2012-13Last 16Round 1
Valencia Basket 86
VEF Riga 82
January 08, 2013 CET: 20:30
Local time: 20:30 FUENTE DE SAN LUIS
Rafa Martinez - Valencia Basket - EC12 (photo Valencia Basket)Valencia Basket became the first team to register a win in the 2012-13 Eurocup Last 16 by rallying from a double-digit second-half deficit to edge VEF Riga 86-82 at home in Group J on Tuesday. Valencia grabbed its 46th win in 48 Eurocup home games. Rafa Martinez paced the winners with 27 points on 5-of-6 three-point shots. Bojan Dubljevic and Justin Doellman each added 14, Thomas Kelati had 11 and Stefan Markovic got 10 and dished 11 assists to tie a Last 16 record that previously belonged to Dontaye Draper and Tutku Acik. E.J. Rowland led VEF with 21 points. Donatas Zavackas added 18 while Kristaps Janicenoks got 16 for the guests. Dubljevic and Kelati allowed Valencia to get a 20-17 lead after 10 minutes. A three-pointer by Dubljevic gave Valencia a 28-21 lead but Rowland and Zavackas fueled a 0-14 run that gave VEF a 28-35 margin. Martinez kept Valencia within 39-45 at halftime. VEF managed to get a double-digit margin, 39-49, but Doellman and Markovic fueled an 18-1 run which allowed the hosts to regain a 67-58 lead after 30 minutes. VEF did not give up and got within 79-76 with a minute to go. Markovic hit a triple, Janicenoks did better with a four-point play and free throws by Martinez sealed the outcome with 3 seconds to go. Rodrigo San Miguel left the game in stretchers early in the second quarter due to a neck injury.

Dubljevic got Valencia going with a backdoor layup and a five-meter jumper but quickly left with a bloody nose. Rowland struck from downtown, San Miguel and Antanas Kavaliauskas traded jumpers and a second-chance basket by Doellman gave Valencia an 8-5 edge. Kelati buried a three-pointer and Martinez matched Rowland's free throws with a long jumper. Will Daniels and Martinez joined the three-point shootout but Rowland and Zavackas kept VEF within 16-15. Mickeal Gelabale hit a turnaround jumper and Dubljevic, back on the floor with a face mask, split free throws. A driving layup by Janicenoks and a free throw by San Miguel fixed the score at 20-17 after 10 minutes. Dubljevic banked in a mid-range shot early in the second quarter but Daniels shined with a put-back basket. Doellman took over with a three-point play but Dairis Bertans kept VEF as close as 25-21. Dubljevic buried a triple but Lauris Blaus scored down low, Rowland hit free throws and back-to-back triples by gave VEF its first lead, 28-31. Rowland scored in transition and a dunk by Gatis Jahovics capped a 0-14 VEF run. Martinez nailed a three-pointer and matched Bertans's five-meter shot with a long jumper. Rowland and Kaspars Berzins struck from downtown but Pietrus and Martinez kept Valencia within 37-43. Martinez kept Valencia with free throws but a running layup by Zavackas gave VEF a 39-45 edge at halftime.

