By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Leading from start to finish, Baxi Manresa clinched the win, 103-88, opposite NutriBullet Treviso in the Basketball Champions League Game of the Week Monday.
The member of the 2017 NCAA championship team of North Carolina, Luke Maye fired in 11 of his 22 points in the last ten minutes. Nigerian Chima Moneke, former UC Davis standout, tallied 20 points in Round of 16 Group J Gameday 4 contest.
Wright State alumnus Joe Thomasson chipped in 16 more points and dished out eight assists. Wrapping up the third period with a big make from beyond the arc got the lead back up to nine points, shortly after a 16-point advantage was cut to three points.
The team coached by Pedro Martinez, sitting third in the ACB with a 15-7 record, missed Ismael Bako (hand), Elias Valtonen (shoulder), and Guillem Jou (leg) in Italy. But managed to stay calm as Massimiliano Menetti’s Treviso moved into shooting distance late in the third period. From there, the Spanish outlet kept its distance jumping to 2-1 midway through the double-legged round-robin schedule of the four-team group.
The hosts dropped to 0-3 being unable to take care of the ball throughout the game. Giving up 30 points from turnovers was the main difference separating the teams facing each other at Treviso’s Palaverde.
Youngster Giordano Bortolani scored 22 points behind 9/10 field goals, including 4/5 three-pointers. DeWayne Russell had 21 points and Henry Sims posted a 19-point, 11-rebound double-double in the losing effort.
Postgame press conference:
Photo Credit: Basketball Champions League