Round 13 MVP Mathias Lessort of Partizan NIS Belgrade led all rebounders by pulling down 12 against MoraBanc Andorra. Kerem Kanter of Slask Wroclaw is currently atop the rebounds table at 8.7 per night. Alessandro Pajola of Virtus Segafredo Bologna and Guillem Vives of Joventut Badalona had 9 assists each in Round 13. Milos Teodosic of Virtus leads the assists table at 8.1 per game. Kevarrius Hayes of Frutti Extra Bursaspor collected 4 steals, more than anybody else, in this round. His teammate Derek Needham is first overall at 2.0 per game. Simon Birgander of Joventut had 3 blocks against Turk Telekom Ankara to lead the weekly standings. Octavius Ellis of Turk Telekom ranks first in blocks at 1.6 per night. Lessort – 18 points, 12 rebounds – was the only player to register a double-double in Round 12.

Jaron Blossongame of ratiopharm Ulm was this round's top scorer, getting 29 points in a losing effort against Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana. Errick McCollum of Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar remains as the competition's top scorer at 22.3 points per game.

Individual highs: Simon Birgander, Joventut, 3 blocks 

Simon Birgander - Joventut Badalona - (photo David Grau - Joventut) EC21

Basilis Michos beat everyone else in Round 13 with his team Bilaros B. He had a Fantasy Challenge score of 232.20.

Basilis had the following lineup: Kerem Kanter of Slask Wroclaw, Mathias Lessort of Partizan NIS Belgrade, Jaron Blossomgame of ratiopharm Ulm, Will Cummings of Boulogne Metropolitans 92 and Errick McCollum of Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar as starters, Caleb Homesley of Hamburg Towers as sixth man and Nikos Rogkavopoulos of Promitheas Patras, Vytenis Lipevicius and Dovydas Giedraitis of Lietkabels Panevezys, Erdi Gulaslan of Turk Telekom Ankara as bench players, as well as Dusan Alimpijevic of Frutti Extra Bursaspor as head coach. As his prize for finishing first in Round 13, Basilis wins a free subscription to Euroleague TV for the 2022-23 season!

The leader of the [EuroCup Fantasy Challenge](https://eurocupfantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/) overall standings is a new face, as Daniel Gomes claims the top spot with his team Lisboa Tugas which has 2439.50 points.

Trades are now open for Round 14. 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 14, Lietkabelis Panevezys vs. Partizan NIS Belgrade, is scheduled to tip off on Tuesday, March 8 at 18:00 CET, and thus marks 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 13 winner

Virtus protected the paint well, as Valencia only made 15 of its 40 two-point shots. That 37.5% is Valencia's fourth-lowest two-point shooting percentage in over 100 EuroCup home games. Valencia did not do much better from downtown, making 10 of 28 three-point shots (35.7%). Virtus had more assists (20) and fewer turnovers (12) than its opponent, as Valencia had 19 assists and 14 turnovers, 8 of those in the third quarter in which the visitors took a double-digit margin. Valencia never gave up, pushed by a great atmosphere, and it can be seen in the stats, too. 

Telling numbers: Rebounds, free throws were critical for Valencia

Valencia Basket v Virtus Segafredo Bologna (2022-02-09T19:45:00.000Z)

Mike Tobey - Valencia Basket (photo Miguel Angel Polo - Valencia) - EC21

Coach Zeljko Obradovic watched his team miss its first 8 three-point attempts before Aleksa Avramovic connected with 3 minutes left in the first half. Take away the dismal first 17 minutes from the outside, Partizan ended up shooting 9 of 16 on three-pointers (56.3%). The team’s full-game three-point percentage was 37.5%, which in its own right was a good bit better than the 33.0% Partizan had averaged coming into the game. That left Partizan ranked 16th in the EuroCup from long range before taking on Andorra.

The biggest point about Partizan’s attack from deep is that it wasn't exactly needed. Avramovic’s second quarter three-pointer made it 39-27 as Partizan had already been using the amazing crowd energy and strong defense to take a good-sized lead. \
Instead, Partizan’s three-pointers served as backbreakers any time Andorra tried to come back.

