Big third quarter gives Reyer shootout win over Limoges
Umana Reyer Venice used a big third quarter to win a shootout with Limoges CSP 93-85 in Group B. Austin Daye and Michael Bramos led the way with 20 points each for Reyer, which took control of the game with a 20-0 run in the third frame. Jeremy Chappell scored 15 points with 5 assists while Mitchell Watt added 13 points and Gasper Vidmar chipped in 10 points as Reyer improved to 2-2 in the group. Limoges fell to 1-3 despite Brian Conklin scoring 26 points. Semaj Christon had 15 points and 11 assists while Marcus Ginyard picked up 13 points in the defeat.
Bramos knocked down a pair of three-pointers to start for the hosts, but a triple and three-point play from Hugo Invernizzi helped Limoges move ahead 10-16. Chappell and Daye both hit from long range in a 10-0 answer from Reyer to go up 20-16 only to see Nicolas Lang and Christon connect on threes as Limoges went up 21-27 after 10 minutes. The guests’ lead was 21-30 after a Ginyard triple, but the three-point festival continued with Bramos and Ariel Filloy draining shots to make it 31-32. Christon followed with one at the other end and added free throws in pushing ahead 43-48. But the cushion was only 47-48 at the break.
A Vidmar three-point play put Reyer back ahead only to see Lang knock down a three-pointer in an 0-7 surge to go up 52-58. But Reyer held Limoges scoreless for more than 5 minutes in reeling off a 20-0 run. Chappell bookended the decisive run with three-pointers and Daye had 5 points in moving ahead 72-58. Ginyard stopped the rut and a three from Ovidijus Varanauskas helped Limoges pull within 74-65 after 30 minutes. Bruno Cerella opened the fourth quarter with a three-pointer for the hosts and the gap was back to 14 before Ginyard finally scored for Limoges nearly 3 minutes into the final frame. Cerella committed an unsportsmanlike foul which Sanford turned into a 5-point possession with 2 free throws and a triple to get the visitors as close as 79-72. Daye answered with two scores and Watt’s basket had Reyer up 89-78 with just more than 2 minutes left. Conklin would not let Limoges go down without a fight with a three-point play to cut the gap to 89-83 with 70 seconds to play. Christon made it a 4-point game with 32 seconds left, but Andrea De Nicolao buried free throws with 29 seconds remaining to finish off the game.
Stopping Limoges's big guns
The key to Reyer's victory was the team stopping two of Limoges's main guns. Semaj Christon came into the game averaging 20.3 points but was held to just 15 points on 4-of-14 shooting. Vincent Sanford scored just 9 points - 8 points below his season average.
Pivotal performer
Austin Daye was big all game for Reyer in scoring 20 points - though he struggled with just 1 of 6 three-pointers. The all-arounder also picked up 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals for a performance index rating of 23.
Telling numbers
Reyer's offense finally woke up with 93 points, much more than its average of 67.3 points coming into the game. The hosts turned it over just 11 times - also much better than the 16.3 turnovers it had averaged through three games. Reyer also won the battle of the boards 35-22.
Next games
Reyer is hoping to make it three in a row - and also grab its first road victory - when it travels to Rytas Vilnius on Tuesday, October 29. Limoges has just one victory and it came at home with the French side returning home for its next game on October 30 to face undefeated Partizan NIS Belgrade.
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Eurocupbasketball.com