By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Iberostar Tenerife eliminated reigning Spanish League champion Valencia in the quarterfinals of the Copa Del Rey with a 79 – 72 victory.
Despite what the final score says, the game was a thriller down the stretch. Valencia was down by 8, 65 – 73 with 1:27 to play, but scored quick points to make it a one-possession matter, 70 – 73 with 46 seconds remaining.
But Tenerife didn’t allow its opponents to draw closer. A pair of free throws by Tim Abromaitis followed by a turnover by the “Taronja” top scorer Erick Green (14 points), gave the Basketball Champions League champs the advantage they needed to win the match.
Abromaitis scored all of his team’s points in the last minute to finish with a game-high 15 plus 4 rebounds. Mateusz Ponitka added 14 and 4 boards.