Valencia Basket showed great balance and accuracy on offense all game long to reach the 100-point limit for the first time in the 7DAYS EuroCup this season. The home team found several different ways to produce, as all 11 players who took part in the game scored. 

Balance and unselfishness help Valencia reach 100

The last one to do so was Xabi Lopez-Arostegi, who filled his stat line with a three-pointer late in the fourth quarter. Valencia also based its excellent offensive performance on remarkable unselfishness, as it signed off 29 assists - against Buducnost’s 15 - coming from 10 different players.

Metropolitans use second-half defense to grab second road win, 59-74

Keith Hornsby paced five Metropolitans scorers in double figures with 15 points while Tony Crocker scored 14 points, David Michineau had 12, Vince Hunter picked up 10 points and 11 rebounds and Tomer Ginat added 10 points. Travis Trice was the only Slask player in double figures with 11 points with Kerem Kanter chipping in 9 points and 14 rebounds. But they were not enough as Slask has now lost four straight for a 1-9 record.

Trice opened the game with a layup for the hosts and Will Cummings answered at the other end. Slask scored on five of its first six possessions, including a Trice three-pointer, and the advantage grew to 13-5. The hosts’ offense stalled and Crocker scored three baskets and Hornsby made a triple in a 3-11 spurt to knot the game at 16-16. Trice added 4 free throws and the game was even 20-20 after 10 minutes.

Kanter and Martins Meiers scored inside for Slask early in the second quarter and Metropolitans coach Vincent Collet immediately wanted a timeout. Jakub Karolak made it 27-22 with a three-pointer. The guests got out in transition for some scores including two by Miralem Halilovic to pull ahead 29-30. The lead changed hands four times over the rest of the half with Ginat putting Metropolitans ahead 35-36 at the break.

Ivan Ramljak started the scoring in the second half for Slask before the lead switched hands three times with Hornsby converting a three-point play and then Cummings’s layup putting Metropolitans ahead 39-43. Slask failed to produce offensively while Metropolitans got three-pointers from Crocker and Hornsby as the cushion swelled to 41-53. Slask managed to score the final 4 points of the quarter to make it 45-53 after 30 minutes.

Cyril Langevine opened the scoring in the final frame to get the hosts within 6. Crocker answered at the other end only to see Lukasz Kolenda drain a triple to trim the gap to 52-57. Ginat punched right back with a three-point play and a Cummings layin re-established a double-digit lead, 52-62, with 7 minutes left. Crocker added a triple and it was 54-67 with less than 6 minutes to play before a Michineau three-pointer had Metropolitans ahead 54-71 with 4 minutes to play. The game was decided by that point as the hosts could not find the offensive solutions.

Slask Wroclaw v Boulogne Metropolitans 92 (2022-01-25T19:00:00.000Z)

Vince Hunter - Boulogne Metropolitans 92 (photo Wojciech Cebula - Slask) - EC21

Kerem Kanter played for the first time since Round 8 for Slask and the Turkish big man came up with solid production. He scored 9 points to go with 14 rebounds for a performance index rating of 14. Kanter, who is playing his second EuroCup season after 2019-20 with Joventut Badalona, has had some strong games this season. 

Kanter solid in his return

He scored 18 points with 6 rebounds in the game at Metropolitans in Round 2 and had double-doubles in Rounds 3 and 5 - including 17 points and 15 rebounds at Dolomiti Energia Trento. Kanter also poured in 21 points at Partizan NIS Belgrade in Round 7.

Kerem Kanter - Slask Wroclaw (photo Wojciech Cebula - Slask) - EC21

Metropolitans came into the game with a poor defense: ranked 15th in points allowed, 19th in two-point percentage allowed and 15th in three-point percentage allowed. But Slask’s offense was 19th in points and three-pointers and last in two-pointers coming into the game. 

Telling numbers: Metropolitans defense too much

And Metropolitans’ defense shined through as Slask scored just 59 points while hitting 40.0% on two-pointers and 15.8% on three-pointers. The defensive showing made up for Metropolitans’ offensive struggles as the French side made just 28.6% from long range and scored just 74 points - 9.7 below its average. But Metropolitans committed only 6 turnovers.

Tony Crocker - Boulogne Metropolitans 92 (photo Wojciech Cebula - Slask) - EC21

This is what the protagonists of the game had to say after such a close deal down the stretch.

Post-Game Quotes: Slask 59-74 Metropolitans


#### Vincent Collet, Boulogne Metropolitans 92

 “They started well but quickly we were able to slow them down and we came back at the end of the first quarter. But the whole first half our rhythm was not good. We were 1-of-9 on three-pointers in the first half. But we stepped up our defensive energy in the second half. We made a lot of stops. And we started to play a little better on offense. It was not very good but it was a little better where we could find some good shots and some easy baskets because I think we were moving better than the first half. I also think our defense made them a little bit tired. We could see at the end of the third quarter that they were going down and not moving so fast. They attacked us in the first half and they couldn’t do it the same way in the second half.”


#### Andrej Urlep, Slask Wroclaw

“I would like to congratulate Paris. I think in this game we didn’t use our chances in the first half. In the first half, we missed too many really, really open layups. I’m happy with the energy that we put into this game. It was definitely by far the best since we got out of COVID. Hopefully, in the next games we will make these layups and also get some wins in EuroCup.”


#### Tony Crocker, Boulogne Metropolitans 92

 “The game was very important because we are still trying to go up in the standings. In the first half, we started a little slow. Credit to the other team, they came out and played well. But I think we got stops and rebounded the ball well in the second half, which gave us the victory.”

