Boulogne Metropolitans 92 was struggling through the middle of the regular season as the team was missing another scorer. Jordan McRae showed once again that he can carry the load in leading the team to an 86-78 victory over Joventut Badalona.

McRae gave Metropolitans a needed scoring boost

McRae poured in a game-high 24 points in Metropolitans' victory over the Group A leaders from Spain as he had his second straight big game. After scoring 18 points with 3 rebounds and 5 assists against Partizan NIS Belgrade, the EuroCup debutant set a personal best while also recording 2 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals and 1 block for a performance index rating of 25.

Jordan McRae scores career-high against Joventut

The swingman, who played three Turkish Airlines EuroLeague games for Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz in 2017-18, had a strong start to the season - at least after he tallied 2 points and 5 assists in Round 1 against Turk Telekom Ankara. McRae followed that with three straight double-digit scoring games, including 14 points against Dolomiti Energia Trento.

McRae, who will turn 31 on Monday, March 28, played in Round 5, but then missed the next eight games through injury. Metropolitans lost three of the first four of those contests. And now the forward is back to help give Metropolitans another scoring weapon.

Jordan McRae - Boulogne Metropolitans 92 (photo Olivier dAlmeida - Metropolitans) - EC21-RS16

Boulogne Metropolitans 92 v Joventut Badalona (2022-03-23T19:30:00.000Z)

Andrew Andrews has shown this season that he can explode and dominate a game. And the Frutti Extra Bursaspor guard did just that again in carrying the team to a 92-89 victory over Valencia Basket.

Valencia next team to be victimized by Andrews explosions

Andrews was more of a third scorer for most of the first three quarters alongside David Dudzinski and Derek Needham, who ended the game with 23 and 16 points respectively. But the 28-year-old Andrews took over the proceedings in the fourth quarter.

So far Andrews, who is making his EuroCup debut this season, torched Virtus Segafredo Bologna for 37 points in Round 10 and scored 27 points against Umana Reyer Venice, 24 versus Promitheas Patras and 22 points against Mincedelice JL Bourg en Bresse.

Andrews dominated the fourth quarter against Valencia

This time it was the Valencia defense's turn to get picked apart by Andrews. With his team down 67-72 with less than 7 minutes left, Andrews threw down a monster dunk. He followed that with a driving layup and 2 free throws to give Bursaspor the lead. He added a three-pointer and then followed later with a tough three-point play and the home side was ahead 83-77.

Andrews was not quite done as he added a tough jumper in the lane before converting 2 free throws with 20 seconds left for an 89-86 lead to all but lock up the win. All told, Andrews finished with 23 points including 16 points in the final 6:47 minutes. And the Bursaspor guard had another team to call his victim.

Andrew Andrews - Frutti Extra Bursaspor (photo Bursaspor) - EC21-RS11

Frutti Extra Bursaspor v Valencia Basket (2022-03-23T17:00:00.000Z)

Virtus Segafredo Bologna dominated on the road against Promitheas Patras, registering a 22-point win on Wednesday night.

Cordinier displayed All-EuroCup form in Virtus win

After scoring 36 points and holding a 6-point halftime lead, Virtus used a huge third quarter to break the game open. The visitors scored 32 points in the third quarter alone and turned a 30-36 halftime lead into an insurmountable 44-68 margin after 30 minutes.

"We had excellent looks that we did not finish, either because open shots did not go in or we did not finish in the paint with decisiveness", Coach Sergio Scariolo explained his team's first-half performance. "In the third quarter, we did it much better."

Cordnier took over in the third quarter in Patras

The key performer was forward Isaia Cordinier, who scored half of his game-high 22 points in the third quarter.

"Cordinier led us with his drives, attacking the rim with decisiveness and toughness. Then the rest of the guys followed", Scariolo pointed out.

