Andorra prevented Gran Canaria from pulling the trigger from downtown with its usual efficiency, which was the key to this game. Gran Canaria was only able to make 6 of 21 three-pointers. Its shooting percentage from downtown, 28.6%, was a season-low. None of those missed shots were more important than the one A.J. Slaughter took almost at the buzzer, a potential game-winner. On the other hand, Andorra buried 10 of 27 three-pointers - a much higher percentage, 37.0%.

Telling numbers: Andorra stopped Gran Canaria's shooters

Gran Canaria v MoraBanc Andorra (2022-04-26T19:00:00.000Z)

David Jelinek - MoraBanc Andorra (photo Gran Canaria) - EC21-QF

Virtus came into the game shooting 35.7% from long range - ranking 12th in the EuroCup - but Coach Sergio Scariolo watched as his troops converted just 2 of 23 three-pointers (8.3%). It was the second time that Virtus made just two triples - matching its 2-of-11 showing against FMP Belgrade in December 2003. The 8.3% set a new club low, eclipsing the 14.8% against Promitheas Patras in October 2019.

What saved Virtus was that it crashed the offensive glass in collecting 19 offensive rebounds - 3 off the club’s record - with Mam Jaiteh grabbing 6 of them. Ulm had 15 offensive rebounds, but Virtus had a 19-11 advantage in second-chance points.

 

Virtus also made Ulm pay for its 15 turnovers as the home team finished with a 21-12 advantage in points off turnovers with Virtus losing the ball just 6 times.

Virtus Segafredo Bologna survived an absolute nightmare three-point shooting night thanks to offensive rebounds that led to second-chance points in an 83-77 win over ratiopharm Ulm.

Telling numbers: Second-chance points made up for Virtus's three-point woes 

Virtus Segafredo Bologna v ratiopharm Ulm (2022-04-26T19:00:00.000Z)

Mam Jaiteh - Virtus Segafredo Bologna (photo Matteo Marchi - Virtus) - EC21-QF

Andorra reached the semifinals for the second time in club history; it previously reached this stage in 2019 and lost to ALBA Berlin. Andorra trailed 67-57 with over 8 minutes remaining, but Codi Miller-McIntyre and David Jelinek brought the visitors back in the game and Clevin Hannah made the difference in crunch time. Jelinek and Miller-McIntyre paced the winners with 17 points apiece. Hannah added 15 and Nacho Llovet had 10 for Andorra. Artem Pustovyi paced Gran Canaria with 12 points. Nicolas Brussino added 11 and Andrew Albicy and Miquel Salvo each had 10 for the hosts.

Victor Arteaga got Andorra going with a fastbreak dunk and Oriol Pauli added a put-back slam for a 0-4 lead. Arteaga erased Artem Pustovyi's layup with his second dunk and soon scored again to keep the guests in charge, 4-8. Pustovyi banked in a jump hook and Albicy matched Crawford's triple with his own shot from downtown, bringing Gran Canaria within 9-11. Crawford kept pacing the visitors and Clevin Hannah buried a jumper but Brussino and Albicy each struck from beyond the arc to tie the game, 15-15. Brussino and Balcerowski each banked in a close shot in an 8-0 run that Dylan Ennis capped with a fastbreak layup. David Jelinek buried a corner triple to fix the score at 23-20 after 10 minutes.

 

Balcerowski ignited the crowd with an alley-oop slam and soon banked in an off-balance shot for a 27-20 Gran Canaria lead early in the second quarter. A.J. Slaughter downed a three-pointer to make it a double-digit game, 30-20. Jelinek and Nacho Llovet each buried a three-pointer, giving Andorra fresh air at 30-26. Llovet took over with a reverse layup which Jelinek followed with a fastbreak basket, prompting the hosts to call timeout at 32-31. Miquel Salvo rescued Gran Canaria with 4 quick points and Stevic matched Arteaga's tip-in with a layup. Stevic ignited the crowd with a dunk and Pustovyi added an alley-oop slam to establish a 42-35 Gran Canaria lead at halftime.

Brussino took over with a four-point play soon after the break and Albicy sent a wild between-the-legs pass to Khalifa Diop, who threw it down for a 48-35 Gran Canaria margin. Hannah followed a triple with a driving layup to give Andorra hope at 48-40. Stevic stepped up for the hosts, getting help from Slaughter to boost the lead to 52-41. After Crawford scored in transition, Olumuyiwa added a layup and Miller-McIntyre followed a close basket with a three-pointer to bring Andorra within 58-51. Hannah silenced the crowd with a three-point play and Jelinek hit a triple but Ennis answered from downtown to give Gran Canaria a 63-60 edge after 30 minutes.

