2010-11FinalsGame 1
Benetton Treviso 63
Cajasol Seville 75
April 16, 2011 CET: 20:45
Local time: 20:45 PALAVERDE
Players Cajasol Sevilla celebrates - Finals Treviso 2011 - EC10

Cajasol Sevilla has made it to the Eurocup final!

Cajasol advanced to the title game and will fight for its first Eurocup title - and the right to play in the 2011-12 Euroleague - by downing Benetton Basket Bwin 63-75 in the second semifinal at Palaverde in Treviso, Italy on Saturday night. Cajasol is set for a big showdown against Russian powerhouse Unics in the title game at 20:45 CET tomorrow. Before that, Benetton will play the Third Place game against Cedevita Zagreb at 18:00 CET. Tariq Kirksay paced the winners with 16 points. Louis Bullock and Paul Davis each added 14 while Mindaugas Katelynas had 10 for Cajasol. Massimo Bulleri had 15 for the losers and Stefan Markovic added 13 points for Benetton. Bullock and Katelynas helped Cajasol to get an early 10-17 lead. Hrvoje Peric and Markovic tried to change things for Benetton buy Paul Davis helped Cajasol to keep a 16-22 lead after 10 minutes. A 0-6 run that Davis capped with a dunk boosted the guests' lead to 21-36 but Brian Skinner and Peric brought Benetton within 33-38 near halftime. An 0-8 run that Juanjo Triguero capped with free throws gave Cajasol a 33-45 lead right after the break. Cajasol improved its margin to 40-55 soon after that but a 10-1 run that Devin Smith capped with a triple brought Benetton within 50-56 after 30 minutes. Kirksay struck twice from downtown and a dunk-and-foul by Davis sealed the outcome, 56-68, as Benetton never recovered.

Katelynas needed just 4 seconds to shock the crowd with a reverse dunk that Brian Skinner matched with a mid-range jumper. Cajasol tried to slow down the game tempo in the opening minutes and stayed focused in defense, closing passing lines. Meanwhile, a three-pointer by Bullock gave the guests a 2-5 lead. Alessandro Gentile stepped up with a six-meter jumper that Tomas Satoransky bettered with a triple, good for a 4-8 Cajasol edge. Juanjo Triguero rolled off the pick for a tomahawk dunk but Skinner took revenge with a jump hook. Donatas Motiejunas took over with a driving basket but Tariq Kirksay matched it with an easy layup. Devin Smith hit free throws, as Cajasol had already entered the foul bonus. Bullock made 3-of-3 foul shots and Katelynas buried a step-back jumper for a 10-17 Cajasol lead. Hrvoje Peric split foul shots, as Cajasol struggled to shoot in consecutive possessions. Stefan Markovic banked in a three-pointer from the top of the key and Massimo Bulleri added free throws but Davis and Earl Calloway boosted Cajasol's lead to 16-22 after 10 minutes.

Bulleri shined with a wild three-point play early in the second quarter, as Benetton switched to a 2-3 zone defense. Davis punished it with free throws but Cajasol picked up 3 team fouls in 42 seconds. Davis stayed on fire with a huge power layup but his team entered the foul bonus with 8:22 left in the first half. Bullock made free throws and Kaloyan Ivanov added a five-meter jumper to make it a double-digit game, 19-30. Smith sank foul shots but Satoransky erased it with a mid-range shot and Ivanov added a big basket in the low post for a 21-34 score. Davis capped a 0-6 run with a fast break dunk off a steal but free throws by Smith and Markovic got Benetton within 25-36. Bullock did not miss from the foul line but Markovic stayed on fire with a driving layup. Cajasol was all over the place in defense but Peric got the crowd even more involved with a power basket off the baseline. Skinner soon added a close jumper to make the guests call timeout at 31-38. Another driving layup by Peric and free throws by Kirksay fixed the halftime score at 33-40.

