By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Galatasaray got even closer to the EuroCup Top 16 after defeating Lietkabelis 84 – 77 on the road and improving its record to 4-5.
Erman Kunter saw four of his players scoring in double figures. Captain Goksenin Koksal had 17, Alex Renfroe 15 plus four assists, Richard Hendrix 13 points apart from seven rebounds while Emir Preldzic notched 10 points, five rebounds, and five assists.
Lietkabelis was trailing from start to finish, being unable to keep up with its opponents despite the 24 points by veteran Ksistof Lavrinovic and Adas Juskevicius’ 14. The Lithuanians, currently at 4-5, could have advanced with a win, but they will now have to wait until next week, when they’ll face Buducnost away from home.
Galatasaray will play vs Hapoel Jerusalem in Istanbul, in what might be a crucial match for both squads.
On the same group on Tuesday, FC Bayern Munich kept its undefeated record after taking down Buducnost Voli Podgorica at home with 85-82.
Despite the tight competition throughout the game, the German side managed to outstand the pressure until the end, even when Buducnost stayed two points behind.
Jared Cunningham led the winners with 15 points, while Nikola Ivanovic tapped 27 for the visiting side. One more game awaits tomorrow, as Hapoel Jerusalem welcomes Reggio Emilia
The standings of Day 9 so far:
| Group B | W | L | PTS+ | PTS- | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. FC Bayern Munich (qualified) | 9 | 0 | 799 | 659 | 140 |
| 2. Galatasaray Odeabank Istanbul | 4 | 5 | 708 | 702 | 6 |
| 3. Buducnost VOLI Podgorica | 4 | 5 | 700 | 714 | -14 |
| 4. Lietkabelis Panevezys | 4 | 5 | 699 | 736 | -37 |
| 5. Grissin Bon Reggio Emilia | 3 | 5 | 570 | 599 | -29 |
| 6. Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem | 2 | 6 | 633 | 699 | -66 |