 

Pustovyi scored in the paint early in the fourth quarter and Salvo added a reverse layup to give Gran Canaria a double-digit margin, 67-57. Miller-McIntyre tried to change things with a three-pointer, a layup off a steal and a driving basket. He soon fed Jelinek for a triple that tied the game, 69-69, with over 6 minutes left. Jelinek insisted from downtown to complete Andorra's comeback, 71-72. Pustovyi dunked, John Shurna added a close basket and Albicy scored in penetration for a 77-74 Gran Canaria lead. Hannah made 5 free throws to push Andorra ahead 77-79 lead with 1:07 left. Gran Canaria struggled to score when it mattered most but got the ball back with 5.4 seconds left. Slaughter missed from downtown at the buzzer, allowing Andorra to celebrate a historic win.

MoraBanc Andorra stormed into the EuroCup Semifinals by downing Gran Canaria, 77-79, on the road on Tuesday. 

Andorra edges Gran Canaria, 77-79, to advance

Nacho Llovet - MoraBanc Andorra (photo Gran Canaria) - EC21-QF

Facing an Ulm team that last week stunned top-seeded Joventut Badalona, Virtus scored the final 10 points of the game to lock up the win and a last four showdown with the winner between Valencia Basket and Boulogne Metropolitans 92. Jaiteh led all scorers with a career-high 27 points and 11 rebounds while Milos Teodosic chipped in 7 points and 8 assists. Jaron Blossomgame poured in 22 points for Ulm, which did not score in the final 3:28 minutes. Semaj Christon added 15 points and 7 assists and Thomas Klepeisz contributed 14 points.

Kyle Weems started the scoring for the hosts and Christon answered at the other end. Four points from Jaiteh pushed the lead to 6-2 with Blossomgame knocking down a triple for Ulm. Virtus’s offense continued to execute with 4 points from Toko Shengelia and Milos Teodosic’s three-point play made it 17-11. Alessandro Pajola added a three-pointer and the margin was 22-13. An unsportsmanlike foul on Virtus resulted in 4 Ulm points, but Virtus was up 25-17 after 10 minutes.

 

Marco Belinelli’s layup opened the second quarter and increased the advantage to double figures, 27-17. Virtus was held scoreless for 3 minutes during which 5 points from Blossomgame pulled Ulm within 27-26. Jaiteh stopped the drought only to see Thomas Klepeisz drain a three-pointer and Ulm went ahead for the first time, 29-31. Jaiteh proved to be a real problem with 5 more points to get Virtus back ahead 34-31. Klepeisz remained hot with 2 more triples and the visitors led 34-37. Blossomgame’s third three-pointer had Ulm in front 36-40. Jaiteh continued his strong contest in evening the game 40-40, but Christon’s jumper sent Ulm into the locker room ahead 43-45.

Shengelia knocked down a three-pointer to start the second half and Jaiteh pushed it to 48-45. Ulm needed more than 3 minutes to finally score on a Nicolas Bretzel putback. Christon tallied twice to get Ulm’s offense rolling and another Blossomgame triple pushed the visitors back ahead 54-56. The cushion swelled to 56-61. Virtus did not let Ulm pull away as Jakarr Sampson came up with two big three-point plays and Daniel Hackett hit a buzzer-beater that put the hosts up 67-62 after 30 minutes.

 

Isaia Cordnier exploded for a dunk to start the fourth quarter. Blossomgame knocked down 2 more three-pointers and Klepeisz also hit from deep as the visitors went back ahead 71-72. Sindarius Thornwell joined the three-point party and Christon’s jumper gave Ulm a 73-77 cushion with 3:28 minutes left in the game. Jaiteh would not let Virtus go down without a fight with 8 straight points and Virtus found itself up 81-77 with 40 seconds left. Hackett added 2 free throws with 14 seconds to all but seal the outcome. 

Virtus Segafredo Bologna withstood a serious challenge and defeated ratiopharm Ulm 83-77 to reach the 7DAYS EuroCup Semifinals. 