Katelynas struck from downtown immediately after the break and free throws by Triguero soon made it a 12-point game, 33-45. Benetton kept missing open shots and called timeout to improve its ball circulation. Bulleri nailed a five-meter shot but he didn't find much help around. Meanwhile, Cajasol tried to run the clock down through an outstanding Satoransky. Triguero hit free throws but a big triple by Bulleri brought Benetton within 38-48. Satoransky split foul shots and Katelynas added a backdoor dunk to keep Cajasol out of trouble, 38-51. Bulleri kept pacing Benetton with free throws but a technical foul on coach Jasmin Repesa allowed Kirksay and Txemi Urtasun to boost the guests' lead to 40-55. Benetton switched back to its 2-3 zone defense and Peric tried to ignite the hosts' comeback with a tip-in. Gentile added free throws and an open triple by Markovic brought Benetton within single digits, 47-56. Cajasol kept struggling to score and a three-pointer by Smith set all Benetton fans on fire, 50-56, after 30 minutes.

Both teams struggled to score early in the fourth quarter until Davis split free throws. Gentile bettered that with a driving layup but Kirksay struck from downtown to give Cajasol an eight-point lead, 52-60. Peric buried an acrobatic shot in transition but Bullock stepped up with more free throws. Kirksay buried another three-pointer but an alleyoop layup by Motiejunas kept Benetton as close as 56-65 with under 6 minutes left. Davis provided a highlight with an outstanding dunk-and-foul, as Cajasol kept running the game clock down. Greg Brunner made free throws but Triguero gave Cajasol a 58-69 margin with 2 minutes left. Cajasol kept using long possession but a coast-to-coast layup by Markovic kept Benetton within 60-69 with 1:34 to go. A free throw by Kirksay sealed the outcome, 60-70, allowing all Cajasol fans to celebrate arguably one of the biggest wins in club history!

Louis Bullock celebrates - Cajasol Sevilla - Finals Treviso 2011 - EC10
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Javier Gancedo, Eurocupbasketball.com
No results found.
Referees: DRABIKOVSKY, VOLODYMR; HERCEG, SINISA; RYZHYK, BORYS
Attendance: 4532 (Tentative)
By Quarter1234
Benetton Treviso16171713
Cajasol Seville22181619
End of Quarter1234
Benetton Treviso16335063
Cajasol Seville22405675
Benetton Treviso
  Rebounds Blocks Fouls
# Player Min Pts 2FG 3FG FT O D T As St To Fv Ag Cm Rv PIR
5 CAZZOLATO, NICOLO 0:05                              
6 SMITH, DEVIN 32:36 8 0/1 1/9 5/6 2 3 5 1   1 1   2 3 5
7 MARKOVIC, STEFAN 32:31 13 2/4 2/6 3/4 1 4 5 2   2     4 2 9
8 SKINNER, BRIAN 28:22 6 3/5   0/1 1 3 4   1 1     3 1 5
9 BULLERI, MASSIMO 19:09 15 2/2 2/4 5/5       1 1 3     5 4 11
10 NICEVIC, SANDRO 0:52                              
11 MOTIEJUNAS, DONATAS 23:24 4 2/5 0/1 0/2   4 4 1   1 1   5 4 2
15 GENTILE, ALESSANDRO 29:12 6 2/6 0/6 2/3 1   1 2       2 1 4 -1
17 PERIC, HRVOJE 21:29 9 4/5 0/1 1/2 2 2 4 1         5 3 9
18 WOJCIECHOWSKI, JAKUB DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
19 BRUNNER, GREG 12:20 2 0/1   2/2 2 2 4   1 1     4 2 3
Team           1 2 3           1   2
Totals 200:00 63 15/29 5/27 18/25 10 20 30 8 3 9 2 2 30 23 45
        51.7% 18.5% 72%
Head coach: REPESA, JASMIN
Min: Minutes played; Pts: Points; 2FG M-A: 2-point Field Goals (Made-Attempted); 3FG M-A: 3-point Field Goals (Made-Attempted); FT M-A: Free Throws (Made-Attempted); Rebounds: O (Offensive), D (Defensive), T (Total); As: Assists; St: Steals; To: Turnovers; Bl: Blocks (Fv: In Favor / Ag: Against); Fouls: Cm (Commited), Rv (Received); PIR: Performance Index Rating
Cajasol Seville
  Rebounds Blocks Fouls
# Player Min Pts 2FG 3FG FT O D T As St To Fv Ag Cm Rv PIR
5 TRIGUERO, JUAN JOSE 16:35 7 1/3   5/6 1 4 5         1 3 3 8
6 CABANAS, MARIO DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
7 BURJANADZE, BEKA 0:05                              
8 SATORANSKY, TOMAS 28:52 6 1/2 1/4 1/2 1 1 2 3   1   1 1 3 6
10 URTASUN, TXEMI 14:00 3 0/3 0/1 3/6   2 2 2   3     2 3 -2
11 KATELYNAS, MINDAUGAS 24:56 10 3/4 1/1 1/2 2 3 5     3 1   3 4 12
15 SASTRE, JOAN 5:52           1 1           3   -2
21 KIRKSAY, TARIQ 32:58 16 1/1 3/5 5/6   4 4 3 1 3     2 1 17
22 BULLOCK, LOUIS 30:07 14 0/1 1/9 11/12   2 2 4   1 1   1 6 15
23 CALLOWAY, EARL 9:27 1 0/1   1/2           1     3 2 -3
40 DAVIS, PAUL 22:31 14 4/7   6/7 1 3 4 1 3       3 4 19
55 IVANOV, KALOYAN 14:37 4 2/3     2 2 4     2     2 2 5
Team           1 4 5     1         4
Totals 200:00 75 12/25 6/20 33/43 8 26 34 13 4 15 2 2 23 28 79
        48% 30% 76.7%
Head coach: PLAZA, JOAN

