By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Virtus Segafredo Bologna players grabbed their 13th win of the season in the Turkish Airlines Euroleague as they convincingly defeated ALBA in Berlin 96-74.
The Italians continue their chase for the playoffs, while ALBA with a 7-21 record is officially eliminated from the post season.
Kyle Weems led the scoring charts with 22 points, while Milos Teodosis added 21 with six assists. Mam Jaiteh followed them with 12 points and eight rebounds, while Ife Lundberg also scored 12 points.
“I played with confidence”, said Weems after the game. “I put a lot of work in, my teammates trusted me today and they found me when I was open, so I’ve got to get credit for them. I’m happy with our win”.
Weems also explained what Milos Teodosic means for the team: “I’ve been playing with Milos for four seasons now. Nothing he does amazes me anymore. His aggressiveness, his IQ, and more importantly the way he wants to share the ball and get his teammates going before he is able to make shots and play for himself. He is one of my favorite teammates of all time, and obviously, he is one of the best players who ever played in Europe. He showed it today.”
Jaleen Smith led ALBA with 12 points, seven assists, and five rebounds, as Luke Sikma added 11 points with six assists and rebounds. Louis Olinde and Yanni Wetzell had 10 points each.
ALBA started the game with a 6-0 run, but Virtus responded swiftly and closed the first quarter in dominant fashion for a 22-14 lead. Their advantage continue to grow, and the Bologna team went to halftime with a 49-33 advantage
ALBA tried briefly to react at the beginning of the second half but led by Teodosic, Virtus pushed back, regained a comfortable lead, and went to the last break with 77-59, having no trouble until the end.
Sergio Scariolo has no complaints
It was a dominant night for the Italians and coach Sergio Scariolo admitted it without hesitation.
Coaches usually want perfection, but for Scariolo his team delivered: “The ones who were here played well; I mean, everyone. I don’t have complaints about anyone. We started the game the right way, we kept our foot on the gas. They had a couple of comebacks, but we managed to regain control of the situation, especially in sharing the ball and [getting] defensive stops. The last three or four minutes were a little bit sloppy, but the game was already over. I’m happy overall with the performance of the team.”
ALBA Berlin head coach Israel Gonzalez was on the other side of the spectrum: “First of all, congratulations to Virtus, they played a great game. Now, it’s time to be with the players, to support them and try to help them.”