\
Andorra was within 6 points in the third quarter and then Uros Trifunovic hit a three-pointer and was followed by a pair of Zach LeDay triples and Yam Madar’s three-pointer just before the end of the third quarter to lead by 15 points - 69-54. Madar opened the fourth quarter with a triple and then when Andorra trimmed the deficit to 10 points, Partizan got a three-pointer from Kevin Punter in the decisive 12-0 run to put the game away for good.

Partizan NIS Belgrade does not lack talent, but one area the team has struggled this season is from deep. The Serbian side woke up from a bad start shooting three-pointers and bombed its way to a 95-70 victory over MoraBanc Andorra and a spot in the playoffs.

Telling numbers: Partizan puts Andorra to bed with threes

Partizan NIS Belgrade v MoraBanc Andorra (2022-02-09T19:30:00.000Z)

Aleksa Avramovic - Partizan NIS Belgrade (photo Dragana Stjepanovic - Partizan) - EC21

The victory gave Partizan a 9-4 record in Group A. After losing its previous two games, Partizan pulled away for good with a 12-0 fourth-quarter run. Zach LeDay paced Partizan with 20 points and Mathias Lessort collected 18 points and 12 rebounds. Kevin Punter poured in 16 points, Yam Madar chipped in 15 and Uros Trifunovic added 12 points in the victory - Partizan’s sixth in six home games. Andorra dropped to 6-6 with its fourth loss in the last five games. Clevin Hannah scored 17 points in defeat, Victor Arteaga added 16 and Oriol Pauli contributed 13.

Punter’s free throws to start the game were matched by Hannah’s jumper for the guests. Partizan was strong early, especially with Punter and LeDay, who combined for 9 points as the hosts opened a 16-7 lead. Andorra went inside to the big man Arteaga and pulled within 18-14. Punter scored another jumper and Partizan led 24-16 after 10 minutes.

Codi Miller-McIntyre opened the scoring in the second quarter for Andorra while Partizan needed nearly 2 minutes before its first points, coming on the first points in the EuroCup by newly-acquired teenage talent Tristan Vukcevic. Lessort began to impose his will with back-to-back baskets for Partizan and the big man’s putback had Partizan back up by 9. Lessort picked up another score off an offensive rebound and then assisted on Aleksa Avramovic’s three-pointer - Partizan’s first triple after missing its first 8 attempts from long range - to open a 39-27 advantage. Hannah hit a second three-pointer for Andorra and Arteaga scored just before the buzzer to make it 45-35 at the break.

Mario Nakic scored the first points of the second half to give the visitors a good start. Trifunovic answered with a dunk only to see Hannah and Nakic both hit three-pointers. Trifunovic responded with a triple and Partizan led 56-45 after 4 straight points from LeDay. A triple by LeDay increased the gap to 14 points. Pauli hit a three-pointer for the visitors, but LeDay and Madar both drained triples and Partizan led 69-54 after 30 minutes.

 

Madar picked up right where he left off with a three-pointer to start the fourth quarter. LeDay added free throws and the cushion swelled to 20 points. Andorra tried to chip away with Nacho Llovet and Pauli both converting three-point plays and Pauli making free throws to make it a 10-point game with just under 6 minutes left. Llovet was charged with a technical, which Punter converted from the line and then made a jumper to start the run that would decide it, with Lessort adding 4 points and Punter draining a three-pointer in a 12-0 surge to make it 88-66 and end all doubts.

Partizan NIS Belgrade booked its spot in the playoffs by knocking off MoraBanc Andorra 95-70 at home on Wednesday.

Partizan beats Andorra and grabs playoff spot

Yam Madar - Partizan NIS Belgrade (photo Dragana Stjepanovic - Partizan) - EC21

This is what the protagonists had to say after the Round 13 showdown between Valencia Basket and Virtus Segafredo Bologna. 

Post-game quotes: Valencia vs. Virtus

### Valencia Basket head coach Joan Peñarroya:

"We are happy for two reasons, because of the win in a game that turned out to be very hard, and for the atmosphere that we have at La Fonteta tonight. That is our first goal, that our people are involved and enjoy the game like we did today. Some of us, I would dare to say, experienced this atmosphere for the first time. We had a good start, with good rhythm, dynamic, without letting their very good halfcourt offense give us trouble. But after that, they showed they are a great team, with players who have a lot of physical skills, with very good defensive concepts. That led us to a halfcourt offense that was hard for us, also because we didn't have an especially brilliant day with our shooting percentages. When we started the second half, we had a third quarter in which we started soft on defense and thick on offense, picking up 8 turnovers. The game looked ugly being 11 points down, but we found a lineup which gave us more flow on offense and defense, and I believe it is a win with a great spirit, backed by a great atmosphere at La Fonteta."

