By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
For the fifth time in six years, the Basketball Champions League lasting original Lenovo Tenerife made it to the Quarterfinals. Securing the win, 83-64, versus Rytas Vilnius clinched the berth Tuesday night.
Finnish sharpshooter Sasu Salin dropped a game-high 23 points powered by 7/13 triples in Avia Solutions Group Arena. He had 17 points going into the break.
Jumping to a double-digit lead after an early 15-2 run with Salin heating up all but sealed the deal for Tenerife. A walk in the park for the visitors finishing the first half at 52-26 and building up a 29-point advantage in the third period before slowing down.
Marcelo Huertas kept his side rolling with 11 of his 16 points in the third quarter and dished out six assists over the Round of 16 Gameday 5 one-sided affair. Giorgi Shermadini and Kyle Wiltjer added 11 points each. Tanner Leissner registered a team-high 12 points at the conclusion of Rytas’ second BCL campaign.
Besides the Spanish outfit, SIG Strasbourg officially punched in a ticket to the next round, one step before the season-ending Final Four to be held in Bilbao. The team coached by Txus Vidorreta went up to 5-0 in Group L.
Following four wins in a row across all competitions, the club based in the Lithuanian capital was forced down to 2-3 and was eliminated. The team led by Giedrius Zibenas will now focus exclusively on Lithuania’s LKL aiming to improve the current 19-3 W-L tally.
Postgame press conference:
Photo Credit: Basketball Champions League