Cool-headed Sassari hand Holon first home defeat in Play-Offs

HOLON (Israel) - Dinamo Sassari will be in a position of strength for the second leg of the Semi-Final tie in Italy after claiming a 94-89 victory over UNET Holon on the road in Israel on Wednesday.

Paced by the frontcourt trio of Rashawn Thomas, Achille Polonara and Jack Cooley, the visitors from Sardinia took over the game in the fourth quarter to set themselves up with a slender advantage for the reverse fixture.

Turning point: There were many twists and turns at the Holon Toto Arena, but it was Sassari's late push that crowned the contest. Down 83-79 with four minutes on the clock, the visitors from Sardinia went on a 13-2 run to turn the game around.

Game hero: The entire Dinamo frontcourt was impeccable, but Rashawn Thomas stood out from the rest of them, finishing the contest with team-highs of 21 points and 7 rebounds, as well as 4 assists and a steal.

Stats don't lie: The absence of the injured T.J. Cline became more evident as the game went on. After scoring all 25 points in the opening quarter, the starting unit of Holon simply ran out of steam down the stretch, with Sassari's bench outscoring the opponents twofold, 36-18.

Bottom line: Although Dinamo emerged victorious in Holon, the tie remains wide open ahead of next week's fixture in Sassari. History will be made either way, as neither of the clubs has been to the Final of a European competition in the past.

FIBA