Head Coaches

REPESA, JASMIN
Benetton Treviso
"First of all, congratulations to Cajasol for the win. They deserved it 100 percent. The game was decided in the first half, when in the first and second quarters we managed to get into the foul bonus early but could not get advantage of that. We followed our game plan and tried to be agressive at both ends. They played with a high level of intensity on the court. We got nervous and began to speak with the referees but managed to get back into the game twice - at the end of the first half and late in the third quarter. That is not enough if you want to beat a team like Cajasol. Maybe we could have played a better game. I want to congratulate my team for the Eurocup run that we made. We will try to win the third-place game and many players will have the chance to step on the floor before we focus back in the Italian League."

"The problem is that is very difficult to find the right rhythm against the kind of defense Cajasol plays. We didn't put the right intensity on defense. We lacked fastbreak baskets and that was really, really important. We lacked experience and physical skills. Donatas Motiejunas was not at his best in a physical game like tonight, but gained valuable experience. Devin Smith could not find his baskets and without them, it is very difficult for us to overcome any kind of challenge. I don't want to mention any players. First and foremost, Cajasol deserved the win with its great defense."
PLAZA, JOAN
Cajasol Seville
"It is easy to understand that this is a special, great day that we have dreamt of. Even with that, we have come to compete for the title. It is important that a team like Cajasol, small and modest, comes here to compete, but we have shown today and in the last two years that we have the spirit to improve every day. We will try and put all our desire and efforts into it. We had to risk to win the game and played good defense, half court but also full court. It could have been crazy due to our recent injuries, but the heart and faith that my players showed allowed us to make Benetton feel uncomfortable since the first minute. We played strong defense until the end of the game. They tried zones and adjustments, even used Devin Smith at power forward and even when we were stopped on defense, we never stopped playing defense. It is an honor to beat Benetton in Treviso, where it didn't lose any Eurocup game until now. It is a great basketball team that I respect more than you can ever imagine. It was an example for me growing up as coach. I will remember this win for many years."

"We designed a game plan that sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. We saw for the last two weeks that the team was at a high level of concentration. Injuries bothered us but we worked hard to win the game. We felt safe playing defense and used that to play with a lot of speed on offense. They tried alternative defenses and that is a good sign. My team is focused and willing to show that in a city not known for basketball, we can grow and improve every year to earn respect, to be seen as a serious, honest basketball team that wants to keep improving. I want my players to finish the game tomorrow with the feeling that they cannot play batter. I was happy with the experience and titles I had in Madrid. Being able to win something similar with Cajasol would be just awesome. We managed to offer security due to a group of players that believe in me, great assistant coaches... we are working in the right direction."

