2018-19Regular SeasonRound 9
December 11, 2018 CET: 20:30
Local time: 20:30 GDYNIA ARENA

ALBA KO's Arka in Gdynia

ALBA Berlin remained alive in the hunt for first place in Group B with a 64-76 road victory over Arka Gdynia, which eliminated the home team from Top 16 contention. ALBA improved to 7-2 and will capture the top spot in the group if it defeats Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar next week. Arka lost its fourth straight game, saw its record fall to 1-8 and was formally eliminated from Top 16 contention. Niels Giffey paced the winners with18 points, Luke Sikma added 16 points plus a club-record 6 steals and Peyton Siva made his return from injury with 14 points and 10 assists. Deividas Dulkys led Arka with 22 points in 21 minutes and tied a club record for three-pointers made with 6.

The game was close early with a Filip Dylewicz triple giving Arka its first lead, 9-6, midway through the opening quarter. ALBA turned to its bench and recaptured the lead through Giffey and Siva. ALBA finished the first quarter on a 0-8 run for a 12-19 advantage. Tim Schneider knocked down a three early in the second quarter to give the visitors their first double-digit lead, 14-24. Dulkys sank a pair of threes to keep Arka in the game. Josh Bostic added another as five Arka players scored in a 10-0 surge that nosed the hosts ahead 32-31. ALBA silenced Arka for the next three and a half minutes while reeling off 10 straight points, half of which Rokas Giedraitis scored. Siva buried a long three on the halftime buzzer to make it 33-44. Sikma converted a trio of three-pointers in the third quarter as ALBA stretched its lead to 14. Arka did not break and Dulkys's fourth triple of the night made it 52-61 through three quarters. Dulkys his twice more from downtown early in the fourth, but Giffey and Sikma kept ALBA in charge and the visitors held on for the victory.

Decisive run

In a game that had several runs, the most impactful was the 10 straight points ALBA scored late in the second quarter, just after Arka's 10-0 run gave it a 32-31 lead. Rokas Giedraitis scored half the points and Niels Giffey tallied 2 points, 2 steals and a 1 block in the run that lasted three and a half scoreless minutes and saw ALBA take control for good.

Siva sparkles in return

The game was close when Peyton Siva came off the bench in the first quarter and he quickly teamed with Niels Giffey to help the visitors take control. Siva, who had missed four games with a rib injury, found his old form quickly and went on to record his second double-double in five appearances this season. His 10.2 assists per game not only leads the EuroCup, but is the second highest average ever in the regular season. If he delivered at least 11 assists in Round 10, he will wrest that record away from Stefan Markovic, who averaged 10.29 assists in the regular season for Zenit St. Petersburg two seasons ago.

ALBA rewrites its record books

On a night in which it did not shoot well, ALBA made up for it with historic numbers in other areas. ALBA set a club record with 19 steals and Luke Sikma led the way with a club record 6 steals. The team's 48 rebounds were the most in a non-overtime game in over a decade and its 21 offensive rebounds were the second-most in club history and most in a non-overtime game. For Arka, James Florence tied his own club record with 5 steals and Deividas Dulkys tied Dragan Markovic's club record set in November 2003 with 6 three-pointers.

In Round 10

ALBA will try to capture the top spot in Group B when it hosts Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar, while Arka will finish out its EuroCup campaign with a trip to Limoges CSP. Both games will be on Wednesday.

