Mornar Bar vs. Unicaja Malaga

2020-21Regular SeasonRound 2

Mornar Bar 90

Unicaja Malaga 80

October 06, 2020 CET: 18:00

Local time: 18:00 TOPOLICA SPORTS HALL

Mornar claims historic home win

Mornar Bar sent a message that echoed all around the 7DAYS EuroCup by downing Unicaja Malaga 90-80 at home in Group B on Tuesday. Both teams now have 1-1 records in Group B. Jacob Pullen led the winners with 24 points, Nemanja Vranjes added 16, Isaiah Whitehead tallied 12 points and 5 assists and Derek Needham scored 10 for Mornar. Dario Brizuela led Unicaja with 16 points; Deon Thompson, Alberto Diaz and Axel Bouteille each added 11 and Gal Mekel totaled 10 points and 5 assists for the visitors. Mornar led 28-22 after 10 minutes and extended its margin to 58-39 at halftime. Little changed after that as Mornar held a 71-56 margin at the end of the third quarter and cruised to a well-deserved win.

.@unicajaCB, @basquemamba is all about HUSTLE!!#7DAYSMagicMoment pic.twitter.com/Sp1DshclDx
— 7DAYS EuroCup (@EuroCup) October 6, 2020

Mekel got Unicaja going with a turnaround jumper which Francis Alonso followed with a triple for a 0-5 lead. Vranjes stepped up for Mornar, but Ruben Guerrero and Thompson pushed Unicaja's lead to 5-11. Mornar found a go-to guy in Kenny Gabriel, who had 5 points in an 11-0 run that gave the hosts a 16-11 edge. Brizuela and Yannick Nzosa each scored around the basket before Diaz sank a jumper for an 18-17 score. Pullen stepped up for Mornar and got help from Taylor Smith and Milko Bjelica to put Mornar ahead, 28-22, after 10 minutes. Brizuela and Bouteille tried to change things for Unicaja early in the second quarter, bringing their team within 31-29. Bjelica took over with an up-and-under layup and Derek Needham struck twice from downtown to give Mornar fresh air at 40-33. Pullen joined the three-point shootout to make it a double-digit game, 43-33. Gabriel and Bouteille exchanged jumpers but Smith dunked and Vranjes hit three bombs from beyond the arc to break the game open, 58-39, at halftime.

Thompson followed a step-back jumper with a triple to give Unicaja hope, 58-44, soon after the break. Whitehead struck twice downtown and Gabriel swished a jumper that caused the guests to call timeout at 66-50. Pullen sank his third three-pointer and added a jumper to keep Mornar way ahead, 71-56, after 30 minutes. Diaz buried back-to-back corner triples early in the fourth quarter, but Smith and Bjelica established a 75-62 Mornar margin. Needham sank one from beyond the arc and Bjelica added a jumper that sealed the outcome, 80-64, as Unicaja could not recover in the final 4 minutes.

.@MornarBar obtain a well-deserved win in Round 2 of the #7DAYSEuroCup!#RoadToGreatness pic.twitter.com/Mc2Do2t5PK
— 7DAYS EuroCup (@EuroCup) October 6, 2020

Pivotal performer

Vranjes was held scoreless against ratiopharm Ulm in Round 1, but bounced back to impress everyone on this night. He had 16 points and just 1 missed shot at halftime, allowing Mornar to make the difference. Vranes finished the game with 16 points on 3-of-6 three-point shooting and 7-of-7 free throws plus 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 6 fouls drawn for a game-high performance index rating of 26.

Game-changing moment

The final 5 minutes of the first half allowed Mornar to get a comfortable lead. Needham hit a couple of three-pointers, Pullen buried another and Vranjes added three more to go from 33-31 to 58-39: a 25-8 run. Unicaja never managed to get within striking distance after that.

Stellar stat

Three-point shots and free throw accuracy allowed Mornar to get a comfortable win. Mornar converted 14 of 31 three-point shots (45.2%) and 20 of 21 free throws (95.2%). Unicaja only made 7 of 27 shots from downtown (25.9%) and 11 of 20 from the foul line (55%).

Did you know?

Mornar reached 90 points for the first time in the competition. Its previous record came against Fiat Turin in an 86-83 win on November 14, 2018. Mornar also scored 58 points in the first half to set a new EuroCup club record. Its previous record was 55 first-half points against Fiat Turin, but in a different game - on October 10, 2018.

Next game

Both teams return to 7DAYS EuroCup action on Wednesday, October 14. Mornar hosts Germani Brescia. Unicaja welcomes Buducnost VOLI Podgorica. It will be those teams' fifth EuroCup regular-season showdown since 2016.