Janicenoks stepped up with a driving layup right after the break and a catch-and-shoot jumper by Zavackas made it a double-digit game, 39-49. Martinez - who else? - downed another three-pointerand a layup by Dubljevic gave Valencia some hope at 44-49. Janicenoks swished a five-meter shot and matched Kelati's triple with his own shot from downtown. Stefan Markovic answered with a layup-plus-foul and scored off a steal and triples by Gelabale and Kelati put Valencia back ahead, 58-55. Doellman set the crowd on fire with an acrobatic three-point play and followed Markovic's free throws with a rainbow jumper for a 65-55 Valencia margin. A layup by Dubljevic capped an 18-1 run, as a buzzer-beating triple by Rowland got VEF within 67-58 after 30 minutes. Rowland scored early in the fourth quarter. Martinez and Janicenoks traded three-pointers and Rowland gave VEF some hope at 70-66. Doelmann shined with a tough basket, Martinez and Zavackas insisted from downtown and Kavaliauskas dunked it for a 75-71 VEF deficit with 6 minutes left. Kelati hit free throws but a triple by Zavackas made Valencia call timeout at 77-74. Doellman and Bertans traded step-back jumpers and free throws by Martinez gave the hosts a 79-74 edge with over 2 minutes to go. Kavaliauskas hit a jump hook but a three-pointer by Markovic seemed to seal the outcome, 84-78, with 31.4 seconds left. Janicenoks took over with a wild four-point play but Martinez drew a foul, made free throws and allowed all Valencia fans to celebrate a big win in come-from-behind fashion.
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Eurocupbasketball.com
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Referees: SAHIN, TOLGA; RUTESIC, ZDRAVKO; BARDERA, REGIS
Attendance: 5000 (Tentative)
By Quarter1234
Valencia Basket20192819
VEF Riga17281324
End of Quarter1234
Valencia Basket20396786
VEF Riga17455882
Valencia Basket
  Rebounds Blocks Fouls
# Player Min Pts 2FG 3FG FT O D T As St To Fv Ag Cm Rv PIR
00 SAN MIGUEL, RODRIGO 7:25 3 1/3 0/1 1/2       1       1 1 2  
4 MARKOVIC, STEFAN 28:21 10 2/2 1/4 3/3       11 1 2     4 2 15
7 DOELLMAN, JUSTIN 29:52 14 6/11 0/4 2/2 2 3 5 1 1 3 2 1 1 2 11
8 KESELJ, MARKO DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
10 ABIA, LARRY DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
12 LISHCHUK, SERHIY 5:21         1   1     3     3 2 -3
13 FAVERANI, VITOR 2:02                         1   -1
14 DUBLJEVIC, BOJAN 26:39 14 5/6 1/1 1/2 1 8 9   3 3 1   2 4 24
17 MARTINEZ, RAFA 31:16 27 3/3 5/6 6/6 1 1 2 3 1       3 5 34
20 PIETRUS, FLORENT 16:06 2 0/2   2/2 1 1 2   1 1     4 1 -1
22 KELATI, THOMAS 31:27 11 0/2 3/6 2/2   2 2 2 1 1       2 12
25 GELABALE, MICKAEL 21:31 5 1/1 1/2   1 2 3 1   2     1 2 7
Team           1 1 2     1         1
Totals 200:00 86 18/30 11/24 17/19 8 18 26 19 8 16 3 2 20 22 99
        60% 45.8% 89.5%
Head coach: PERASOVIC, VELIMIR
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
VEF Riga
  Rebounds Blocks Fouls
# Player Min Pts 2FG 3FG FT O D T As St To Fv Ag Cm Rv PIR
4 ROWLAND, EARL 30:37 21 2/6 4/8 5/6 1 4 5 9 1 3   1 3 9 29
9 JAHOVICS, GATIS 18:26 2 1/3     1   1 2         3 1 1
11 STRELNIEKS, ARTURS 7:54           1 1               1
12 JANICENOKS, KRISTAPS 29:31 16 3/4 3/7 1/1   2 2   1 2   1 1 1 11
14 BERZINS, KASPARS 21:59 6 1/3 1/1 1/2   1 1   4 1 2   3 4 10
15 DANIELS, WILL 14:56 5 1/1 1/1 0/2 1   1     1     1 1 3
20 BLAUS, LAURIS 6:18 2 1/1     1 1 2   1       1 1 5
21 KAVALIAUSKAS, ANTANAS 21:15 6 3/5     3 3 6     2     4 1 5
41 ZAVACKAS, DONATAS 30:28 18 3/4 4/7   1 3 4     2   1 3   12
45 BERTANS, DAIRIS 18:36 6 3/4 0/2         1   3     3 2  
Team             1 1     3         -2
Totals 200:00 82 18/31 13/26 7/11 8 16 24 12 7 17 2 3 22 20 75
        58.1% 50% 63.6%
Head coach: BUTAUTAS, RAMUNAS

Head Coaches

PERASOVIC, VELIMIR
Valencia Basket
"We didn't play well in the second quarter, especially on defense. We struggle against aggressibe teams, which take the ball outside and shoot from three-pointe range. We were fresh at some point during the season, but not now, and that is important against a team like VEF, which beat Zalgiris and ranks second in its VTB League group. It may not have big names but has a lot of talent and plays with great speed. They opened the court and hurt us that way, giving us a lot of trouble. The third quarter was key, we played better defense and had a big run that gave us the lead. We started allowing easy baskets in the fourth quarter. They scored a lot in one-on-one situations and we have to improve on that. It is a good result considering how the game developed. It is very important to start the Last 16 with a win."
BUTAUTAS, RAMUNAS
VEF Riga
"We played against a very good team, one of the best in Europe. We knew it would be a tough game. We played well until the third quarter, when we lost control. I think that Valencia Basket should play in the Euroleague."

Players

MARKOVIC, STEFAN
Valencia Basket
"We did not have a good start in the first half but managed to fight after that, just as we always do. It is important to get a win in the first game of this round. I played well but the only important thing is that the team won."
MARTINEZ, RAFA
Valencia Basket
"The most important thing is that we won the game. We have to improve a lot of things, especially on defense. I am proud to have become the leading three-point shooter in Valencia's continental history. It is a matter of pride."
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