Niels Giffey - ALBA Berlin (photo Arka) - EC18
Tuesday, December 11, 2018
Eurocupbasketball.com
Referees: VYKLICKY, ROBERT; PETEK, SASO; UDYANSKYY, EDUARD
Attendance: 1287
By Quarter1234
Arka Gdynia12211912
ALBA Berlin19251715
End of Quarter1234
Arka Gdynia12335264
ALBA Berlin19446176
Arka Gdynia
  Rebounds Blocks Fouls
# Player Min Pts 2FG 3FG FT O D T As St To Fv Ag Cm Rv PIR
0 FLORENCE, JAMES 24:02 6 2/3 0/6 2/2   2 2 6 5 5   1 2 3 7
3 BOSTIC, JOSH 26:16 8 2/3 1/7 1/2 1 1 2 4 1 5     2 3 3
7 SZUBARGA, KRZYSZTOF 16:42   0/3 0/2         3 1 1     1   -3
8 DYLEWICZ, FILIP 29:23 8 0/1 2/4 2/2 1 2 3 3   3   1 2 1 6
11 PONITKA, MARCEL 30:36 5 0/1 1/1 2/4   3 3 2 1 4 1   1 3 7
16 LAPETA, ADAM 15:48 2 1/3 0/1   1 2 3     1     1 1 1
23 KAMINSKI, GRZEGORZ DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
30 GARBACZ, JAKUB 5:54     0/1                       -1
44 DULKYS, DEIVIDAS 21:13 22 2/2 6/10   1 1 2 1 1 1     2 2 21
55 UPSHAW, ROBERT 17:23 9 3/6   3/4 2 9 11 1 2   1   1 2 21
87 LESZCZYNSKI, MACIEJ DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
91 WYKA, DARIUSZ 12:43 4   0/1 4/6   5 5     2     3 3 4
Team           3 2 5     1         4
Totals 200:00 64 10/22 10/33 14/20 9 27 36 20 11 23 2 2 15 18 70
        45.5% 30.3% 70%
Head coach: FRASUNKIEWICZ, PRZEMYSLAW
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
ALBA Berlin
  Rebounds Blocks Fouls
# Player Min Pts 2FG 3FG FT O D T As St To Fv Ag Cm Rv PIR
1 SAIBOU, JOSHIKO 22:02 6 3/7 0/1   2 3 5 1   2   1 3 1 2
3 SIVA, PEYTON 23:54 14 3/4 2/4 2/2   1 1 10   4     3 3 18
5 GIFFEY, NIELS 26:15 18 4/7 2/5 4/4 1 4 5 2 3 1 1   4 2 20
9 MATTISSECK, JONAS DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
10 SCHNEIDER, TIM 26:19 3 0/2 1/3   4 4 8   2 2     2 1 6
25 OGBE, KENNETH 11:57 2 1/3     1   1         1      
31 GIEDRAITIS, ROKAS 25:12 9 2/9 1/3 2/2 5 2 7 2 3         3 15
32 THIEMANN, JOHANNES 3:46           2 2 1         2 1 2
33 CLIFFORD, DENNIS 19:18 7 3/5   1/2 2 4 6   2 3     1   8
43 SIKMA, LUKE 24:37 16 2/5 4/9   1 5 6 4 6 3 1   2 3 23
44 PENO, STEFAN 16:40 1 0/6 0/2 1/2 2   2 2 3 2     1 1 -3
Team           3 2 5               5
Totals 200:00 76 18/48 10/27 10/12 21 27 48 22 19 17 2 2 18 15 96
        37.5% 37% 83.3%
Head coach: GARCIA RENESES, AITO

Head Coaches

FRASUNKIEWICZ, PRZEMYSLAW
Arka Gdynia
"We had 23 turnovers. We didn't execute how we were supposed to. We had our game plan. But from the 16th minute of the game we just lost our focus. We played really stupid like we are 12 years old. And that cost us a win because I think we played very good in the first 15 minutes of the game. We were focused, we knew exactly what we were supposed to do, but then it was one mistake after another. This is unbelievable. 21 offensive rebounds [by ALBA] is because our perimeter guys don't know what it takes to win the battle on the boards. Most of the time that is the fault of the small guys, because when they shoot three-pointers, long shots, there are long rebounds that bounce to the free throw line. That is not the big guys' job, that is the small guys. How we played today, I can't even say anything else."
GARCIA RENESES, AITO
ALBA Berlin
"I think that we controlled the game well and the score most of the time, mainly because we were able to defend well and rebound on offense. There were a too many shots we missed, but when you rebound on offense it's less of a problem and this was the key for our victory... [Peyton Siva] was one month without playing and after a few games back [in the German League] this is the first game that he is playing better than the others because he needs his rhythm and he is getting that."

Players

DULKYS, DEIVIDAS
Arka Gdynia
"We are definitely not happy. We didn't play well together today. I think we were just out of rhythm. We turned the ball over. They played great defense, but we could have adjusted. We turned the ball over and they got a lot of offensive rebounds. There were mental and physical mistakes thatw e could have avoided. We are definitely not happy with the result, but we still have one more game in the EuroCup and maybe we can win that one."
SIKMA, LUKE
ALBA Berlin
"Did I have 6 steals? I don't think I've ever done that. This game was important, especially against a team whose record is not great, but it's a tough place to play and they are a talented team. They are in every game. We knew it was an important game for us and we are really happy with the win. No wins are easy."
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