By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Lenovo Tenerife rocked Dinamo Banco di Sardegna Sassari for the win, 87-60, on Wednesday evening.
Experienced American big, Julian Gamble was the driving force in establishing a big lead early. The former Miami standout, going through his ninth season in Europe, ended up with 18 points and nine rebounds in the one-sided affair. Fran Guerra added on the dominance inside the paint with 17 points of his own off 8/8 shots. Joan Sastre had 14 points, five assists, and four rebounds in the Basketball Champions League Regular Season Round 2 game. Marcelinho Huertas paired 13 points with eight assists.
Florida-born Jason Burnell registered a team-high 16 points at San Cristobal de La Laguna, Spain. Christian Mekowulu followed with nine points.
The team coached by Demis Cavina, sitting at 2-1 in Italy’s LBA Serie A, enjoyed a five-point advantage a couple of minutes in but struggled for most of the visit at Santiago Martin Arena. Being limited to six points in the second quarter by the opponent’s defense all but got the W beyond reach. The lead for the home team peaked at 27 points at the conclusion, despite shooting merely 6/21 from three-point range.
Giorgi Shermadini and Dejan Todorovic are among the players currently sidelined for the 2017 BCL champions. However, the 2-0 start in Group A strengthens the bid for direct qualification to the second round of the 2021-22 Champions League season. At the domestic level, Tenerife holds a 3-2 record.
Txus Vidorreta’s side will be back against MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg on October 27. The Italian team will host Prometey in the other Group A Round 3 fixture also scheduled for October 27.
Postgame press conference:
Photo Credit: Basketball Champions League