By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
Olimpia Milano held on to beat Reggio Emilia 91-82 in the Italian LegaBasket quarterfinals opener Sunday at home, led by a 20-point performance by Shavon Shields.
Milano grabbed a 24-18 lead in the opening quarter and never trailed, despite the visitors’ attempt for a comeback in the fourth quarter.
Big man Ben Bentil scored 19 points along with 7 rebounds for the winners, Gigi Datome added 13 points and four rebounds, while Sergio Rodriguez and Devon Hall each tapped 11 points.
On the other end of the court, Stephen Thompson Jr. posted a game-high 21 points to lead Reggio Emilia, veteran Andrea Cinciarini had 17 points and Justin Johnson scored 11 points.
Game 2 of the quarterfinals series between Milano and Reggio Emilia is underway Tuesday, May 17 (20:30 local time).
Virtus also got the win in game 1 versus Pesaro. However the news of the game is the injury of Toko Shengelia who hurt his right ankle. An official word about his condition is expected in the next few hours.
LegaBasket quarterfinals:
Virtus Bologna – Pesaro 82-76
Tortona – Reyer Venezia 66-77
Olimpia Milano – Reggio Emilia 1-0
Brescia – Sassari –