2016-17Regular SeasonRound 1
October 12, 2016 CET: 18:00
Local time: 19:00 CIDO ARENA
Donatas Tarolis - Lietkabelis Panevezys celebrates - EC16 (photo Lietkabelis -  Karolio Kavolelio fotografija)

Tarolis saves Lietkabelis at the buzzer

Newcomer Lietkabelis Panevezys defeated MZT Skopje Aerodrom 90-89 thanks to a buzzer-beating game-winner from Donatas Tarolis to open the new EuroCup season in thrilling fashion. The home team led by more than 20 points in the second half before MZT battled back with a series of triples, and the visitors took the lead with just 3.4 seconds remaining. But then Tarolis, who totalled 17 points, grabbed a missed shot from Lorenzo Williams to score the winner and spark major celebrations. Ksistof Lavrinovic top scored for the hosts with 18 points, while Zygimantas Skucas added 15, Williams scored 11 and Ben Madgen 10. For MZT, Stefan Sinovec led the way with 20 points, Xavier Thames and Uros Lukic both scored 17, Josh Scott contributed 13 and Charlon Kloof and Jure Lalic both had 10.

Jure Lalic had the honor of being the first player to score in the 2016-17 7DAYS EuroCup and a three-pointer by Lucic soon gave MZT a 2-6 lead. Madgen and Simas Galdikas helped Lietkabelis get a 16-11 margin right after that. Madgen kept pacing Lietkabelis and a floating layup by Gintaras Leonavicius restored a 27-22 lead after 10 minutes. A three-pointer by Williams made it a double-digit game, 34-23, early in the second quarter. Tadas Rinkunas and Leonavicius joined the three-point shootout to break the game open, 44-25. Sinovec and Thames brought MZT a bit closer, 50-35, at halftime. Skucas had 5 points in an 8-0 run that gave Lietkabelis a 68-45 margin, which Thames and Kloof cut to 74-58 after 30 minutes. A 0-9 run that Thames capped with a triple gave MZT hope, 77-67, with 7 minutes left, but Lietkabelis kept a safe lead until the final buzzer. MZT managed to get as close as 88-86 with a minute left. Sinovec struck from downtown to complete the guests' unbelievable comeback, 88-89, with 3.4 seconds left. Lietkabelis called timeout, Williams airballed a corner triple but Tarolis grabbed the ball in the air and put it in to give the hosts a big win!

Wednesday, October 12, 2016
Eurocupbasketball.com
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Referees: PEREZ, EMILIO; HALLIKO, AARE; PANTHER, ANNE
Attendance: 3624
By Quarter1234
Lietkabelis Panevezys27232416
MZT Skopje Aerodrom22132331
End of Quarter1234
Lietkabelis Panevezys27507490
MZT Skopje Aerodrom22355889
Lietkabelis Panevezys
  Rebounds Blocks Fouls
# Player Min Pts 2FG 3FG FT O D T As St To Fv Ag Cm Rv PIR
1 MADGEN, BEN 15:50 10 1/2 2/5 2/2   1 1 1 1 1     4 1 5
3 TAROLIS, DONATAS 21:06 17 7/8 1/2   4 3 7   2 2     4 1 19
4 AUKSTIKALNIS, LUKAS DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
5 WILLIAMS, LORENZO 28:13 11 2/3 2/4 1/2       6 1 1     2 4 15
6 RINKUNAS, TADAS 11:48 3   1/2         1 1 1     3    
7 LAVRINOVIC, DARJUS DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
8 LUKAUSKIS, MINDAUGAS 26:20 5 1/3 1/2     1 1 5 2 6       2 6
9 LEONAVICIUS, GINTARAS 26:02 7 2/4 1/4   1 4 5 2 2 2     2   7
10 JANAVICIUS, ZYGIMANTAS 11:47   0/1 0/4     2 2 2   3   1 2 2 -5
12 LAVRINOVIC, KSISTOF 26:57 18 2/4 4/4 2/2 1 2 3 3   1     4 4 21
21 GALDIKAS, SIMAS 9:29 4 2/3       1 1 1         2   3
50 SKUCAS, ZYGIMANTAS 22:28 15 5/7 0/1 5/5 3 1 4   1 3 1   5 6 16
Team           3   3               3
Totals 200:00 90 22/35 12/28 10/11 12 15 27 21 10 20 1 1 28 20 90
        62.9% 42.9% 90.9%
Head coach: MAKSVYTIS, KAZYS
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
MZT Skopje Aerodrom
  Rebounds Blocks Fouls
# Player Min Pts 2FG 3FG FT O D T As St To Fv Ag Cm Rv PIR
1 CVETKOVSKI, ANDREJ DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
2 THAMES, XAVIER 32:02 17 1/3 3/7 6/6   1 1 2   3     2 5 14
5 SINOVEC, STEFAN 25:40 20 5/7 2/2 4/4 2 4 6 1 2 3     4 3 23
6 MEKIKJ, ADEM 12:51           1 1   2       2   1
9 KLOOF, CHARLON 31:17 10 1/5 0/4 8/8 1 1 2 8 3 4 1   4 8 16
10 SIMONOVSKI, MARKO 18:10     0/1         1   2         -2
11 LUCIC, UROS 32:18 17 1/6 4/5 3/4   3 3 3   3     3 4 14
13 DRENOVAC, DORDE DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
15 MLADENOVSKI, LJUBOMIR 14:20 2 1/1       2 2 1 1       2   4
16 SCOTT, JOSH 23:26 13 3/4   7/8 2 3 5   2 2   1 3 4 16
21 LALIC, JURE 9:56 10 4/4   2/3 2   2   1 3       4 13
Team           2 1 3               3
Totals 200:00 89 16/30 9/19 30/33 9 16 25 16 11 20 1 1 20 28 102
        53.3% 47.4% 90.9%
Head coach: JONCHEVSKI, ALEKSANDAR

Head Coaches

MAKSVYTIS, KAZYS
Lietkabelis Panevezys
"Thank you for the God and Donatas Tarolis who saved us. We controlled the game but at the end we were tired so our opponents managed to get back in the game. We are disappointed because of our performance in second half. We are happy for our offense in the first half. A win is a win and it’s a great emotion because we started EuroCup with the win. MZT is a great team and next time in the Skopje everything will be more difficult."
JONCHEVSKI, ALEKSANDAR
MZT Skopje Aerodrom
"We managed to come back after losing by 20 points. I told the players that we must believe in our power and just play our game. This is not really MZT team because we were without Djordje Drenovac, also our main center Jure Lalic was injured in the first period. We started the ABA league very bad, so we need to win to play better. If we will play like in the second half we can gain many wins in ABA League and EuroCup."
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