PGE Turow Zgorzelec stayed as the team to beat in Group I and keeps leading the standings with a 5-1 record by edging EiffelTowers 70-77 in Den Bosch, the Netherlands on Tuesday. Turow stays atop the Group I board while EiffelTowers dropped to 2-4 but still keeps its chances alive in a very balanced group. Thomas Kelati paced the winners with 26 points on 7-for-7 free throws. David Logan added 24 on 8-for-10 two-pointers while Dragisa Drobnjak posted a double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds for Turow. Darrell Tucker had 17 points for EiffelTowers, Greg Stevenson added 12 while Jayson Wells got 11 for the hosts. An 0-11 run allowed Turow to get a 12-22 lead after 20 minutes. EiffelTowers rallied in the final minutes of the second quarter, as a final basket by Dean Oliver tied the game, 33-33, at halftime. Kelati had 11 points, including 3 triples, late in the third quarter, allowing Turow to get a 54-57 edge after 30 minutes. A three-pointer by Tucker gave EiffelTowers its last lead, 66-64, but Logan and Kelati had the next 11 points for Turow to make the guests seal the outcome. A critical triple by Kelati broke the game open, 70-76, as EiffelTowers did not score in the final minute.
Drobnjak followed a put-back basket with a three-point play to give Turow a 4-5 lead. Wells stepped up with consecutive baskets, but Logan answered each time for the guests. Andres Rodriguez stepped up with a three-point play, igniting a 0-11 Turow run in which 5 different players scored and that Slobodan Ljubotina capped with a basket for a 10-20 margin. Free throws by Rodriguez kept Turow way ahead, 12-22, after 10 minutes. Wells and Tucker tried to ignit the hosts' comeback but Logan and Kelati gave Turow a 16-27 margin. It didn't last long, however, as Tucker had 4 points in a 6-0 EiffelTowers run that gave the guests some hope at 22-27. Logan and Drobnjak stepped up for Turow, but Stevenson and Brandon Griffin got the hosts even closer, 28-31. A three-pointer by Kees Akerboom and a final basket by Oliver tied the game, 33-33, at halftime. Both teams improved their offense after the break, as Wells, Stevenson and Roye Berkowitz allowed EiffelTowers to get a 42-37 edge. Stevenson fed Akerboom for a triple and soon added a basket to keep the hosts ahead, 49-44. It didn't last long, however, as back-to-back baskets by Logan and consecutive triples by Kelati made Turow regain the lead, 49-52. Oliver answered from downtown but a red hot Kelati helped Turow to keep a 54-57 edge after 30 minutes. Owens scored twice right at the start of the fourth quarter but Kelati and Logan kept Turow ahead, 60-62. Akerboom and Tucker stepped up to put EiffelTowers back ahead, 66-64, turning the game into a thriller. Logan followed free throws with a triple but Stevenson kept the EiffelTowers in the game, 70-71. Logan scored again while a triple by Kelati sealed the outcome, 70-76, as the hosts struggled to score right when it mattered most.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
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