### Virtus Segafredo Bologna head coach Sergio Scariolo:

"It was a very intense basketball game. I think that first of all, we have to congratulate our opponent. They are a really, really, really good one. Experienced, very athletic, with big size, with a very, very big rotation - 12 players who can really interchange, so congrats to them and to Joan \[Peñarroya\] for his good job. At the same time, I have to tell you that we get out of this game strengthened because we proved that even short-handed, with a couple of players that were just out of COVID, even when they tried to help and they did, actually, in the fourth quarter were really out of gas completely, that's understandable, we had two great middle quarters. I think that also, at the end of the first, we managed to come back from a bad start. And in the fourth, I think we made too many childish mistakes, really inexperienced and immature mistakes, so they took advantage of this and you have to accept it, improve, learn, watch film and get back on the floor, keeping the good things we did, which have been many. The improvement of our players, who have been solid, and try to learn from mistakes we did. I think that the game really turned upside down with that unsportsmanlike foul, which I don't want to judge before watching it back, but it was a great turning point in the game, so let's move forward. We have a lot of competition in front of us. We have to be positive and stay together because we are proving that we are getting better and better as a team."

### Valencia Basket forward Louis Labeyrie:

"We did quite well. That was a tough game, we all knew that. We know that Virtus was going to play with aggressivity, so I think we elevated our toughness, especially on defense. I think this is the path to get some wins. I think that for the first time in my career, I can say congrats to the fans at La Fonteta, but also to Virtus fans. That is the kind of atmosphere that we would like to have in every game and I hope that soon, we will be able to see that in every game."

Joan Penarroya - Valencia Basket (photo Miguel Angel Polo - Valencia) - EC21

Valencia improved to 9-4 in the standings and swept Virtus, which dropped to 6-6. Klemen Prepelic paced the winners with 19 points, Jaime Pradilla added 10 and Louis Labeyrie grabbed 10 rebounds for Valencia. Kyle Weems led Virtus with 17 points, Isaia Cordinier added 11 and Marco Belinelli and Jakarr Sampson each scored 10 for the visitors. Virtus led 52-63 at the end of the third quarter before Prepelic led a 9-0 run that gave Valencia a 69-67 lead. Cordinier hit a three-pointer, but Prepelic and Sam Van Rossom fueled another 8-0 run that allowed Valencia to seal an important win.

Prepelic got Valencia going with a jumper and Tobey matched Amar Alibegovic's layup with a tip-in for a 4-2 lead. Cordinier hit a jumper and Mam Jaiteh added a jump hook, but Martin Hermansson downed a jumper and fed Pradilla for a dunk in traffic that restored an 8-6 Valencia lead. Claver struck from downtown, getting help from Louis Labeyrie to boost the hosts' lead to 15-8. Tobey dunked, Pradilla erased Weems's step-back jumper with a floater and Neno Dimitrijevic made it a double-digit game, 21-10. Sampson followed a layup with a dunk and then Bojan Dubljevic and Amadeo Tessitori traded triples for a 24-17 score after 10 minutes.

Marco Belinelli took over with a wild three-point play early in the second quarter. Labeyrie stepped up with a put-back layup. Belinelli scored in penetration and Bojan Dubljevic's jump hook gave the hosts a 28-22 edge. Prepelic scored around the basket and struck twice from downtown for a 36-25 Valencia margin. Cordinier downed a jumper that ignited an 0-8 run in which Pajola and Weems each added a three-pointer to get within 36-33. Pradilla rescued the hosts, but Pajola took over with a driving layup. Tobey hit a jumper that Weems bettered with a triple to make it 40-38 at the break.