Cordnier shot 7-of-8 on two-pointers and 1-of-4 from downtown. He also had 6 assists, 2 steals and 2 rebounds, for a season-high PIR 29. It was Cordnier's best performance in a Virtus jersey and reminiscent of his performances last season with his previous club Nanterre, where he earned All-EuroCup First Team honors. His 22 points were just 2 shy of his career-high and his PIR was 1 short of his career-best.

Such contributions from Cordinier could be a big factor for Virtus in the final weeks of the regular season as well as the EuroCup Playoffs.

Isaia Cordinier - Virtus Segafredo Bologna (photo Kostas Petsas - Patras) - EC21-RS16

Promitheas Patras v Virtus Segafredo Bologna (2022-03-23T17:15:00.000Z)

Dragisa Stojanovic beat everyone else in Round 16 with his team GileChampion-1. He had a Fantasy Challenge score of 217.35.

Dragisa had the following lineup: team captain Semaj Christon of ratiopharm Ulm, Maik Kotsar and Caleb Homesley of Hamburg Towers, Jaron Blossomgame also of Ulm and Mam Jaiteh of Virtus Segafredo Bologna as starters, Will Cummings of Boulogne Metropolitans 92 as sixth man and Nikos Rogkavopoulos of Promitheas Patras, Rade Zagorac of Partizan NIS Belgrade, Gani Erdi Gulaslan of Turk Telekom Ankara and Onuralp Bitim of Frutti Extra Bursaspor as bench players, as well as Sergio Scariolo of Virtus as head coach. As his prize for finishing first in Round 16, Dragisa wins a free subscription to Euroleague TV for the 2022-23 season!

The leader of the EuroCup Fantasy Challenge overall standings stands strong, as Daniel Gomes stays at the top with his team Lisboa Tugas which has 2921.47 points.

Trades are now open for Round 17. Remember, three trades are allowed before each round until the end of the regular season, and you can also trade your head coach.

The first game in Round 17, ratiopharm Ulm vs. Frutti Extra Bursaspor, is scheduled to tip off on Tuesday, March 29 at 19:30 CET, and thus mark next round's deadline.

Make new teams now or improve your existing ones and try to become our next round winner!

7DAYS EuroCup fans, we have a new winner in the EuroCup Fantasy Challenge!

EuroCup Fantasy Challenge Round 16 winner

Gran Canaria defeated Buducnost VOLI Podgorica 84-64 at home to move into the top spot in Group B. The teams' shooting numbers sum up the game well.  

Telling numbers: Shooting numbers tell the story of Gran Canaria's win 

Gran Canaria shot the ball really well from all angles and distances and held Buducnost to low shooting percentages in what was the biggest key to this game. The hosts made 21 of 30 two-point shots, and that 70% marked a season-high for Coach Porfirio Fisac's team. Its previous best was 69.7% two-point shooting against Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse in Round 4. Gran Canaria also shot the ball well from downtown, downing 11 of 26 three-pointers (42.3%). That contributed to Gran Canaria's 21 assists against 13 turnovers.

Telling numbers: Metropolitans' offense solved stubborn Joventut defense

Joventut entered the game with the number one defense in points allowed (69.5), opponent’s two-point shooting percentage (47.2%) and opponent’s three-point shooting (30.7%) while ranking third in fewest assists allowed at 15.5. The only stat of that quartet that held true against Metropolitans was long-range shooting as the home side made just 4 of 18 threes (22.2%).

Four Metropolitans players scored in double figures - topped by Jordan McRae's 24 points - as the hosts amassed 86 points - the second-most allowed by Joventut this season only to an 87-77 loss at Lietkabelis Panevezys in Round 6. Metropolitans shot 64.0% on two-pointers with McRae, Will Cummings, Tomer Ginat and Miralem Halilovic combining to shoot 29 of 43 (67.4%). The French side dished out 21 assists - including 6 by Cummings and 4 from McRae.

Gran Canaria moved into first place in Group B by downing Buducnost VOLI Podgorica 84-64 at home on Wednesday. 