Virtus fights off Ulm, 83-77, to reach semis

Milos Teodosic - Virtus Segafredo Bologna (photo Matteo Marchi - Virtus) - EC21-QF

This is what the protagonists had to say after the quarterfinals showdown between Virtus Segafredo Bologna and ratiopharm Ulm.

Post-game quotes: Virtus vs. Ulm

### Sergio Scariolo, Virtus Segafredo Bologna head coach:

“First, let me congratulate Ulm and Jaka and the team. They had a great playoffs. They showed tonight why they were able to beat the No. 1 seed in the previous round. They were focused, they made shots, they never gave up, they used their physicality. And this is really a matter of pride, being such a competitive team. On our side, I think we played a very bad defensive second quarter. For the rest of the game, our defense was good and at times in the second half, it was really, really good. We regained control of the rebounds in the second half and forced turnovers. We contained a little bit better their shooters. We missed a lot of excellent shots and our shooting percentage for threes (8.3%) was like, wow, is this the main mistake here? Was there anything wrong here? But we scored 83 points basically without making a three-pointer and we will take it. We of course have to trust our open shots. We did an excellent job to create them and trust that those will go in in the next game. That’s it. Congratulations to our fans. They were a real factor and the players after the game wanted to thank them. That was not the final celebration because our EuroCup is starting next week. It was a way of showing to our fans our gratitude and appreciation for their continued support for our 40 minutes.”

### Jaka Lakovic, ratiopharm Ulm head coach:

“Congratulations to Bologna for the win and advancing to the semifinals. I thought it was a tough game, physical - exactly what we expected. And it was decided with details. I thought when they were making a break in the last quarter we didn’t use the small fouls wisely. And after that, offensive rebounds and putbacks just punished us. And that was the game. Details in these big games are crucial. So that was the game. I want to congratulate my players, my team for the game they had, for the playoffs they had and where they came from the start of the season to today. I’m really, really proud of my guys, and they deserve all my congratulations."

### Mam Jaiteh, Virtus Segafredo Bologna center:

“The key of the game was defense. I think we were able to get the right stops at the right time. These games with these situations are very difficult. The situation of one game - do or die - it’s very hard. But I am very happy and very proud of what we have done. We are still very hungry and have a lot of ambition. We want to get to the end. It’s one game. We need to enjoy tonight but we need to stay focused and be ready for the next one.”

Sergio Scariolo - Virtus Segafredo Bologna (photo Matteo Marchi - Virtus) - EC21-EF

This is what the protagonists had to say after the quarterfinals showdown between Gran Canaria and MoraBanc Andorra.

Post-game quotes: Gran Canaria vs. Andorra

### MoraBanc Andorra head coach Oscar Quintana:

"It was a balanced game. We started it well, unlike in my previous two games with the team, in which it was hard for us to get our rhythm. Granca used its second unit to change the game's rhythm and take it where they wanted it. We were able to bounce back at the end of the second quarter, keeping their difference under 10 points. After that, we did a good job in the third quarter which was not reflected in the scoreboard, because we worked well on offense and defense. We got the reward for our good work in the fourth quarter. We improved our defense, rebounded better and didn't make unforced errors which Gran Canaria capitalized. The team had a lot of confidence after that and was able to close the game. For us, it is very important for our mentality - being able to win close games, getting confidence and taking pressure off the players."

### Gran Canaria head coach Porfi Fisac:

"We knew it would be a very close game because they are a very solid team defensively, with clear ideas of who should take big shots on offense. They have players that do great, team-oriented work. We were able to control the game and its rhythm, even take early leads, maybe too early in certain moments. In the end, it was a do-or-die game and they played better in the final minutes. We made a series of consecutive decisions which were not the right ones. The format is what it is and we respect it, of course. It was seen in the eighthfinals and it happens: you can do a great job in the regular season and it goes down to a do-or-die game. You can think of what you can achieve, but what you have to do every day and we didn't keep our feet on the ground. In the end, it is a high-intensity game and you have to give credit to the players, who were excited about this game, just as everybody else. We were not able to play well when the opponent got closer and even took the lead. Maybe it is a matter of experience, maybe a matter of looking for responsibilities elsewhere but in that sense, the responsibility is mine. I was not able to make the right choices when the team had the lead, and I assume it."

### MoraBanc Andorra guard Codi Miller-McIntyre: 

"We feel amazing. It has been a tough year for us in the Spanish League and in the EuroCup a little bit, so to come out here and play against a team like Gran Canaria, get the win and move to the next level, the next game in the playoffs, means a lot for all of us. We have to keep it up and continue to take that step forwards as a team." 

