MUNICH (Germany) - It was a dramatic opening of the FIBA Europe Cup Quarter-Finals with two games finishing in draws on Wednesday evening.
Fribourg Olympic and PAOK mateco played out a stalemate in a demanding contest where neither team had a lead bigger than five points, while Casademont Zaragoza and Cholet Basket could also not be separated.
Meanwhile, there were good wins for Bilbao Basket over Tofas Bursa and JDA Bourgogne Dijon against MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg.
Key storylines
Fribourg and PAOK knotted up going into the second leg in Greece;
Bilbao overpower Tofas in Spain;
Another tie played out in Zaragoza;
Dijon avenge defeats to MHP RIESEN.
Weekly highs
Efficiency: Axel Julien (JDA Bourgogne Dijon) -26 Points: Ezra Manjon-Van Ewyk (MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg) - 27 Rebounds: Justin Simon (MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg) - 15 Assists: Multiple players - 7 Steals: Multiple players -3 Blocks: Kristeon Bankston (Tofas Bursa) / Jacob Patrick (MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg) - 2
PAOK salvage draw at Fribourg
Fribourg Olympic and PAOK mateco could not be separated at 62-62 in an intense first leg, where neither combatants could break away throughout.
After a cagey first half that saw both sides stumble to a combined 16-for-60 from the field, neither team could shake off the other in a very tense third quarter. In a contest that was so typical of how the previous three played out, it went down to the final possessions, where Eric Nottage scored inside with 3.8 seconds left, only for Shavar Reynolds to tie the contest again from the line.
Nottage led Fribourg with 15 points and 7 assists, with Reynolds leading all scorers for PAOK with 20.
Bilbao gain advantage over Tofas
Bilbao Basket started hot and had enough in them to defend their home court and secure an 84-72 win over Tofas Bursa in their opening Quarter-Final tie. The Spanish side came out the gate with venom as they enjoyed a 17-point lead early doors before settling for a 47-35 half-time lead.
Never a team to lie down, Tofas responded to narrow the gap to single figures in the third quarter. But Bilbao's firepower down the stretch was too much, led by Harald Frey's 15 points.
Bell-Haynes helps Zaragoza to draw
Casademont Zaragoza and Cholet Basket will head to France as you were as they ended their first leg level at 83-83. With neither team enjoying a lead bigger than seven points, Trae Bell-Haynes saved Zaragoza from a first leg deficit from the foul line with four seconds left.
The Canadian finished with 20 points for the hosts with T.J. Campbell and Aaron Wheeler both posting 12 for Cholet.
Dijon outlast MHP RIESEN
JDA Bourgogne Dijon secured a solid 88-75 win over MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg - bagging their first win against the German side at the third attempt in this competition this season.
In a game that saw 11 lead changes, Dijon took the lead for good with 3:58 remaining in the third quarter and made it a double-digit game near the midway point of the final ten. Despite the victory, though, they will need to continue this momentum in Ludwigsburg - a venue the German outfit hasn't lost at this season in the FIBA Europe Cup.
Axel Julien led Dijon with 23 points and 7 assists, while Ezra Manjon had a game-high 27 points in defeat.
Results
Fribourg Olympic 62-62 PAOK mateco Bilbao Basket 84-72 Tofas Bursa Casademont Zaragoza 83-83 Cholet Basket JDA Bourgogne Dijon 88-75 MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg
FIBA