By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Sixteen triples, including six tucked in by Kyle Wiltjer, powered Lenovo Tenerife to the 87-62 victory opposite Falco Szombathely Wednesday evening.
Wiltjer, 29, made 8/14 field goals for a game-high 23 points in the Basketball Champions League Round of 16 Gameday 4 contest. The Canadian power forward was 6/10 from beyond the arc. Overall, the Spanish outfit connected 16/28.
Head coach Txus Vidorreta enjoyed Wiltjer pouring 12 points in the third quarter as his side moved into double-digit distance. The fifth BCL win in a row improved the Group L record to 4-0 all but secured a spot in the Quarterfinals.
Three triples each for Sasu Salin and Aaron Doornekamp en route for respective nine-point showings. Fran Guerra chipped ten points. Dejan Todorovic (knee) was sidelined.
The visitors featured Croatian Boris Barac packing a team-high 16 points along with five rebounds, three assists, and two steals. However, Zoltan Perl held to six points snapped his 16-game Champions League streak in double-digits. Starting center Akos Keller picking up three quick fouls in the first five minutes was another difficult obstacle to overcome at Santiago Martin Arena. In addition, the Hungary champions kept Szilard Benke (foot) on the injury list.
In full contrast to the hosts, Falco ended up with 2/15 three-pointers in San Cristobal de La Laguna, Spain. The team coached by Milos Konakov suffered a fourth straight BCL loss for the first time in team history falling to 0-4 in the four-team group. An uphill battle ahead to sneak into the next round.
Postgame press conference:
Photo Credit: Basketball Champions League