The competition’s debutant enjoyed a perfect curtain raiser on its home court to demolish a more experienced rival
Chemnitz routs Lietkabelis, 86-67, to earn maiden EuroCup win



NINERS Chemnitz lit up a packed gym in its first-ever BKT EuroCup game on home court with a comprehensive 86-67 Group B drubbing of Lietkabelis Panevezys in Round 2, making amends for a tough 89-86 overtime loss at Panionios Athens in the opener.
Ty Brewer scored 17 of his 19 points in the first half as Chemnitz romped to a 53-29 lead at the interval, taking the game by the scruff of the neck as the hosts shot 7 of 12 from long range and 10 of 13 from inside in the opening 20 minutes.
Kevin Yebo chipped in with 13 points for the home team, Nike Silende netted 12, Kostja Mushidi added 11 and Yordan Minchev amassed 10 to underline a flowing team effort as Chemnitz fired on all cylinders for three quarters before taking its foot off the gas in the last eight minutes of a lop-sided contest.
At the other end, Kristian Kullamae led Lietkabelis on 13 points while Jamel Morris scored 11 and Gabrielius Maldunas added 10 for the misfiring visitors, who netted a mere 5 of 25 shots from downtown and a very modest 20 of 48 from inside.
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The home fans created an electrifying atmosphere and the German side responded instantly, racing into a 28-17 lead at the end of the first quarter as Amadou Sow sank all nine of his points in the opening 10 minutes.
Brewer, who scored six points in the first period, took over as he drained several long-range shots in the second quarter as Chemnitz hit top gear and pulled away into an unassailable lead, throwing its noisy supporters into raptures.
Lietkabelis entered the second half with renewed purpose but Chemnitz held firm to protect its big lead as the hosts stood their ground thanks to tight defense. The Lithuanian side’s head coach Nenad Canak warned his players time and again that they were getting trapped into playing at Chemnitz’s pace, but to no avail as the visitors were unable to keep up with the German outfit’s high tempo.
The writing was on the wall for the visitors after their deficit swelled to 76-46 early in the fourth and only then did Chemnitz slow down to a certain extent, allowing Lietkabelis to slash the deficit as the hosts went through the motions in the last few minutes.
That did not spoil the jubilant mood in the gym, however, as the home supporters treated Chemnitz to a standing ovation and the German side showed the potential to be a surprise package in its inaugural EuroCup season.