Valencia survives Ulm challenge to reamain perfect

Valencia Basket remained perfect in Eurocup Group C with a hard-fought 93-88 victory at home over ratiopharm Ulm. Valencia came into the game already qualified for the Last 32, but Guillem Vives scored 18 points to lead the team to an 8-0 record. John Shurna had 14 points, Vladimir Lucic added 10 points and Justin Hamilton chipped in 9 points and 9 rebounds for the victors. Ulm dropped its third straight game to fall to 3-5 in Group C. Raymar Morgan’s 19 points were not enough for Ulm. Augustine Rubit added 16 points, Per Guenther had 13 and both Da’Sean Butler and Chris Babb netted 11 points.

Rubit opened the game for the guests and was matched by Sikma. Babb tallied 7 points as Ulm opened a 9-13 lead. The visitors still led 13-15 on Butler’s basket. But Valencia kept Ulm scoreless over the final three minutes of the first quarter. Valencia took the lead 16-15 on free throws by Antoine Diot following an unsportsmanlike foul on DeAndre Kane. Shurna scored on the ensuing possession before Diot nailed a three for a 21-15 lead after 10 minutes. Shurna’s three-pointer to start the second quarter pushed the advantage to 24-15 and Diot increased the margin to 11 points – 28-17. Kane’s three-point play helped get Ulm to within 28-22. Ulm could not get closer and Shurna knocked down another triple as Valencia went up 36-27. The lead was 38-29 when Guenther and Butler both hit from downtown; Morgan and Guenther both hit free throws; and Morgan scored another basket in a 2-14 run for a 40-43 lead. Fernando San Emeterio’s three-pointer late in the first half sent Valencia into the intermission ahead 45-43.

Guenther gave back the lead to Ulm with a three-pointer to start the second half. The lead switched hands in the next three possessions and Valencia got 2 free throws from Rafa Martinez after a foul and technical foul for a 53-50 lead. Guenther knotted the game again at 55-55 with a triple and Philipp Neumann’s basket put Ulm ahead 57-58. Three more lead changes followed and it was 65-62 after Vives’s steal and layup. Valencia led 69-67 after three quarters. Valencia tallied the first 7 points of the fourth quarter for a 76-67 lead. Back-to-back baskets by Morgan, however, got the gap down to 80-75 before a three-ball from Jon Stefansson with four minutes left. Rubit trimmed the margin to 83-79, but Shurna and Lucic knocked down back-to-back threes and the cushion was 89-81 with 1:35 minutes left. Taylor Braun answered with a three-pointer of his own and followed with 2 free throws after Valencia failed to convert offensively. A Vives turnover ended in a Morgan score to make it 89-88. Vives made up for the mistake with 2 free throws with 15 seconds left for a three-point lead. Babb missed a chance to tie the game with 3 seconds left and Valencia remained undefeated.