Della Valle, Veremeenko lead Reggio Emilia to big win

Grissin Bon Reggio Emilia bounced back from last week's loss in Group L by downing Trabzonspor Medical Park 89-76 at home on Wednesday. Both teams have a 2-2 record in Group L but Reggio Emilia has the tie-break advantage, as it only lost by 6 points in Trabzon. Amedeo Della Valle led the winners with 18 points. Vladimir Veremeenko added 16 and 10 rebounds, Pietro Aradori had 15 points, Darjus Lavrinovic got 11 while Stefano Gentile contributed 10. Dwight Hardy led Trabzonspor with 20 points. Andrija Stipanovic added 13 while Novica Velickovic had 10 for the guests. Achille Polonara had 5 points in a 7-0 run which allowed Reggio Emilia to get a 26-17 lead after 10 minutes. Another 11-0 run which Aradori capped with a three-pointer broke the game open, 37-20. Nothing changed after that moment, as Reggio Emilia led 49-35 at halftime, kept a 70-56 margin after 30 minutes and sealed the outcome long before the final buzzer.

Ryan Thompson got Trabzonspor going with a quick basket that Darjus Lavrinovic bettered with a three-point play for a 3-2 Reggio Emilia lead. Stipanovic followed a power layup with a jump hook but an outstanding Veremeenko singlehandedly gave the hosts a 10-6 lead. Della Valle took over with a layup-plus-foul, Derwin Kitchen nailed a jumper and a second-chance layup by Veremeenko boosted Reggio Emilia's lead to 15-8. Stipanovic kept pacing Trabzonspor and 5 quick points by Dwight Hardy brought the guests within 17-15. Vladimir Golubovic and Stipanovic exchanged baskets but Achille Polonara had 5 points in a 7-0 run which Golubovic capped with a layup to give Reggio Emilia a 26-17 lead after 10 minutes. Novica Velickovic and Stefano Gentile traded three-pointers early in the second quarter and consecutive baskets by Golubovic made it a double-digit game, 33-20. Lavrinovic hit a close jumper and a layup by Pietro Aradori broke the game open, 37-20, after an 11-0 run. Gani Erdi Gulaslan stepped up for Trabzonspor and Ibrahim Yildirim hit a triple to keep his team within 39-25. Stipanovic scored down low and a layup by Gulaslan gave the guests hope at 39-29. Della Valle struck from downtown and Aradori soon restored a 44-29 Reggio Emilia margin. Yildirin nailed another one from beyond the arc, Lavrinovic shined with a put-back jump hook but Gulaslan kept Trabzonspor within 46-34. Another three-pointer by Della Valle gave Reggio Emilia a 49-35 margin at halftime.

Veremeenko scored again immediately after the break and Della Valle soon made it an 18-point game, 53-35. Velickovic rescued Trabzonspor with a put-back basket and Stipanovic scored in the paint for a 53-39 deficit. Aradori find Veremeenko for another basket that Velickovic bettered with a triple. Aradori answered from downtown and Della Valle also hit one from beyond the arc to boost Reggio Emilia's lead to 61-44. Veremeenko and Hardy traded baskets, Gentile and Gulaslan exchanged free throws and Berkay Candan got the guests closer, 65-50. Ojars Silins joined the three-point shootout and Gentile added more free throws but Hardy singlehandedly kept Trabzonspor within 70-56 after 30 minutes. Hardy buried another triple early in the fourth quarter but Gentile and Polonara restored a 73-59 Reggio Emilia lead. Hardy scored again and got help from Kitchen and Velickovic to give Trabzonspor hope at 75-65. Aradori stepped up with a big triple and back-to-back baskets by Lavrinovic sealed the outcome, 82-67, with under 3 minutes left. Trabzonspor tried to get closer and get the tie-break advantage but Aradori and Della Valle allowed Reggio Emilia to round a very important win.