By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
Marco Belinelli scored 24 points on 13-14 free throws as Virtus Bologna beat a tough Joventut Badalona 80 – 75 in Game 1 of the EuroCup best-of-three playoff series. Virtus has yet to lose in this season in EuroCup after 17 matches.
Belinelli made a key jumper for the 77 – 72 with two minutes to play and later drained the pair of free throws for the 80 – 74 to seal the win of his team. Milos Teodosic contributed 11 points, 10 assists and five rebounds while Julian Gamble scored 10 points for Virtus that trailed 49 – 56 in the mid of the third period before going on a 14 – 7 run to tie the game at the end of the quarter.
Xabi Lopez-Arostegui (20 points, six rebounds) put Badalona up 66 – 68 but that was the last lead of his team. The hosts responded with nine unanswered points and retained a steady advantage for the rest of the match.
Ferran Bassas added 14 points and eight assists for Badalona that is having Game 2 at home. Ante Tomic added 10 points and five rebounds.