


All Joventut Badalona needed was a victory against U-BT Cluj-Napoca on Tuesday night in order to secure home-court advantage in the eighthfinals of the 7DAYS EuroCup. Ante Tomic and Joel Parra took advantage of Cluj’s absences to dominate in the paint, as the hosts grabbed a convincing 104-81 win on home soil.
Despite Emanuel Cate pairing a season-high 13 boards with 14 points for a double-double, and Cluj outrebounding Joventut 31-36, the hosts' work inside was the key to its seventh victory in eight contests at Palau Olimpic de Badalona.
Parra made all 7 of his two-pointers, while Tomic went a perfect 5-for-5 in the paint. Joventut made a total of 30 two-pointers (30-of-41, 73.2% 2FG), which is its best tally this season and also its second-best mark of all time, following the 31 it made from inside the arc (31/56, 55.4%) in its 90-65 win over Siauliai on December 4, 2007, the year Joventut won the EuroCup.
Meanwhile, its 73.2% on two-pointers is its second-best mark since back on January 6, 2004, when Joventut beat Hapoel Jerusalem 84-77, recording an impressive 73.5% (25-of-34).
All but one of the Joventut players who featured in Tuesday’s game made at least 1 two-pointer apiece to help their team grab this important victory. After securing home-court advantage, Joventut will clinch a top-two finish in Group A in the event that 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys and Umana Reyer Venice lose to Germani Brescia and Frutti Extra Bursaspor, respectively, on Wednesday.