Quarter-Final preview: Enisey v Telenet Oostende
KRASNOYARSK (FIBA Europe Cup) – While quite a few other FIBA Europe Cup Quarter-Finalists breezed past the Round of 16, Enisey Krasnoyarsk and Telenet Oostende did not have such a luxury.
KRASNOYARSK (FIBA Europe Cup) – While quite a few other FIBA Europe Cup Quarter-Finalists breezed past the Round of 16, Enisey Krasnoyarsk and Telenet Oostende did not have such a luxury and now enter the next knock-out stage as two of the most battle-hardened teams after being at the epicenter of second-leg drama.
That is especially true of Enisey, who needed double overtime in Istanbul to edge out Demir Insaat for a place among the eight best teams in the competition, with Alexey Vzdykhalkin draining a game-winning three-pointer from the corner to push the aggregate score to 185-183.
Way to end a double OT game @BC_Enisey! #FIBAEuropeCup pic.twitter.com/LjYINlib9K
— FIBA Europe Cup (@FIBAEuropeCup) February 22, 2017
"No one could have expected two overtimes, but we were very satisfied to qualify to the next round. All of our thoughts were set on advancing. It wasn't our best game, but we're going to fix our mistakes and look forward to the Quarter-Finals," said the captain of the team, Vasily Zavoruev.
While less dramatic than events in Turkey, Oostende's second-leg bout with Pau-Lacq-Orthez in France also cost head coach Dario Gjergja some nerves. In spite of being dangerously close to letting their first-leg lead go to waste, the Belgian side held on and came out on top 165-158 on aggregate.
Having booked a Quarter-Final date with the far-away Enisey side, Oostende didn't have much time to celebrate their success in the Round of 16, knowing a long trip to Siberia was on the cards.
@BCOOSTENDE is in twee wedstrijden de betere van @ebp en stoot door naar de kwartfinale van de @FIBAEuropeCup #welovebco #FIBAEuropeCup pic.twitter.com/1NqjNjT0kd
— BC Telenet Oostende (@BCOOSTENDE) February 22, 2017
"I am happy we are through to the next stage, but we now have to go to Siberia," Gjergja, who penned a new four-year deal with the club last month, pointed out. Read between the lines and Gjergja is suggesting there could have been easier opponents in the Quarter-Finals, at least travel-wise.
And he may well have a case, with Enisey ranking first among all teams with a larger sample size in scoring at 89.5 points per game, as well as putting up solid rebound and assist numbers. The Russian side increased their scoring output to 93.5 points per game in the Round of 16, but that mark is slightly inflated due to the double-overtime they played in Turkey.
However, statistical numbers still aren't as intimidating for Enisey opponents as a glance at the world map. The Siberian side have won six times on their home floor in the FIBA Europe Cup this season, but Donar Groningen did prove that sneaking in an upset on the road in Krasnoyarsk is possible after all.
Единственный в марте и при этом важнейший матч мужской команды в @FIBAEuropeCup 🏀🏆⚡️ pic.twitter.com/MXzImMCFzq
— БК Енисей (@BC_Enisey) February 28, 2017
For Oostende to throw up a proper challenge away from home, the Serbian duo of Dusan Djordjevic and Rasko Katic will need to bring their A-game to the most remote destination in the FIBA Europe Cup.
Djordjevic averaged 16.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 7.0 assists in the two games against Pau-Lacq-Orthez, while Katic, who will also be tasked with stopping Enisey's go-to man Frank Elegar, chipped in with 18.0 points and 6.0 rebounds per game.
Enisey big man Elegar has been one of the most dominant players in the competition, nearly averaging a double-double for the Russian side at 16.2 points and 9.7 rebounds per game. The guard duo of Tony Taylor and Anthony Hilliard, and Elegar's frontcourt partner Suleiman Braimoh might cause the Belgian side some problems as well.
Having reached the Final Four in the FIBA Europe Cup last year, Enisey will need to overcome the Oostende obstacle in order to match their achievement, while the team from Belgium, who reached the Round of 16 stage last season, have already exceeded their performance from last season.
FIBA