ULEB Cup newcomer Sluc Nancy started its season with a bang, crushing Brose Baskets Bamberg 49-83 on the road. Tariq Kirksay put on a show with 20 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals as Nancy put the game out of reach in the third quarter. Cedrick Banks added 14 and Deron Hayes 10 for the visitors, who had 11 different players score. Playmaker John Linehan dished 7 assists for Sluc, which won the battle of the boards 24-37. Zelly Wesson had 17 for Bamberg, which played without starting center Darren Fenn, who was out with a cold. DeJuan Collins added 8, but also committed 9 of his team's 25 turnovers, which thwarted coach Dirk Bauermann's plans. Bamberg hung around early, tying the game at 22-22 early in the second period, but Nancy went on a 0-10 run and never looked back.
Kirksay opened the scoring for Sluc before Wesson's dunk evened things at 2-2. The French newcomers showed some energy on the offensive glass, grabbing three offensive rebounds and Cedrik Banks's three gave the visitors an early lead. Bamberg's shots wouldn't drop as Nancy raced out to 2-9. Kirksay's triple put Jean Luc Monschau's team ahead 4-12, however two free throws and a triple from Vincent Yarbrough pulled Bamberg to 11-16. A pair of Cyril Julian baskets kept the hosts at bay - 17-22 after the first period. A long bomb from Bamberg's Robert Garrett tied things at 22-22 only to see Deron Hayes bury a three of his own, igniting a 10-0 run that made it 24-34. Trailing 26-36, Bamberg failed to convert on a long possession, extended by three offensive rebounds and twice retaining possession on out-of-bounds calls. DeJuan Collins's long-range attempt was the third missed bomb of the series. Hayes made them pay on the other end with a triple to open a 26-39 lead, which Adam Harrington cut to 28-39 at the break.
Nancy never let up on the defensive end, forcing Bamberg out of their game. Banks scored 7 points and Kirksay continued his torrid night with a steal and break away dunk as the visitors opened a 23-point lead (32-55), midway through the third period. Three straight baskets by Bamberg were too much for Monschau, who called a timeout. Nancy continued to surge forward, taking a 38-62 going into the fourth quarter, after forcing 12 Bamberg turnovers in the third period. The hosts continued to show their rust offensively and couldn't even slow down the Sluc reserves, as Julian hit two baskets to open a 42-71 advantage. Zaki Aboubacar's free throws with 39 seconds pushed the Nancy lead to 34 points (49-83) the largest of the game.
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
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