Oscar Quintana - MoraBanc Andorra (photo Gran Canaria) - EC21-QF

[Virtus Segafredo Bologna 83-77 ratiopharm Ulm](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2021-22/virtus-segafredo-bologna-ratiopharm-ulm/U2021/189/)

Virtus withstood a serious challenge to defeat Ulm 83-77 and reach the 7DAYS EuroCup Semifinals. Facing an Ulm team that last week stunned top-seeded Joventut Badalona, Virtus scored the final 10 points to lock up the win and a last-four showdown against the winner of Wednesday's game between Valencia Basket and Boulogne Metropolitans 92. Mam Jaiteh led all scorers with a career-high 27 points and 11 rebounds while Milos Teodosic chipped in 7 points and 8 assists. Jaron Blossomgame poured in 22 points for Ulm, which did not score in the final 3:28 minutes.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Weems FLIES in for the crucial block🔥<a href="https://twitter.com/Virtusbo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Virtusbo</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/7DAYSMagicMoment?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#7DAYSMagicMoment</a> <a href="https://t.co/1u5elDulTz">pic.twitter.com/1u5elDulTz</a></p>&mdash; 7DAYS EuroCup (@EuroCup) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroCup/status/1519058940792770560?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 26, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[Gran Canaria 77-79 MoraBanc Andorra](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2021-22/gran-canaria-morabanc-andorra/U2021/191/)

Andorra stormed into the semifinals by downing Gran Canaria 77-79 on the road, thus reaching the semifinals for the second time in club history. Andorra trailed 67-57 with over 8 minutes remaining but Codi Miller-McIntyre and David Jelinek brought the visitors back and Clevin Hannah made the difference in crunch time. Jelinek and Miller-McIntyre paced the winners with 17 points apiece and Hannah added 15. Artem Pustovyi paced Gran Canaria with 12 points. Andorra will face the winner of Wednesday's game between Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana and Frutti Extra Bursaspor in the semifinals. 

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/oriolpauli7?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@oriolpauli7</a> put-back slam!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/7DAYSMagicMoment?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#7DAYSMagicMoment</a> <a href="https://t.co/enVPvAowcw">pic.twitter.com/enVPvAowcw</a></p>&mdash; 7DAYS EuroCup (@EuroCup) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroCup/status/1519030718466199553?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 26, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Game Night: Virtus holds on, Andorra KO's Gran Canaria to reach semis

Clevin Hannah - MoraBanc Andorra (photo Gran Canaria) - EC21-QF

### Boulogne Metropolitans 92 head coach Vincent Collet:

"It is the second offensive team of the whole EuroCup and the strongest team in rebounds. It means that for us, there will be a battle in which we will have to limit them. We have already suffered on several occasions. It's going to require extra effort and very important vigilance, we know that this is indeed a point that is going to be really crucial. Our ability to limit them, to resist in this area, we would increase our chances of winning. After that will not be enough to control the rebound. We will also have to defend very well, as always in this type of match, but even more so because attack is one of their strong points. It's a team that has a lot of weapons in attack, that's what is complicated above all. They have big ones who step aside, big ones who post. They have defenders who can both shoot and drive, they really have a lot of attacking qualities. So our defense, a bit like what we did last Wednesday, will really have to be at its best there too to slow them down and limitate them."

Here are some insighthful comments about the game from the protagonists themselves.

Pre-game quotes: Valencia vs. Metropolitans 92

Valencia Basket v Boulogne Metropolitans 92 (2022-04-27T18:30:00.000Z)

Vincent Collet - Boulogne Metropolitans 92 (photo Martin Imatge - Andorra) - EC21-RS17

The winningest team in the history of the 7DAYS EuroCup will take on an up-and-coming squad for a ticket to the semifinals when Valencia Basket hosts Boulogne Metropolitans 92 in the final quarterfinal game to tip off. 

Breakdown: Valencia Basket vs. Boulogne Metropolitans 92

### Let the big dogs eat

Both of these teams have relied on their star power and depth in the frontcourt this season and relied on that in the eighthfinals, too. Centers Bojan Dubljevic, Mike Tobey, Jasiel Rivero and Jaime Pradilla have been forces inside for Valencia all season long. Rivero was the star of the eighthfinals win over Hamburg Towers with 21 points on near-perfect shooting. Valencia outrebounded Hamburg 38-23, scored 26 second-chance points and made 71.4% of its two-pointers.

