Donar Groningen too good for U-BT Cluj-Napoca, win first leg by 27

GRONINGEN (FIBA Europe Cup) - After defeating U-BT Cluj-Napoca twice in the Second Round, Donar Groningen put together another convincing display against the Romanian champions to start the knock-out phase on a high note.

Fired up by the packed MartiniPlaza, the Dutch side came out victorious 103-76 in the first leg of the Round of 16 tie on Tuesday and built a 27-point cushion ahead of next week's return fixture in Cluj-Napoca.

Turning Point: Having started the game on the wrong side of a 10-3 run, Donar playcaller Erik Braal was forced to call a timeout inside the first five minutes of the game. His players got the hint. After steadying the ship by quarter's end, Groningen took over the control of the contest completely in the second period.

Game Hero: Brandyn Curry had his fingerprints all over the big win, leading the team by example and stuffing the boxscore with 26 points, 6 rebounds, 9 assists, 2 steals and a block for an efficiency index of 33.

Stats Don't Lie: Evan Bruinsma and Teddy Gipson knocked down four three-pointers each and Donar Groningen made 15-of-29 attempts from beyond the arc, good enough for 51.7 percent. Meanwhile, U-BT Cluj-Napoca struggled mightily from deep, connecting on 7-of-27 three-point shots.

Iedereen die vanavond bij deze historische wedstrijd aanwezig was in MartiniPlaza, DANK JULLIE WEL! Jullie waren geweldig, onder leiding van @svdonar en de trommelaars! #together #Donar pic.twitter.com/pYqVbxeLF1

— Donar (@Donar_Official) March 6, 2018

Bottom Line: Overturning a 27-point deficit back home in Romania seems like a near impossible task for the Mihai Silvasan-coached black-and-whites. The winner of the tie, most likely Donar, will face either Mornar Bar or Oostende in the Quarter-Finals.

They Said: "We expected a challenging game and that's what it was at the beginning. But after we found our rhythm, we managed to get a good win." - Donar Groningen center Drago Pasalic.

"We didn't pass the test, so congrats to Donar. We need to learn from this. This should never ever happen again." - U-BT Cluj-Napoca guard Aleksandar Rasic.

FIBA