Chalon, Bonn stay perfect; Cluj-Napoca on the board

MUNICH (FIBA Europe Cup) - Comfortable victories were the order of the day in Tuesday night FIBA Europe Cup action, with all three winning teams getting there with relative ease.

Following a loss in their Second Round opener last week, Cluj-Napoca were able to turn the tables this week with a strong second half showing taking them to a 79-69 win over Pau-Lacq-Orthez, who now also sit at 1-1.

Going into the locker-rooms at the half, the advantage was with the visiting Frenchmen 39-32, but a seriously improved defensive effort from Cluj in the second stanza put a brake on the free-flowing scoring of Pau-Lacq-Orthez.

"I am happy that in the second half we played good defence, everybody wanted to win and this became the key to the game," commented small forward Maxym Pustozvonov following the encounter.

Serbian veteran Aleksandar Rasic was immense in the win, finishing with a game-high 21 points.

Making a knack out of comebacks, Sodertalje Kings had been too well scouted by the weary last year's Final Four hosts Elan Chalon. Holding a seven-point buffer entering the deciding frame, the visitors broke loose to outscore their hosts 24-8 over the final 10 minutes to record the comfortable 86-63 win.

Subbed in with 5:35 remaining, Cameron Clarke was particularly dominant down the stretch, scoring 7 points to take his tally for the night to 23 points.

In Tuesday's only other game, Telekom Baskets Bonn did not encounter too many problems south of the border in Austria, seeing off Redwell-Gunners Oberwart 83-64. 

The telling run came immediately following half-time. Sebastian Kaferle started the second-half scoring with a three to put Oberwart up 39-37. But Bonn struck back with a vengeance, reeling off the next 12 points to move into a position of dominance that would not be challenged again.

For a second week in a row, everyone chipped in for Bonn, with all 12 players scoring, sending a depth warning signal to opponents in the new year.

FIBA Europe Cup action is back Wednesday night with a further eight games.

FIBA