Metropolitans will turn to the quartet of Vince Hunter, Tomer Ginat, Miralem Halilovic and Bandja Sy I the paint. That foursome combined for 38 points, 28 rebounds and 3 blocks against Umana Reyer Venice in the eighthfinals. As a result, Metropolitans controlled the rebounding battle 41-29 and limited Reyer to 42.9% shooting on twos. 

Watch the Game Highlights from VALENCIA BASKET vs. Hamburg Towers, 04/20/2022

Valencia Basket vs Hamburg Towers | Highlights | Eightfinals

### The importance of home-court advantage

Few teams in any sport can boast the type of record at home that Valencia has. Since the inception of the EuroCup, the club has gone 95-13 at home in the competition, which is an 88.0% winning percentage. It has had perfect seasons at home five times, including a 12-9 record in 2018-19 when it last lifted the EuroCup. It has another unbeaten season too; in the 2004-05 campaign, Valencia was 7-0-1 at home. It tied Joventut Badalona 85-85 in the second leg of their two-game total-points series after winning the first on the road. When the games get more meaningful, Valencia is even better with a 26-3-1 record in playoff or elimination round games. Its only losses came in the 2013 semifinals at the hands of Locomotive Kuban Krasnodar, in the 2015 quarterfinals against Khimki Moscow Region and in the decisive third game of the 217 finals against Unicaja Malaga.

Meanwhile, Metropolitans will be looking for its first-ever EuroCup victory on Spanish soil. To date, it was routed by Valencia, 98-52, in November 2013, when the club was known as Paris Levallois. Valencia forward Louis Labeyrie played for Paris in that game. In the 2014-15 season opener, CAI Zaragoza edged Paris 77-76. Last season, again in the season opener, Metropolitans lost 96-88 at Unicaja Malaga and was later eliminated with a 66-64 defeat at Gran Canaria in the quarterfinals. In Round 7 this season, Metropolitans fell to 0-5 in Spain with an 86-63 loss at Joventut Badalona. The club did achieve its first road win against a club from the Spanish League when it bested MoraBanc Andorra in Round 17. 

### A former champion will advance

There will assuredly be a former EuroCup winner in the semifinals. Valencia Basket, the winningest team in competition history, features four players from the squad that lifted the trophy in 2019: 

Bojan Dubljevic, Louis Labeyrie, Mike Tobey and Sam Van Rossom. Moreover, Victor Claver helped Valencia win the EuroCup in 2010.  Dubljevic, who won the EuroCup in 2014, too, is a two-time EuroCup Rising Star and a four-time All-EuroCup selection. Claver is also a former EuroCup Rising Star.

Will Cummings is the only former EuroCup champion on the Metropolitans roster. He conquered the competition in 2018 with Darussafaka Istanbul. Vince Hunter, who reached the EuroCup Semifinals last season with Virtus Segafredo Bologna, was named to last season’s All-EuroCup Second Team. So regardless of which team wins, the semifinals will feature at least one former champion and one previous All-EuroCup selection.

Watch the Game Highlights from Levallois Metropolitans vs. Umana Reyer Venice, 04/20/2022

Boulogne Metropolitans 92 vs Umana Reyer Venice | Highlights | Eightfinals

### Major milestones

The players on these teams feature four of the top 40 scorers in EuroCup history. Bojan Dubljevic is the all-time leading scorer with 1,595 points and his title is not in any immediate jeopardy with the closest active player in the playoffs, A.J. Slaughter of Gran Canaria, checking in at seventh place with 1,189 points. Valencia point guard San Van Rossom is 29th with 925 points. He needs 24 more to catch Justin Cobbs of Buducnost VOLI Podgorica for 25th place. Valencia’s injured swingman Klemen Prepelic is tied for 31st with 913 points. 

Will Cummings of Metropolitans entered 40th place in the eighthfinals and has 880 points to his credit. He needs 20 more to become the 37th player with 900 points in the EuroCup. Van Rossom is sixth all-time with 374 career assists. Albert Oliver is sixth with 393. Cummings is 50th on that list with 215. Van Rossom is tied with Marko Marinovic for ninth with 164 career triples and needs 3 more to catch Demond Mallet for eighth. Prepelic is 14th with 152 and Dubljevic 18th with 143.