Valencia Basket finishes regular season with perfect record

Valencia Basket used an 18-0 run to start the second half in beating Proximus Spirou Charleroi 97-76 to finish the Eurocup Regular Season undefeated in Group C. Bojan Dubljevic paced Valencia with 20 points, while Rafa Martinez scored 14 points and Fernando San Emeterio added 10 points in the win, which improved Valencia’s record to 10-0 going into the Last 32. Spirou came into the game knowing it had been eliminated from Last 32 contention and dropped to 3-7 with the defeat. Maxime Gaudoux led Spirou with 16 points while Billy Baron scored 14 points, Jimmy Baron had 12 and Alexandre Libert added 11 points in the loss.

Billy Baron got the guests on the board first and was matched by Dubljevic. A Gaudoux three-pointer made it 4-7 before Luke Sikma’s put-back gave Valencia its first lead, 11-9. Spirou regained the lead, 13-14, on a Gaudoux triple only to see Martinez punch right back from long range. Jon Stefansson’s free throws and Vladimir Lucic’s basket made it 20-16 before Seamus Boxley knotted it at 21-21. Dubljevic answered with the next 5 points and Martinez’s third three-pointer had Valencia up 29-23. The margin was 31-25 after 10 minutes. Libert hit back-to-back triples to start the second quarter for Spirou and Jimmy Baron converted a four-point play to complete a 0-10 run. Billy Baron’s three increased the Spirou lead to 33-38. The hosts trimmed it to 37-38, but Billy Baron was on target from long range and Gaudoux scored to make it 37-43. Valencia showed why it hasn’t lost yet in the Eurocup as San Emeterio hit back with a three-pointer and Justin Hamilton’s three had the hosts up 45-43. Gaudoux scored just before the halftime buzzer to knot it 46-46 at intermission.

While Spirou started the second half on offense, Valencia scored on its first five possessions of the third quarter, including 7 straight points from Dubljevic and a Martinez three. Spirou could not take advantage of a turnover and missed free throws from Sikma and watched Valencia grab two offensive rebounds before a San Emeterio basket. Martinez scored his first basket inside the three-point strip and then Dubljevic’s free throw finished off an 18-0 run for a 64-46 lead. Boxley’s free throws with 3:44 minutes left in the third quarter came after Spirou had committed 5 turnovers and missed 6 shots, including 5 three-point attempts. San Emeterio’s free throws gave the hosts a 20-point cushion, 68-48. Gaudoux followed with a three-point play, but Stefansson and Lucic both hit free throws and the margin was 74-54 after three quarters. Lucic opened the fourth and John Shurna’s three made it 79-56. But Spirou would not go down without a fight as Gaudoux nailed three-pointer and Billy Baron’s triple made it 79-62 with seven minutes left. Lucic answered with a three of his own and Spirou came up empty-handed on its next three possessions. Jordi Trias’ free throw made it 84-62. Billy Baron connected from downtown, but Romain Sato punched right back with a three and Trias scored after a Lucic steal for an 89-65 cushion with less than four minutes left. The closest Spirou would get the rest of the way was 19 points.