#### Jakub Karolak, Slask Wroclaw

 "I think that today we played pretty good in defense, but we couldn't execute in offense. We didn't stick to our game plan and had low shooting percentages. That's why we didn't score too many points and finally lost the game."

Travis Trice - Slask Wroclaw (photo Wojciech Cebula - Slask) - EC21

Vince Hunter is one of Metropolitans’ biggest weapons and the big man produced another double-double for the French side. The 27-year-old had three straight double-doubles in Rounds 3 to 5 - including 21 points and 12 rebounds at Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar in Round 3 and 26 points and 14 rebounds in Round 5 at Hamburg. 

First double-double for Hunter since November

Hunter tallied double-figure scoring for the ninth straight game as he scored 10 points and he added 11 rebounds as well - the first time in double figures rebounding since the Hamburg game - which was also Metropolitans’ only other road victory this season.

Vince Hunter 2- Boulogne Metropolitans 92 (photo Wojciech Cebula - Slask) - EC21

ratiopharm Ulm led from start to finish in recording an 84-68 victory over Virtus Segafredo Bologna on Tuesday evening. The hosts also outscored Virtus in all four quarters for a convincing victory that lifted its record to 6-5. The result saw Ulm match Virtus (6-4) on wins and take the head-to-head tiebreaker between the teams; Virtus defeated Ulm by 11 when they met in Round 2. 

Blossomgame helps Ulm blast Virtus, 84-68

Jaron Blossomgame starred with 20 points and 11 rebounds to lead Ulm. Semaj Christon tallied 14 points, 7 assists and 3 steals, Thomas Klepeisz missed just 1 shot in accumulating 12 points, Sindarius Thornwell amassed 10 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals and Cristiano Felicio added 9 points and 13 rebounds. Amedeo Tessitori and Kyle Weems led Virtus with 14 points apiece and Marco Belinelli scored 13 in defeat.

Christon got the hosts on the scoreboard first before Weems answered with a layup for Virtus. Virtus struggled to get going on offense while Karim Jallow scored 6 points in a 10-0 Ulm run to lead 12-2 after 5 minutes. Jakarr Sampson ended the Virtus drought, but a jumper by Thornwell stretched the lead to 12. Belinelli stepped up with a triple and an assist to Tessitori to keep Virtus from falling further behind. Strong play by Mam Jaiteh at both ends made it 22-15 after 10 minutes.

Tessitori made a three-pointer and a put-back before Belinelli’s steal led to a Jaiteh dunk that made it 24-22. After a timeout, Christon revived the Ulm attack and Felicio dunked after Thornwell’s steal to give the hosts a cushion. Jallow followed his own missed three for a layup and Thornwell buried Ulm’s first three of the night for a 35-26 cushion. Weems also followed his own miss for a layup before Felicio and Thornwell teamed to restore a double-digit lead for Ulm. After Weems converted a three-point play on the offensive glass, Klepeisz and Belinelli traded threes. Another triple by Blossomgame to end the half made it 45-34 at the break.

Christon scored for Ulm first in the second half before Amar Alibegovic and Weems buried back-to-back threes and Jaiteh dunked to bring the visitors within 47-42. After an Ulm timeout, Christon scored and Klepeisz took a steal in for a layup. A three by Philipp Herkenhoff restored a double-digit advantage, 54-44. Weems and Belinelli did their part to keep the visitors in the hunt, but Ulm had answers through Blossomgame before Fedor Zugic buried a three to make it 61-48. The lead reached 15 before Tessitori’s three-point play ended the third quarter at 63-51.

Isaia Cordinier kept Virtus in the hunt with a layup and an assist to Ty-Shon Alexander for a triple that made it 65-56. After a timeout, Klepeisz and Blossomgame ensured Ulm remained in control and a three by Thornwell seemed to take the wins out of Virtus’s sails at 73-56 with 5 minutes to go. A Thornwell-to-Blossomgame alley-oop all but put the finishing touches on the win. The lead reached its highest point, 21, twice. Led by Alibegovic, Virtus gave a late chase to potentially get the head-to-head tiebreak advantage between the clubs, but a triple by Marius Stoll – his first-ever EuroCup points – ended those hopes for the visitors, too.

ratiopharm Ulm v Virtus Segafredo Bologna (2022-01-25T18:30:00.000Z)

Cristiano Felicio - ratioharm Ulm (photo Larry Langer - Ulm) - EC21

Virtus Segafredo Bologna faced ratiopharm Ulm missing several key players, including Milos Teodosic, Nico Mannion, Awudu Abass, Kevin Hervey and Ekpe Udoh. Into the void stepped Amedeo Tessitori, who was one of the bright spots for the team in Germany. 

Tessitori has season-high for Virtus

He scored a season-high 14 points by making 5 of 7 two-point shots, 1 of 2 threes and his lone free throw try. The big man also grabbed 3 rebounds and drew 4 fouls in 17 minutes on the floor for a performance index rating of 15. He was 1 point off his career-high in scoring of 15, which Tessitori reached twice last season with Virtus.

Amedeo Tessitori - Virtus Segafredo Bologna (photo Larry Langer - Ulm) - EC21

Jaron Blossomgame was at the heart of ratiopharm Ulm’s Round 11 victory over Virtus Segafredo Bologna. He went for 20 points and 11 rebounds in 30 minutes of playing time. 

Blossomgame stars for the winners

The forward made 6 of 10 two-pointers, 1 of 5 threes and all 5 of his free throws in compiling a performance index rating of 26. Those numbers come in stark contrast to the last time these two teams met. In Round 2, Blossomgame scored a season-low 2 points and had as many turnovers. His PIR in that game was negative-2. His superb effort this time made plenty of difference.

Jaron Blossomgame - ratioharm Ulm (photo Larry Langer - Ulm) - EC21