7Days EuroCup: Three More Teams Punch Tickets to QFinals

The 7Days EuroCup closed out Round 4 of the top-16 action on Wednesday with five games. ASVEL Lyon Villeurbanne punched their ticket to the quarterfinals on Tuesday with a blowout win over the Fraport Skyliners 75-52. Three more teams joined them on Wednesday. Valencia Basket and Morabanc Andorra stayed unbeaten in top-16 action (4-0) to move on as well. Group F’s Lokomotiv Kuban joined group leaders ASVEL in advancing after securing a key tie-breaking win over Ratiopharm Ulm, 88-76. They have a 3-1 record but with Ratiopharm Ulm the only team capable of forcing a tie, they’ve managed to clear a path onto the quarterfinals.

MoraBanc Andorra celebrates their first-ever entry into the next stage of the competition. Dylan Ennis and David Walker powered Andorra’s win by scoring 20 points each. What Andorra gave up thanks to their 17 turnovers in the game, they made up for it with high-volume scoring from the field, 3-point range and from the free throw line. They controlled the game with the tempo and persistently attacking the basket.

Valencia’s win went down the wire in Belgrade as they faced off against Red Star in one of the toughest home courts in all of Europe. The exciting game was a barn burner and Valencia managed to outlast them 81-82. Bojan Dubljevic was awesome as he delivered a well-rounded game, featuring 24 points, eight rebounds, five assists and four 3-pointers.

Crvena Zvezda are not out of qualification just yet. They will get a chance to move up to 2-3 if they can trump the 0-4 Limoges club in their next game. It’s a tough road ahead for them and their resilience will surely be tested. That said, it should come as no surprise as things don’t come easy in the 7Days EuroCup.

Half of the quarterfinals slate has been filled. The last remaining four berths will be determined over the last couple of rounds. It should be an exciting race.