Jacob Pullen - Mornar Bar (photo Mornar) - EC20

Tuesday, October 6, 2020

Eurocupbasketball.com

Referees: FOUFIS, IOANNIS; NIKOLIC, UROS; AMBROSOV, MYKOLA

Attendance: 0

By Quarter	1	2	3	4
Mornar Bar	28	30	13	19
Unicaja Malaga	22	17	17	24

End of Quarter	1	2	3	4
Mornar Bar	28	58	71	90
Unicaja Malaga	22	39	56	80

Mornar Bar

							Rebounds						Blocks		Fouls
#	Player	Min	Pts	2FG	3FG	FT	O	D	T	As	St	To	Fv	Ag	Cm	Rv	PIR
0	PULLEN, JACOB	25:50	24	2/4	4/7	8/9		2	2	2		3			2	6	23
2	GABRIEL, KENNY	20:32	9	3/4	1/3			2	2		1	1			1		7
5	NEEDHAM, DEREK	27:10	10	0/2	3/7	1/1		1	1	4		6			3	3	3
6	JEREMIC, MARKO	14:17			0/1			2	2	1					2	1	1
8	SEHOVIC, SEAD	6:45	3	0/2	1/1		2		2	2							5
9	SMITH, TAYLOR	26:07	8	3/4		2/2	2	5	7	2	1	1			3	2	15
11	WHITEHEAD, ISAIAH	21:40	12	2/8	2/3	2/2	1	3	4	5	2	2	1	2	4	2	11
13	LAZIC, ALEKSANDAR	0:51													2	1	-1
14	PAVIC, VUKOTA	DNP	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
41	VRANJES, NEMANJA	25:58	16		3/6	7/7	1	6	7	3		1			2	6	26
51	BJELICA, MILKO	17:31	8	4/5	0/3			3	3	2	1	1			2	3	10
55	LUKOVIC, UROS	13:19		0/3			2	4	6	1	1	2	1		2		2
	Team						1	4	5			1					4
	Totals	200:00	90	14/32	14/31	20/21	9	32	41	22	6	18	2	2	23	24	106
				43.8%	45.2%	95.2%

Head coach: PAVICEVIC, MIHAILO

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

Unicaja Malaga

							Rebounds						Blocks		Fouls
#	Player	Min	Pts	2FG	3FG	FT	O	D	T	As	St	To	Fv	Ag	Cm	Rv	PIR
2	THOMPSON, DEON	18:08	11	4/6	1/2		2	4	6				1		2		13
8	BRIZUELA, DARIO	19:48	16	4/6	2/4	2/2	1	1	2	2	2	2		1	2	6	19
9	DIAZ, ALBERTO	21:25	11	2/2	2/6	1/2		5	5	2	3	3			2	4	15
10	ALONSO, FRANCIS	23:39	5	0/1	1/5	2/3	1		1		1	2			3	2	-2
21	WACZYNSKI, ADAM	14:10	2	1/3	0/4		1	2	3				1		1		-1
23	ABROMAITIS, TIM	20:39	7	2/3	1/2	0/2						1			3	4	3
32	GUERRERO, RUBEN	10:39	2	1/1		0/1		3	3	1		4			3	1	-1
33	NZOSA, YANNICK	11:47	2	1/3			2	2	4		1				4		1
43	SUAREZ, CARLOS	3:58			0/1					1					1		-1
52	GERUN, VOLODYMYR	14:42	3	1/4		1/3	1	3	4							2	4
83	BOUTEILLE, AXEL	22:30	11	5/8	0/2	1/3		1	1	3	1	2				2	9
99	MEKEL, GAL	18:35	10	3/7	0/1	4/4	1	2	3	5		1		1	3	2	10
	Team						2	3	5								5
	Totals	200:00	80	24/44	7/27	11/20	11	26	37	14	8	15	2	2	24	23	74
				54.5%	25.9%	55%

Head coach: CASIMIRO, LUIS

Head Coaches

PAVICEVIC, MIHAILO

Mornar Bar

"Like I said straight after the game, it is one of the biggest wins in club history because we know what Unicaja means in European basketball: a team that is playing EuroLeague or EuroCup every year, one of the top teams in Spain. It is a really big win for us. Also, I would like to congratulate our opponents for their correct game. Both teams fought until the end and I can say we were maybe in a better mood tonight than our opponents. We opened the game very well and I am especially satisfied with our defense in the first half. We were focused on what to do on defense and everything came from good defense. About our offense, if we start to shoot well from outside, it is hard to stop us. Scoring 58 points against Unicaja is not easy. In the beginning of the second half, we didn't have the same start as we did against Ulm in Germany, but I think we were 3-4 minutes without baskets. In that time, Isaiah [Whitehead] took some big three-point shots and we came back on the right way. In the last quarter, I can say that especially in the last 5 minutes, my players were more like waiting for the end of the game than thinking about how to play. Unicaja tried to worry them, being a dangerous team, and today, in basketball, 20 points is nothing. You can make 3-4 good defenses, and make 3-4 three-point shots and boom, you are in. But I am really, really happy with this win. It is a big win for us, for everything: for the future. I was not afraid, but I didn't have a good feeling before this game because I knew they had a big advantage. Their [domestic] championship started early and we had just one official game against Ulm. Also, which is very important for me as a coach, we were the last team to start practicing and playing in all the EuroCup. Now, we are on the right way. We'll try to enjoy this win for one-two days and move on, focusing on the next games."

CASIMIRO, LUIS

Unicaja Malaga

"I think that turnovers were a big problem for us tonight. I think we had a really bad shooting day. We missed many three-point shots and free throws, but it is very clear that we played bad on defense in the first half with stupid fouls which made them take too many free throws. But in the second half, we played very good defense, with effort, looking for steals, running the court. But when you miss every open shot, it is difficult to win and Mornar punished these situations with open shots which they scored and we didn't. I think we need to improve our defense and focus on our first half. It is our second EuroCup game and it is early in the season. We have to think about improving our defense and offense. This is the key: improving every day."

Players

LUKOVIC, UROS

Mornar Bar

"We played a great game. We were especially good in the first half when we scored 58 points. This team has the potential to go far on all fronts. We don't have time to celebrate. We are already focused on the next games because from Friday to Wednesday, we will play three games in the ABA league and the EuroCup."

PULLEN, JACOB

Mornar Bar

"We needed it after last week, in which we lost a game that we thought we should have won and this week, we played a tough opponent. And we just tried to play for 40 minutes instead of 20. I think my team did a great job rebounding and sharing the ball and that's how we came out with a win. For us, it is all about trying to keep the same level of intensity and passing the ball and playing defense and talking. If we just stay at that level, we have a chance to beat everybody in our group."

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