Aradori's third-quarter explosion leads Reggio Emilia to big win

Grissin Bon Reggio Emilia sent a message that echoed all around Group K by downing Pinar Karsiyaka Izmir 88-81 at home on Wednesday. All four teams in Group K now have a 1-1 record. Pietro Aradori led the winners with 22 points and 7 rebounds. Darjus Lavrinovic had 13 points, Andrea De Nicolao added 12, Amedeo Della Valle got 11 while Vladimir Golubovic contributed 10 for Reggio Emilia. Kenny Gabriel led Karsiyaka with 18 points. Bracey Wright added 17, Kerem Gonlum had 11 while Kenan Sipahi got 10 for the guests. Gonlum led a 0-10 run which allowed the guests to get a 18-25 margin after 10 minutes. Three-pointers by Lavrinovic, De Nicolao and Stefano Gentile fueled an 11-0 run which pur Reggio Emilia back ahead, 33-30. Golibovic and Della Valle made the hosts extend their lead to 46-42 at halftime. Aradori took over after the break, scoring 17 points in the third quarter, 10 of them in the same minute to give the hosts a 58-44 margin. He got help from Lavrinovic and De Nicolao to make it a 16-pointgame, 79-63, early in the fourth quarter - which happened to be enough for Reggio Emilia to keep full control of the game until the final buzzer.

Colton Iverson got Karsiyaka going with an early basket but De Nicolao and Golubovic soon gave Reggio Emilia a 4-2 lead. Can Altintig and Golubovic exchanged baskets and back-to-back three-pointers by Gabriel gave the guests a 7-10 margin. De Nicolao answered from downtown and Della Valle hit free throws but a three-point play by Sipahi put Karsiyaka back ahead, 12-13. Della Valle scored again and Vladimir Veremeenko gave Reggio Emilia a 16-13 lead. Karsiyaka improved its defense late in the first quarter. Meanwhile, free throws by Gonlum ignited a 0-10 run which Josh Carter capped with a three-pointer for a 18-25 Karsiyaka lead after 10 minutes. Della Valle shined with consecutive baskets early in the second quarter but Wright and Josh Carter kept the guests way ahead, 22-30. Darjus Lavrinovic nailed a triple, igniting an 11-0 run in which De Nicolao and Gentile also struck from downtown to give Reggio Emilia a 33-30 lead. Justin Carter and an unstoppable Golubovic traded baskets and another triple by Gentile boosted the hosts' lead to 38-32. Sipahi answered from beyond the arc but Achille Polonara and Aradori made Karsiyaka call timeout at 42-35. De Nicolao scored again and Golubovic added a layup but Gonlum and Justin Carter brought the guests a bit closer, 46-42, at halftime.

Sipahi scored again immediately after the break but Aradori found his rhythm in spectacular fashion. He had 12 consecutive points, 10 of them in the same minute. He hit a three-pointer, followed that with a four-point play and then struck again from downtown to ignite the crowd at 58-44. Gabriel answered from downtown and soon brought Karsiyaka a bit closer, 58-49. De Nicolao and Gabriel traded baskets but Aradori was not done, as he buried another three-pointer and added a big basket for a 65-51 Reggio Emilia margin. Wright hit 3-of-4 free throws that Gentile matched with a bomb from downtown. Soner Senturk joined the three-point shootout and Gabriel brought Karsiyaka within single digits, 68-60. Della Valle and Lavrinovic also hit one apiece from beyond the arc to boost Reggio Emilia's lead to 76-63 after 30 minutes. Aradori and Lavrinovic made it a 16-point game, 79-63, early in the fourth quarter. Josh Carter and Gabriel stepped up for Karsiyaka and Sipahi soon gave the guests hope, 80-70, with 6 minutes left. Wright soon brought his team within single digits, 84-76, but Aradori and Ojars Silins allowed Reggio Emilia to seal the outcome, 88-76, with over 2 minutes left. Iverson and Wright made Karsiyaka lose by 7, which may be important in the long run, but Reggio Emilia fans were the ones celebrating after the final buzzer.