EWE Baskets holds off Strasbourg for valuable Game 1 road win

Rickey Paulding scored 24 points as EWE Baskets Oldenburg went on the road to hold off Strasbourg 74-76 in Game 1 of their Eurocup Eighthfinals series. Oldenburg can now qualify to the quarterfinals with a win, a tie, or a loss by one point in the return leg on home floor next week. For Strasbourg, this is third consecutive loss in the competition after winning four in a row to start the Last 32. Oldenburg led for great majority of the contest, but never more than 45-54 in the third quarter. Strasbourg answered with a 10-0 run that briefly put it in front 55-54, but the visitors soon regained the lead, and held on to it as the game went down to the wire. In addition to Paulding, Nemanja Aleksandrov and Brian Qvale were the main protagonists for the winners with 13 points apiece, and Vaughn Duggins scored 10 in victory. For the hosts, Rodrigue Beaubois netted 17, and Paul Lacombe had 14. Matt Howard contributed with 8 points and 11 rebounds in the losing effort.

A three-point play from Aleksandrov and a three-pointer from Paulding gave EWE Baskets 4-10. Paulding traded baskets with Beaubois and Howard, before Lacombe cut it to 12-14. Paulding remained hot, scoring another triple to get his tally to 12 points, and help give the visitors 14-21, but a three-point play from Mardy Collins at the end of the first quarter cut it to 19-21, before baskets from Romain Duport and Lacombe at the start of the second ties it at 23-23. But Paulding nailed his third triple, and Duggins also hit from downtown for Oldenburg, then added a put-back. When Scott Machado scored 5 points, including a basket-plus-foul, the visitors extended the lead to 30-38. Strasbourg halted the slide with Beaubois hitting a pair of triples, but Klemen Prepelic and Philipp Schwethelm also knocked down one each from long range for the visitors, as they had 41-46 at halftime.

Collins and Bangaly Fofana got Strasbourg going offensively in the third quarter, but Qvale and, again, Paulding with a three-pointer opened 45-54. But, Strasbourg answered with 10 consecutive points, run sparked by Beaubois’ three-pointer and capped by Howard’s put-back that made it 55-54. Howard had another put-back for the hosts, but Machado and Paulding from the foul line made sure the visitors were the one with 57-61 lead after 30 minutes. Aleksandrov buried a three in the fourth, but Duport and Kyle Weems kept Strasbourg within a single possession, 63-66. After Aleksandrov and Louis Campbell traded triples, a pair of baskets from Qvale extended the lead to 66-73 with 4 minutes to go. After a timeout Weems hit from distance, and after Vaughn and Collins traded triples, a fastbreak basket from Lacombe cut it to 74-76 with 2 minutes left. In the final 60 seconds, Paulding’s put-back gave EWE Baskets some breathing room, and after a pair of foul shots from Campbell, neither team scored in the final 40 seconds as the visitors prevailed.