In another amazing result in Group D, Adecco Asvel Baskets blasted Scavolini Pesaro out of its own gym on Wednesday, 65-99, in a display of shooting and defense that took the home team completely by surprise. The key was the incredible shooting night of the visitors. Asvel connected on 14 of 25 shots from behind the arc and Kyle Hill was the main gunslinger, making 5 clutch threes himself en route to 19 points. His partners in the blowout were Nikola Vujcic, who scored 23 points, David Frigout with 11 and Harold Mrazek and Nikola Radulovic both with 10. For the losers, just three players reached double figure: Melvin Booker with 17, Marko Tusek and newcomer Demarco Johnson with 13 each. As such, Asvel improved to 5-5 even as it forced Scavolini into a four-way tie for second place at 6-4 in a Group D fight that seems more incredible each week.
The game was balanced just for the first four minutes, 8-8, then the guests started their run, taking a first short advantage at 11-17 on an offensive rebound converted by David Frigout. Scavolini was back immediately to 16-17, but the three-pointers of Kyle Hill and John Celestand gave another important boost to the Greens as they closed the first 10 minutes ahead 16-25. Demarco Johnson made his debut beginning the second period and scored the first ball he received in the paint, but with a three-pointer by Vujcic, Asvel went to its biggest advantage yet, at 18-28. Pillastrini aligned together Andrea Pecile and Melvin Booker and Scavolini became more aggressive and consistent, equalizing the score 31-31 after a steal and easy layup by Booker in the middle of the second period. There began a moment of confusion in the game and after two minutes without baskets, Asvel took the final advantage within nine points thanks to two consecutive three-pointers by Hill and Mrazek. After twenty minutes, the scoreboard favored the guests by 34-43 even though Booker was the top scorer with 10 points.
The third period started with Scavolini working better on defense and forcing a 24-second violation on Asvel. But the home team suffered under the defensive board the long arms of David Frigout, who repelled the first attack of Scavolini and then hit a left jumphook after grabbing a rebound for 49-54. There started the three-point barrage with Kyle Hill first posting his fourth long distance basket and then Nikola Vujcic with two straight "bombs" and a slam dunk to enlarge the advantage to 54-66. The period ended with a pull-up jumper scored by Simon Petorv and Asvel Adecco leading the game 56-68.
Scavolini tried a zone defense in the last period but Asvel immediately crushed it with consecutive baskets by Petrov, Hill and Mrazek for eight points and a 61-80 lead. The final of the game was really easy for Villeurbanne and Scavolini collapsed in the last minutes to the final, incredible 34-point margin.
Wednesday, January 9, 2002
Romano Petitti, Pesaro