U-BT Cluj-Napoca, Donar Groningen and Tsmoki-Minsk secure last-minute tickets to Round of 16

MUNICH (FIBA Europe Cup) - U-BT Cluj-Napoca, Donar Groningen and Tsmoki-Minsk willed their way through to the Play-Offs with tenacious home displays, headlining the last batch of FIBA Europe Cup teams to qualify for the Round of 16.

The trio of Egis Kormend, Mornar Bar and Keravnos also moved on to the next phase of the competition despite picking up losses on the last week of action in the Second Round.

Brandyn Curry and Arvin Slagther paced Dutch title-holders Donar to the Group L crown with a 96-72 victory against Belfius Mons-Hainaut, with the pair combining for 45 points on 14-of-20 shooting from the field.

"We used the energy that came from the crowd to play our game. And that is defending like madmen and sharing the ball and playing as a team on offense," Curry smiled after the game.

The Groningen side topped the standings with a 4-2 record, one-upping the second-placed U-BT Cluj-Napoca, who put together a fourth-quarter turnaround to inscribe a crucial 77-71 win over Keravnos.

Giordan Watson finished the contest with a game-high 20 points, Lasan Kromah collected 16, while Ousmane Barro double-doubled with 14 points and 10 rebounds.

Having lost both of their games to Cluj-Napoca, Keravnos finished third in Group L but did qualify to the Play-Offs as the top-ranked third-placed team.

Tsmoki-Minsk and Mornar Bar both advanced in similar circumstances, with the Belarusian side scoring an 84-45 triumph to nip the Montenegrins for second place in Group K.

An unstoppable 24-point performance by Chris Czerapowicz led the way for the winners, with Devon Gaulden-Saddler adding 14 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists.

Having also finished with a 3-3 record, Mornar Bar claimed the last remaining ticket to the Round of 16 as the second-best third-placed team in the Second Round, leaving Istanbul BBSK first past the cut-off line.

Despite finishing their Group I campaign with an 85-83 win over Kataja Basket, the Turkish powerhouse couldn't dig themselves out of the hole in terms of point differential, paying a steep price for two huge defeats earlier in the competition.

Already through to the next round, ESSM Le Portel won their 11th game in a row in the FIBA Europe Cup and finished the Second Round undefeated after toying with Nizhny Novgorod, 76-57.

Egis Kormend did not step on the floor today, but had plenty of reasons to celebrate after BC Nevezis eliminated Demir Insaat with a 90-77 road victory in Group J, allowing the Hungarians to claim second place.

Meanwhile, Szolnoki Olaj marked their FIBA Europe Cup exit on a positive note, picking up a 91-68 triumph against the Danish sensation Bakken Bears in Group K.

FIBA