NINERS, Legia and Varese build big leads; Porto halt Bahcesehir's streak

MUNICH (Germany) - Itelyum Varese, Legia Warszawa, NINERS Chemnitz and FC Porto struck the opening blow in their respective FIBA Europe Cup Quarter-Finals on Wednesday.

There were two home victories and two triumphs on the road with all four ties decided by more than double digits on the night to leave the losing sides with lots to do next week.

Varese take vital road win into Second Leg

Itelyum Varese head back home with a precious 15-point lead to defend after beating ERA Nymburk 80-65 in Czechia.

Following an even first half with only two points separating the two teams, it was the Italian side who broke clear in the third quarter, taking a nine-point lead with more than three minutes left. However, Nymburk narrowed the margin heading into the fourth, leaving the game wide open.

But Varese held their nerve, stretching their advantage to double digits three minutes into the final period, and thanks to 18 points from Davide Moretti, they will take a sizeable lead into the second leg next week.   

Legia send statement in dominant win

Legia Warszawa led from start to finish as they toppled Surne Bilbao Basket 83-64 in the Polish capital.

With their lead peaking at 20 points, the hosts put on unquestionably their performance of the season. That's even with the FIBA Europe Cup leading scorer Christian Vital held to shooting 4-for-14, but still finishing with 13 points to go with 8 assists and 6 rebounds. Aric Holman stepped up though, going 4-of-4 from deep for his team-high 16 points.   

Having only suffered one defeat before this tie, Bilbao were certainly one of the strongest teams to contend with, but misfired with 31 percent shooting from the field - including 1-for-19 from three-point range. Sacha Killeya-Jones had 18 but the Spanish side have it all to do in the Second Leg on home soil.

NINERS power past Zaragoza

A strong first half was the catalyst for NINERS Chemnitz, as they triumphed 98-64 against Casademont Zaragoza with the German side taking a crucial 34-point lead into the return leg at home. 

The visitors raced into a 58-37 lead, shooting a eye-watering 60 percent from the field by the time the half-time buzzer sounded in what was a clinic of offensive execution. From there, the gap was insurmountable, as NINERS had six players in double figures.

Kaza Kajami-Keane produced an all-round effort of 15 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists with Ousman Krubally perfect from the floor for his 13 points along with 9 rebounds, and Jeff Garrett posted a double-double of 12 points and 10 boards with the visitors also getting 52 points from their bench.

Porto end Bahcesehir streak as Melvin takes over

FC Porto handed Bahcesehir College their first loss in 11 games with a 90-80 win at home as they take a double-digit cushion on the road next week.

Porto were good value for their lead and deservedly took a double-digit lead at the half. There was a third quarter fightback from their Turkish counterparts, but the Portuguese side still held on to a 62-57 advantage heading into the fourth. 

Bahcesehir made their move and reduced the gap to a one possession game on two occasions late on, but the hosts withstood the pressure to pull clear, with two triples from Cleveland Melvin in the final three minutes proving to be the dagger - finishing with a game-high 27 points in the win.

Highs

Efficiency: 26 - Cleveland Melvin (FC Porto)
Points: 27 - Cleveland Melvin (FC Porto)
Rebounds: 12 - Sukhmail Mathon (ERA Nymburk)
Assists: 8 - Christian Vital (Legia Warszawa), DeAndre Lansdowne (NINERS Chemnitz) 
Steals: 3 - Melwin Pantzar (Surne Bilbao Basket), Skylar Spencer (Itelyum Varese)
Blocks: 2 - Multiple players

Wednesday, 6 March
Legia Warszawa 83-64 Surne Bilbao Basket
ERA Nymburk 65-80 Itelyum Varese
Casademont Zaragoza 64-98 NINERS Chemnitz
FC Porto 90-80 Bahcesehir College

FIBA