Gran Canaria moves atop Group B after beating Buducnost 84-64

Gran Canaria improved to 12-4 in the standings and needs one more win - or Valencia Basket to lose once - to clinch the top spot for the regular season. Buducnost dropped to 9-7. With this win, Gran Canaria locked at least a second-place finish in Group B and with it home-court advantage in the eighthfinals and - if it gets that far - the quarterfinals. Olek Balcerowski led the winners with 15 points. Dylan Ennis added 14, Nico Brussino had 13 and John Shurna 11 for Gran Canaria. D.J. Seeley paced Buducnost with 19 points and Justin Cobbs added 12. 

Marko Jagodic-Kuridza got Buducnost going with a three-pointer and Edin Atic also struck from downtown in a 0-9 opening run that Kendrick Perry capped with a turnaround jumper. Andrew Albicy buried a jumper and fed Balcerowski for a dunk. Khalifa Diop hit a jump hook and Miquel Salvo got the hosts even closer, 8-9. Balcerowski struck from downtown to complete Gran Canaria's comeback, 11-10. Salvo took over with a three-point play and Balcerowski added a turnaround jumper, but Cobbs singlehandedly kept Buducnost within 16-15 after 10 minutes. 

 

Willie Reed dunked early in the second quarter. Javi Lopez matched it with a put-back floater. Balcerowski followed a fastbreak slam with a layup that caused Buducnost to call timeout at 22-17. Seeley followed a three-pointer with a mid-range jumper to bring Buducnost within 24-22. Zoran Nikolic took over with a tip-in and a red-hot Seeley scored in penetration to give Buducnost a 24-26 edge. Brussino found his first points and Pustovyi matched Zoran Nikolic's dunk with a jumper. Perry hit a triple and Jagodic-Kuridza added a turnaround jumper, but Brussino kept Gran Canaria within 32-33. Pustovyi followed a jumper with a put-back layup, giving the hosts a 36-33 edge at halftime. 

Pustovyi scored down low soon after the break and Ennis matched Reed's tip-in with a jumper that boosted the lead to 40-35. Cobbs hit a floater and then Albicy followed a driving layup with a three-pointer for a 45-37 Gran Canaria margin. Reed kept pushing Buducnost with a jump hook and Seeley struck from beyond the arc to give the visitors hope at 45-42. Shurna nailed a catch-and-shoot triple which Ennis followed with a fastbreak layup to keep the hosts out of trouble, 50-42. Brussino and Ennis also struck from downtown to cap an 11-1 run. Shurna took over with a three-point play and a bomb from downtown in transition, breaking the game open, 62-45, after 30 minutes. 

 

Shurna scored again early in the fourth quarter. Seeley and Ennis traded three-pointers and Perry also struck from downtown to bring Buducnost within 67-51. Lopez joined the three-point shootout. Petar Popovic buried a baseline jumper and Ennis made it 72-53 with less than 6 minutes remaining. Seeley banked in a running shot and soon brought Buducnost within 73-57. Brussino scored in penetration and by the time Balcerowski buried a three-pointer, Gran Canaria was well on its way to a very important win. 

Dylan Ennis 3- Gran Canaria (photo Gran Canaria) - EC21-RS16

Boulogne Metropolitans 92 grabbed an important victory in its fight for home-court advantage for the first knock-out stage by knocking off Joventut Badalona 86-78 at home in Group A. 

Metropolitans outlast Joventut, 86-68

Metropolitans won its fifth game in the last six to improve to 9-5 - including a 7-1 record at home. Jordan McRae paced the winners with 24 points, Will Cummings poured in 18 points with 6 assists, Tomer Ginat added 17 points and Miralem Halilovic 14 in the win. Joventut dropped its second straight road game to fall to 11-4. Simon Birgander led the visitors with 16 points, 8 rebounds and 4 blocks, Brandon Paul scored 12 points, Derek Willis had 11 and Paul Ribas and Guillem Vives chipped in 10 points each in the loss.

