2008-09Regular SeasonRound 2
December 02, 2008 CET: 20:00
Local time: 21:00 PALAIS DES SPORTS

Aris BSA 2003 remains tied for the Group D lead after topping Bnei Eshet Tours Hasharon 84-71 on Tuesday in Thessaloniki, Greece. Head coach Andrea Mazzon's team will host fellow undefeated side Turk Telekom next week with first place at stake. Aris took the lead from the first seconds of the game and never lost it for a relatively easy victory. Meanwhile, Bnei Hasharon lost for the second time in as many weeks, making its road to the next round even more difficult. Keydren Clark scored 15 to pace Aris, while Blagota Sekulic posted 14 points and 9 rebounds and Spencer Nelson recorded 14 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists. Lazaros Agadakos was also a factor with 9 points and 8 rebounds for the winners. Ugonna Onyekwe paced Bnei Hasharon with 15 points and Cookie Belcher added 13 in defeat.

Sekulic was a dominant force under the two baskets in the first period, scoring 8 points and grabbing 6 rebounds, helping Aris take the lead from the very first moments of the game. The hosts were in control as they built a 23-16 lead by the end of the period. Bnei Hasharon couldn't find the answers to the home team’s defensive pressure and as a result, found itself unable to threaten Aris to that point. The first half of the second quarter was no different, as Aris continued to set the tempo and keep the lead. Mazzon's team led by 11 points after a layup by Nelson, who was Aris's top player in the second period on both ends of the floor. After that point, Bnei Hasharon reacted, toughened its defense, found ways to score and even reduced the difference to 38-37, a minute before the end of the first half, thanks to a three-pointer by Belcher. Anton Gavel’s three was the basket that ended the second period, giving Aris a 41-37 halftime lead.

Clark and Sekulic did the most damage to Bnei Hasharon's defense in the third period, making some very difficult shots under pressure and keeping their team ahead. The visitors were unable to take advantage of Aris's turnovers and couldn’t contain Clark, who scored 9 points in the third period. As a result, Aris closed the third period leading by 64-53, looking like clear favorites to win the game. And the game had no surprises until the buzzer, with the hosts keeping their lead in double figures and grabbing a very crucial win on its way to the next round of the Eurocup.

Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Mike Tzounis, Thessaloniki
No results found.
Referees: LOVSIN, ANDREJ; CHIARI, ROBERTO; BISSANG, JOSEPH
Attendance: 2500
By Quarter1234
Aris Thessaloniki23182320
Bnei Hasharon16211618
End of Quarter1234
Aris Thessaloniki23416484
Bnei Hasharon16375371
Aris Thessaloniki
  Rebounds Blocks Fouls
# Player Min Pts 2FG 3FG FT O D T As St To Fv Ag Cm Rv PIR
4 CLARK, KEYDREN 31:09 15 3/7 2/6 3/4   2 2 3 2 1   1 1 6 16
5 MARSHALL, SEAN 30:00 12 4/5 0/2 4/6 1   1 1 1 2     4 3 7
8 SEKULIC, BLAGOTA 21:10 14 6/7 0/1 2/2 4 5 9   1 2     3 1 18
9 ARGYROPOULOS, NIKOS 14:14 1   0/4 1/2       1   1     1 3 -2
11 GAVEL, ANTON 13:59 3 0/1 1/4           2 1       1 1
13 PAPANIKOLAOU, KOSTAS 0:19     0/1                       -1
14 AGADAKOS, LAZAROS 21:41 9 3/5   3/3 1 8 9 1 1 1   1 2 5 19
15 BARLOS, NIKOS 6:38 4   0/1 4/4   1 1 1   1       2 6
16 TSALDARIS, DIMITRIOS 30:08 12 2/5 2/4 2/4 2 1 3 1 1 2   1 2 1 6
17 NELSON, SPENCER 30:04 14 4/4 1/3 3/4 1 4 5 6 1 1     3 3 22
18 CHRYSIKOPOULOS, LINOS 0:19                              
19 MOURTOS, SPYROS 0:19                              
Team           1   1               1
Totals 200:00 84 22/34 6/26 22/29 10 21 31 14 9 12 0 3 16 25 93
        64.7% 23.1% 75.9%
Head coach: MAZZON, ANDREA
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
Bnei Hasharon
  Rebounds Blocks Fouls
# Player Min Pts 2FG 3FG FT O D T As St To Fv Ag Cm Rv PIR
4 REIS, BEN DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
5 MUNSON, SEAN DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
6 QUAINTANCE, HAMINN 9:10 8 4/5     2   2     3 1   3 1 5
7 BELCHER, SEGADO 36:41 13 2/4 3/4     3 3 4 1 1     2 2 17
8 ROBY, RICHARD 20:05 7 3/4 0/3 1/4 1 1 2 3         4 3 4
10 ICHAKI, ORI 8:57 2 1/1 0/1     1 1   1 1     2    
11 HOFFMAN, ELAD 0:27                              
12 TAPIRO, MEIR 32:40 9 3/8 1/3     7 7 6 2 6     3 1 9
13 KATZ, EREZ 27:16 1 0/2   1/2       2         3 2 -1
14 CISSE, OUSMANE 12:01 6 1/2   4/7 3 1 4     2     2 4 6
15 ONYEKWE, UGONNA 31:50 15 4/5 2/2 1/2 1 3 4 1   4 1   2 2 15
21 JAMES, SHAWN 20:53 10 5/7 0/2   1 5 6 2 1 5 1   4 1 8
Team             1 1           1    
Totals 200:00 71 23/38 6/15 7/15 8 22 30 18 5 22 3 0 26 16 63
        60.5% 40% 46.7%
Head coach: BEIT HALAHMY, ARIEL

Head Coaches

MAZZON, ANDREA
Aris Thessaloniki
"We were very well prepared for the game and we knew exactly what we had to do from the first to the last second. We had another two injuries, as Nelson hurt his right leg and Barlos twisted his ankle badly, so it wasn’t a good night for me as a coach. We played very well in the second half, had more rebounds and also had five players with more than 10 points. We may not have had the "killer instinct" that we showed in the last league game against AEK, but we managed to get the win against a team with many athletic players, which plays a very different style of play compared to the one of the Greek League. The game against Turk Telekom next Tuesday is like a final to us and we need our fans to support us."
BEIT HALAHMY, ARIEL
Bnei Hasharon
"We made many turnovers, didn't execute well in offense and we had many problems against Aris in a close match. We were also hurt by our very bad percentages from the free throw line. Every offense was important, but we gave Aris the opportunity to make some shots in crucial moments of the game and that's why we lost. I was really impressed by the fans of Aris, as it was the first time I coached in this court and I saw a great atmosphere."

Players

TSALDARIS, DIMITRIOS
Aris Thessaloniki
"It was a very important win for our team, but I think we could have played a lot better. We're very satisfied with our second straight win in the competition, but I have to admit that we can play a lot better in the upcoming matches and that's exactly what we will try to do. Improving is key for us if we want to reach our goals and have a successful season."
No results found.