MUNICH (Germany) - The Second Round of the FIBA Europe Cup produced a rollercoaster of emotions as all 16 teams were in action this week.
Bilbao Basket, Tofas Bursa and Cholet Basket are the three sides still unbeaten in the competition this season, but the slates have been wiped clean in the race to the Play-Offs.
Key Storylines
Bilbao Basket beat Sassari in thrilling battle of unbeaten teams;
PAOK inflict first home loss on BC Kalev/Cramo;
Campbell sinks game-winner for Cholet on Tuesday.
Weekly Highs
Efficiency: Philip Fayne (FC Porto) / Alex Perez (Tofas Bursa) - 29 Points: Ezra Manjon-Van Ewyk (MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg) - 28 Rebounds: Lefteris Mantzoukas (Maroussi BC) - 12 Assists: Donatas Tarolis (CSM CSU Oradea) - 10 Steals: Leemet Bockler (BC Kalev/Cramo) - 4 Blocks: Donatas Tarolis (CSM CSU Oradea) - 3
Bilbao oust Sassari; PAOK victorious
Bilbao Basket showcased their prowess by toppling Banco di Sardegna Sassari 91-89 in a battle between two unbeaten sides from the Regular Season, in Group L.
That message was sent loud and clear in the first half as the Spanish side executed their offence to perfection, leading to a 51-41 half-time cushion. Sassari would fight back in the fourth, making it a one-possession game late on, but Bilbao had too much firepower.
Harald Frey led six Bilbao players in double figures with 16 points on 4-of-7 shooting, as they shot 57 percent as a team - hitting 11 three-pointers. Justin Bibbins led Sassari with 19.
PAOK mateco handed BC Kalev/Cramo its first loss at home this season with a 79-71 win in Tallinn. The Greek side had to come from behind, eventually taking the lead for good with 5:12 left in the fourth, as they were helped along by an 18-point, 11-rebound double-double by Frank Bartley.
Devonte Upson added 15 in the Group M victory. Leemet Bockler led the Estonian charge with 12 points and 4 steals.
Meanwhile, MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg needed free throws towards the end to put away Anwil Wloclawek 86-82 as the German side survived a second quarter ambush to regroup and seal the win - Ezra Manjon-Van Ewyk standing out with a game-high 28 points.
Tofas Bursa overcame a torrid first quarter to beat Maroussi BC 96-83 in their Group K encounter, stretching their unbeaten run in the competition to seven games.
Trailing 16-5 midway through the opening period, the hosts recovered to lead 21-20 after the first. And, from there, the Turkish outfit moved up a gear, with their lead peaking at 18 en route to a routine win. Alex Perez paced the victors with 20 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists in a solid all-around display.
Elsewhere, CSM CSU Oradea got off to winning ways in Group M with a comfortable 98-77 victory over JDA Bourgogne Dijon. Leading from start to finish, the Romanian side led 34-17 after 10 minutes and had Kris Richard lead the way with a team-high 22 points, while Donatas Tarolis had 13 points and 10 assists.
There was also a big win for Fribourg Olympic as they defeated Spirou Basket 92-62 with five players in double figures.
Zaragoza, Cholet emerge victorious to open Second Round
T.J. Campbell and Mohamed Diawara were the heroes as Cholet Basket came out with an 85-82 win over ESSM Le Portel in a breathtaking all-French encounter in Group L.
With the game tied at 82-82 in the final 15 seconds, Campbell stepped up to drain a three-pointer from the top with 1.7 seconds left to send the home crowd into a frenzy. That doubled when Diawara got the vital block on Deandre Gholston's attempt, which could have taken the tie to an extra five minutes.
Campbell ended with 16 points, which included four triples and 7 assists for Cholet Basket. Gholston had a game-high 17 for Le Portel.
Despite owning a lead as big as 16 points in the latter stages of the third, Cholet found themselves pegged back by a determined Le Portel side who narrowed the deficit to as little as 66-65 after three periods.
A back-and-forth final 10 saw Le Portel enjoy a slender advantage in the final two minutes, but Cholet had enough left in the tank down the stretch, especially with the game on the line.
Earlier, Casademont Zaragoza broke the deadlock in the third quarter to come away with an 86-70 victory over FC Porto in the opening game of Group K. The Spanish side outscored their opponents 21-13 to take a double-digit cushion into the final quarter, and they never looked back.
Jilson Bango had 22 points - going 8-of-9 from the field - along with 8 rebounds to lead Zaragoza, canceling out Philip Fayne's 22 points and 9 rebounds for their Portuguese counterparts.
FIBA