Simon Birgander opened the game for the visitors with a dunk and Joel Parra made it 2-6 after 2 minutes of action. The Joventut offense fell apart with 6 turnovers over the next 5 minutes while Jordan McRae scored 8 points in a 12-0 run to give Metropolitans a 14-6 lead. Pep Busquets stopped the drought and Derek Wilis scored 4 points before Vladimir Brodziansky’s three-point play trimmed the deficit to 20-15 after 10 minutes.

 

McRae’s next score pushed the advantage to 24-15. Brodziansky netted Joventut’s first points in the second quarter and Pau Ribas and Guillem Vives followed with three-pointers as the group leader got within 26-23. Steeve Ho-You-Fat converted a four-point play for Metropolitans only to see Birgander score 4 points and Ribas knock down another triple as Joventut closed to 35-32. McRae continued his outstanding game with a three-point play as the hosts extended the cushion to 40-32. Joventut finished the first half strong with a 1-8 spurt to go into the break down 41-40.

Birgander and Vives scored the first 4 points of the second half and Joventut led 41-44. Metropolitans missed 9 of its first 10 three-pointers of the game until Lahaou Konate’s triple put the guests back ahead. Vives responded from deep and the game went back and forth with five lead changes until Metropolitans put together a 10-2 surge, including a Ginat three-pointer, for a 60-53 cushion. McRae also hit from deep as the host’s cushion swelled to 65-57 before it was 65-59 after 30 minutes.

 

Metropolitans had the stronger start to the fourth quarter with Bandja Sy’s dunk giving the home side its first double-digit lead, 72-62. Willis countered with 5 points and Joventut would not go away down 74-69. Cummings made a layup and fed Ginat to push the gap to 9 with 3 minutes to play. Paul hit 3 free throws at the other end, but Ginat converted 4 points and it was an 84-74 lead with 81 seconds remaining. Cummings added a layup as Joventut could not get the defensive stops it needed for the road win.

Will Cummings 2- Boulogne Metropolitans 92 (photo Olivier dAlmeida - Metropolitans) - EC21-RS16

If you are playing a direct rival for an early playoffs berth, you could not ask for a better way to start the game than Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana enjoyed on Wednesday in its Group B home match against Umana Reyer Venice. 

Telling numbers: First quarter lit a fuse for Cedevita

A pair of three-pointers by Yogi Ferrell and Jaka Blazic lit a fuse that turned an 8-0 start into a 28-10 thrashing at the end of 10 minutes. Reyer never got it under the 15-point final difference, 105-90, the rest of the night. But the final score disguises the fact that this was never a game. In fact, Cedevita came to lead by 32 points, 82-50, late in the third quarter, before taking its foot off the gas pedal, getting stuck on 105 points for the last 2 minutes after Zach Auguste dunked an alley-oop pass.

Had someone been keeping track at courtside, Cedevita might have broken its club scoring record in the 7DAYS EuroCup, but instead settled for tying it with 105 points, as it did another club record, 26 assists. The team's final 136 performance index rating was its second-best effort ever and its 47 rebounds (to just 28 for Reyer) rank fourth in the club's EuroCup history.

Fortunately, Cedevita did more than tie one club record by downing 34 two-point shots on 70.8% accuracy inside the arc. Not only is that the most two-pointers in club history, but also the most by any EuroCup team since October of 2018. Auguste was a perfect 9-for-9 on two-pointers and Edo Muric 5-for-5. Only one Cedevita player missed more than two shots all night.

Playoff battles aren't supposed to see such dominance, but on this night, from the tipoff, there was no stopping Cedevita.

If you are playing a direct rival for an early playoffs berth, you could not ask for a better way to start the game than Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana enjoyed on Wednesday in its Group B home match against Umana Reyer Venice. 


Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana v Umana Reyer Venice (2022-03-23T19:00:00.000Z)

Edo Muric - Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (photo Ales Ferves - Cedevita) - EC21