+3ast, S.Garcia 14+2reb+4ast, J.Rousselle 8+4reb+5ast
gschID: 1186849
Barca – Bilbao 97-84
Rather predictable result when ninth ranked FC Barcelona (9-8) beat at home 12th ranked Surne Bilbao (6-11) 97-84 on Sunday. Barca made 16-of-18 free shots (88.9 percent) during the game. Barca outrebounded Bilbao 39-25 including 25 on the defensive glass. Barca looked well-organized offensively handing out 24 assists. American Jabari Parker (203-1995, college: Duke) stepped up and scored 16 points for the winners and Nigerian-American power forward Chimezie Metu (208-1997, college: USC) chipped in 15 points and 6 rebounds (on 6-of-7 shooting from the field). Four FC Barcelona players scored in double figures. American guard Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman (196-1994, college: Michigan) responded with 19 points and Estonian point guard Kristian Kullamaee (193-1999) scored 13 points. Both coaches allowed to play bench players saving starting five for next games. Barca moved-up to eighth place. Bilbao lost their third game in a row. They keep the twelfth position with 11 games lost. They share it with Rio Breogan and Lleida. Barca will meet Murcia (#9) on the road in the next round. Bilbao will play against Rio Breogan in Lugo and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Bilbao: M.Abdur-Rahkman 19+2reb+2ast, K.Kullamaee 13+2reb+1ast, Z.Dragic 10+2reb+1ast, M.Pantzar 9+3ast, M.Jones 9+4reb+1ast, T.de Ridder 9+7reb
Barca: J.Parker 16+4reb+1ast, C.Metu 15+6reb, D.Brizuela 12+1reb+6ast, W.Hernangomez 11+8reb+1ast, J.Anderson 10+4reb+2ast, J.Parra 9+7reb+1ast
gschID: 1186850
Baskonia – Rio Breogan 97-91
Not a big story in a game in Vitoria where 13th ranked Breogan Lugo (6-11) was defeated by eleventh ranked Baskonia (8-9) 97-91 on Sunday. Baskonia made 20-of-24 free shots (83.3 percent) during the game. Nigerian Chima Moneke (198-1995, college: UC Davis) stepped up and scored 33 points (!!!) and 9 rebounds for the winners and American point guard Markus Howard (179-1999, college: Marquette) chipped in 18 points and 4 assists. Croatian swingman Toni Nakic (201-1999) responded with 18 points and 6 rebounds and American Darrun Hilliard (198-1993, college: Villanova) scored 15 points and 6 rebounds. Five Rio Breogan players scored in double figures. Breogan Lugo’s coach rotated eleven players in this game, but that didn’t help. Baskonia moved-up to ninth place, which they share with Murcia and Zaragoza. Loser Breogan Lugo dropped to the twelfth position with 11 games lost. They share it with Bilbao and Lleida. Baskonia will meet Lleida (#12) on the road in the next round. Rio Breogan will play against Bilbao and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Rio Breogan: T.Nakic 18+6reb+1ast, D.Hilliard 15+6reb+1ast, D.Dae Grant 14+5reb+3ast, E.Atic 12+4reb+1ast, D.Mavra 11+4reb+2ast, J.Egbunu 10+4reb
Baskonia: C.Moneke 33+9reb+2ast, M.Howard 18+1reb+4ast, T.Luwawu-Cabarrot 14+2reb+1ast, K.Diop 7+4reb, N.Rogkavopoulos 7+7reb+1ast, D.Hall 7+6reb+1ast
gschID: 1186851
Andorra – Real Madrid 84-100
Everything went according to plan when third ranked Real Madrid (13-4) won against on the road 15th ranked MoraBanc Andorra (5-12) 100-84 on Sunday. Croatian Mario Hezonja (202-1995) stepped up and scored 16 points for the winners and Bosnian swingman Dzanan Musa (205-1999) chipped in 19 points. American point guard Jerrick Harding (185-1998, college: Weber St.) responded with 24 points and Guinean-French Sekou Doumbouya (206-2000) scored 14 points and 8 rebounds. Five Real Madrid and four Andorra players scored in double figures. Both coaches allowed to play bench players saving starting five for next games. The victory was the fifth consecutive win for Real Madrid. Defending champion moved-up to second place, which they share with Valencia. Andorra lost their sixth game in a row. They keep the fifteenth position with 12 games lost. They share it with Granada and Girona. Real Madrid will meet at home bottom-ranked Coruna (#18) in the next round which should be an easy win for them. Andorra will play against Zaragoza and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Andorra: J.Harding 24+4reb+3ast, K.Kuric 15+4reb, S.Doumbouya 14+8reb, B.Lammers 10+5reb, F.Bassas 8+3reb+5ast, S.Evans II 7+2reb+2ast
Real Madrid: D.Musa 19+1reb+1ast, M.Hezonja 16+4reb+2ast, U.Garuba 13+7reb, S.Llull 12+1reb+5ast, A.Feliz 11+5reb+3ast, W.Tavares 8+5reb+1ast
gschID: 1186852