Players

MARKOVIC, STEFAN
Benetton Treviso
"We didn't control our game. We allowed them to overrun and be more aggressive than us. They broke our game. We played out of the system and we didn't get results playing that way. We came back two or three times in the game, as close as five or six points, and then we didn't have the power and strength to overcome them in the end. So this is a big loss for us, for all our guys, for the organization."
BRUNNER, GREG
Benetton Treviso
"Their aggressiveness took us out of our game. If you look at our offense, we were stagnant, running around the three-point line, and never really attacked 100 percent. I think it was more their aggressiveness than anything. We never were able to drive, or whenever we did, they collapsed so many guys. We didn't have a good shooting night, which could have opened it up a lot more. Give a lot of credit to them. They controlled the game for the entire 40 minutes. It's frustrating. We had a great opportunity. You don't get many opportunities like this in a basketball career, so that's what is most frustrating about it."
SMITH, DEVIN
Benetton Treviso
"They came out tough and controlled the pace of the game. That was key, because they got us playing their game. They were just being real aggressive, taking us out of our offense. At times, we just stopped responding to that, and didn't continue to do what we wanted to do. They did a good job of disrupting what we wanted to do. They came out with a game plan, and tonight they were definitely a better team. We made some runs, but we were never really able to control the game after they took a lead."
BULLERI, MASSIMO
Benetton Treviso
"They played much better, much more aggressive. They had the confidence to score the free throws and the three-pointers. We were not able to fulfill our dream despite our fans, but it was because we didn't play aggressive enough. We tried it all. Congratulations to Cajasol."
KATELYNAS, MINDAUGAS
Cajasol Seville
"Before the game, everybody got together. We knew and we talked about the fact that everybody worked so hard all season and right now, it's been a long journey and we have no choice. The journey ends now, and either we take it, or we lose everything. So we just got together, everybody, and made a team effort. It was not one guy doing extra; it was everybody, a team, a unit. Sometimes you don't have the best talent, but when you have the best chemistry, I think chemistry wins games. That's what we had today. We matched their intensity first of all, and we matched their big men under the basket. I think those were the keys. We just gave everything we had. I hope we'll play a better game tomorrow than today. We'll go sit down and talk about Unics and we'll see tomorrow."
DAVIS, PAUL
Cajasol Seville
"Tonight it was a team win from the very first minute and we managed to pull it out. We have been ready for the final game for a long time now, but first we had to take the semifinal step and we did that tonight. Whoever wins the cup tomorrow will fully deserve it."
KIRKSAY, TARIQ
Cajasol Seville
"We worked so hard to get this, now we got one more tomorrow. We were outnumbered here but we were louder and I want to thnk the fans who came all the way here from Sevilla and the ones watching the game at San Pablo."

"We all played hard. We had a meeting before the game, and the desire that everybody had, you saw it in their eyes. You saw the determination tonight that everybody had. We wanted to win it for our fans and our families who came to represent us. We were outnumbered, but they were louder and more effective. We have to thank everyone in Seville that watched us. We just worked hard, and we were the better team today, but we have one more game. We want to win it and win with class. We haven't had the best season that we wanted, but I think these two games can sum it up and try to make the difference of the things we missed in the beginning of the year. Everybody put egos aside and everything. We're trying to win it together. It's been eight-and-a-half months, like a pregnant woman. Finally the last week is here, the one you can't wait to finally get it over. We're down to the last day and hopefully we'll accomplish our desires tomorrow. We know it's going to be a tough match in the final, but like I said before this game, it doesn't matter so much about the team we are playing, but it's mostly about us and how effective we are executing everything that we've done for nine months. If we do what we've done for nine months to perfection, or close to perfection, we can win."
SATORANSKY, TOMAS
Cajasol Seville
"We had a good start and managed to stop their main players from the very beginning. We stopped their fast break opportunities and rebounded very well tonight. We had full control of the game for the best part of it. One more win and we will be Eurocup champions. We have to be fully focused because it is very difficult to play back-to-back games, especially if the second game is against a team like Unics. We know we have one game to win and will go for it."