By Stathis Trapezanlidis/ info@eurohoops.net
7 blocks. Yes, you read that right. Ekpeh Udoh blocked his opponents in the game against Unicaja Malaga, not once, not twice but seven times. More than any other player in Euroleague during the past 3 years. And by doing that, the American center of Fenerbahce tied the third best performance in the history of the competition.
Ekpe Udoh already had 5 blocks by the first half. He could have made a triple-double yet, as he said himself after the match, he was injured and could not play longer than what it was exactly needed for Fenerbahce to secure the victory. So he just… made 2 blocks more for a total number of 7.
His performance was brilliant, nonetheless. 12 points, 10 rebounds and 7 blocks. 3 less than what was needed for a historic triple-double with which he could been the only player after Nikola Vujcic to have made such an accomplishment. “If I played more, perhaps I could make the triple-double”, he said after the game. Well, the good news is that is injury was not something serious, so … who knows. Perhaps he can achieve it in the following games.
The one to hold the Euroleague record for more blocks in a game, is no other than Stojan Vrankovic who has made 10 blocks when he was playing for PAF Bologna, in a match against Cibona, during 2000-2001.