Gran Canaria hits 17 triples, cruises against Ludwigsburg

Herbalife Gran Canaria Las Palmas buried 17 three-pointers to cruise to 95-75 win over MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg on Wednesday night. By hitting 17 triples on 36 attempts, Gran Canaria tied its club record in the competition for three-point shots made in a game. Win improved Gran Canaria to 2-0 and first place in Group B, while Eurocup newcomer Ludwigsburg has 1-1 record in a share of second place. Sasu Salin had 17 points on 4-for-8 from downtown, Kyle Kuric also hit 4 triples and had 15 points, while Pablo Aguilar and Brad Newley each knocked down a pair of three-pointers while netting 14 points apiece. Ludwigsburg’s Mustafa Shakur was game’s highest scorer with 18 points, Shawn Huff netted 14, Jon Brockman collected 13 points and 9 rebounds, while Rocky Trice had 10 points and 7 rebounds in defeat.

Brockman scored 6 points and Huff hit a triple to give the visitors 7-13 early on, but Alen Omic sparked a 9-0 run, capped by a three-pointer from Xavi Rabaseda for 16-13. A second-chance three from Aguilar put Gran Canaria in control, giving it 23-15 after 10 minutes. A three from Salin helped the hosts to 27-17, but a three-point play from Shakur and a three-point shot from Huff had Ludwigsburg back within 29-25 midway through the second. Gran Canaria replied through Aguilar again, and with a triple from Kuric, but Jason Boone and Trice made it 37-32. Anzejs Pasecniks and Kuric hit back-to-back from downtown for 43-32, but Trice scored again to make it 43-35 at halftime.

Kuric hit two more shots from long range and Kevin Pangos added one for Gran Canaria, opening 54-37 margin after 3 minutes in the third quarter. Brad Loesing nailed one from downtown for the visitors, and Tekel Cotton and Shakur added baskets to Ludwigsburg’s tally. But a three from Newley, and two more from Salin kept the hosts in control, and with 67-55 lead after three quarters. Eulis Baez hit from downtown for 72-55 early in the fourth, before Huff answered with his third long-range shot, and Shakur scored twice for 72-62. But Salin hit his fourth three-point dagger, Newley added to the lead, and after a put-back from Brockman, a triple from Aguilar made it 83-68, icing the game with 4 minutes to go. Before game’s end, Newley hit Gran Canaria’s 17th three-pointer of the night, and also scored the final basket of the game to round things out at 20 points, the largest margin of the contest.