Weems dunked after the break and Belinelli added a three-point play to complete Virtus's comeback, 40-43. Jaiteh capped a 0-10 run with a layup, as Pradilla ignited the crowd with a four-point play. Weems insisted from beyond the arc and Alibegovic joined the three-point shootout, which prompted Valencia to call timeout at 44-51. Xabi Lopez-Arostegui answered from downtown and Dimitrijevic hit back-to-back floaters, but Alibegovic and Pajola kept the visitors ahead, 51-55. Sampson scored again and Cordinier added a layup that gave the guests a 52-59 edge. Tessitori dunked off a steal and Cordinier scored in penetration to fix the score at 52-63 after 30 minutes.

 

Labeyrie tried to change things with a bomb from downtown early in the fourth quarter. Sampson and Jasiel Rivero traded jumpers and then Van Rossom struck from beyond the arc to give Valencia hope at 60-65. Sampson kept pushing Virtus with a put-back basket, but Prepelic had 7 points in a 9-0 run that gave Valencia a 69-67 edge. After Cordinier sank a triple, Prepelic made it 71-70 with less than 3 minutes left. Rivero scored around the basket and Van Rossom buried a critical three-pointer that sealed the outcome, 76-70, with 42.5 seconds remaining.

In a thriller between 7DAYS EuroCup giants, Valencia Basket took a step toward finishing in a good position in Group B by downing Virtus Segafredo Bologna 83-77 at La Fonteta on Wednesday. 

Prepelic pushes Valencia past Virtus

Klemen Prepelic 2- Valencia Basket (photo Miguel Angel Polo - Valencia) - EC21

This is what the protagonists had to say after the Round 13 showdown between Partizan NIS Belgrade and MoraBanc Andorra. 

Post-game quotes: Partizan vs. Andorra

### Partizan NIS Belgrade head coach Zeljko Obradovic:

“Before the game I said we had three excellent practices the last three days and we played how we played in the practices. The team was very focused. We believe in our starters. Defensively they gave us a good result. This atmosphere is nothing new for us. These people are amazing. Thanks to them. We have the best support throughout Europe.

“We beat a team that likes to play very good basketball. They were able to beat Real Madrid in Madrid. In a very easy game at home they beat Joventut. This is another reason to be satisfied with tonight. I believe we played very good. Congratulations to my players and all of the people who again and again give incredible support to the team.”

### MoraBanc Andorra head coach David Eudal:

“We expected this tough game tonight - this level of energy, this amazing crowd they have here. We knew we didn’t come with the best conditions but we fought until the end. I am very proud of the energy and level of my players. They fought. In the last 5 minutes, we were 10 points down, and at the end they broke the game open. Maybe the score doesn’t reflect the level of the game - how we competed. But we have to keep going and looking forward.”

### Partizan NIS Belgrade center Mathias Lessort:

“These are the types of games you play for - this type of atmosphere, this type of win. The whole team contributed, everybody is happy, and we go home with a win. That’s the best thing you can have. We stayed focused. We had a little moment in the third quarter where we were struggling a little bit, but then we got back to it. The energy went back up. The fans pushed us and we got the job done.”

Zeljko Obradovic - Partizan NIS Belgrade (photo Dragana Stjepanovic - Partizan) - EC21

Cedevita went for 103 points at home against Frutti Extra Bursaspor and improved that mark in Ulm by scoring 104 on the road against ratiopharm. Even though it was not its best ever -tied for its second-most and 1 point shy of the club record, that spectacular offensive performance allowed Cedevita to break some records when playing away. The Slovenian Champs dished 24 assists and drilled 15 three-pointers to punish Ulm, both bests on the road ever.

In addition, the box score showed eight different Cedevita players with performance index ratings of at least 10, which is something that has only happened 30 times in 7DAYS EuroCup history before this game. Overall, the team signed off on a remarkable PIR of 106, which is its third-best ever and second-best on the road, only behind the 139 it got in a 69-105 victory in Patras against Promitheas on December 16, 2020.

Just a week after it reached triple-digits against Frutti Extra Bursaspor at home, Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljiana displayed another great offensive performance to grab its second win in a row.

Telling numbers: Cedevita breaks road records in Ulm

ratiopharm Ulm v Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (2022-02-09T18:30:00.000Z)

Yogi Ferrell - Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (photo Larry Langer - Ulm) - EC21