Skyliners eliminate Mornar Bar
Fraport Skyliners Frankfurt outlasted Mornar Bar 83-87 on Wednesday night to eliminate the debutant from Top 16 contention. Skyliners improved to 6-3 and will finish third in Group D regardless of Round 10 outcomes. Mornar was formally eliminated from Top 16 with the loss, which put its record at 2-7. Erik Murphy led the winners with 19 points in 4-of-5 three-point shooting, Quantez Robertson tallied 16 points and 4 steals and Shawn Huff scored 8 of his 13 points in the fourth quarter to help Skyliners put the game away. Antabia Waller paced Mornar with 15 points, 4 assists and 5 steals and
Malcolm Grant contributed 13 points and 4 dimes in his EuroCup debut.
Teenager Richard Freudenberg made his first start for Skyliners and scored 5 early points and Leon Kratzer drew 4 fouls to get the Mornar bigs in foul trouble, but the hosts persevered and led 9-7 after a Dorde Drenovac slam. Murphy came off the bench firing for Skyliners, but Antabia Waller heated up for the hosts and increased the difference to 26-18. After a Skyliners timeout, Robertson ignited a 0-7 run that closed the gap to 26-25 after 10 minutes. Mornar regrouped to remain in control with the lead reaching 37-30 on Strahinja Micovic's three-point play midway through the second quarter. Skyliners finished the quarter strong with threes by Murphy and Freudenberg on a 0-8 run to reach halftime with a 42-46 edge. Kratzer's put-back made it 46-53 early in the second half and the visitors managed to protect that lead despite Jason Clark heading to the bench with 4 fouls. Huff stepped up with 5 points late in the third quarter to keep Skyliners in control at 57-64. Mornar twice drew within 2 in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter, the second time coming on a Marko Mijovic triple that made it 65-67 and prompted a Skyliners timeout. Clark fouled out with 6:18 remaining, but Skyliners got triples from Murphy, Huff and Brady Heslip to make it 72-78 before Mornar called timeout with 3:22 to play. Grant and Waller each scored to bring Marnar within 1, thus setting up a tense finish. Grant sank a go-ahead layup with 1:18 for Mornar's first lead of the second half, 81-80, but after a timeout, Huff responded for the visitors from downtown. After Sane split free throws, Frankfurt iced the game from the line through Huff and Robertson.
Game-changing sequence
After Malcolm Grant's layup gave the hosts their first – and only – lead of the second half, 81-80, with 1:18 remaining, Skyliners called timeout. The visitors moved the ball and eventually found Shawn Huff open for an open three-pointer. Mornar got the ball to Landing Sane, who was fouled and could have tied the game, but split free throws. Huff made 2 free throws on the ensuing possession and Mornar never got a chance to tie it again.
Telling stat
In a game that was decided in the final seconds, Mornar will feel it missed a chance to win and stay alive by virtue of its 18 missed free throws. The Montenegrin champs attempted a club record 36 free throws, but their 50% conversion rate was its worst, too. Antabia Waller was the only Mornar player to attempt a free throw without missing.
Three-point record?
By making 4 of 5 three-pointers, Erik Murphy improved his unreal shooting numbers from downtown this season to an uncanny 24 of 33 (72.7%). No player in EuroCup with a minimum of 10 threes made has come even close to such accuracy for a season.
In Round 10
Mornar Bar will bid farewell to the EuroCup next Wednesday in the Lithuanian capital with a game against Rytas Vilnius. Skyliners will gear up for the Top 16 with a clash against Group D winner UNICS Kazan.
Wednesday, December 12, 2018
Eurocupbasketball.com