In the third game of the Kaunas Tournament, Canarias Basketball Academy overcame Elan Chalon 61-51 with a solid performance over the opening three quarters. Oskars Reinfelds led the scoring charts with 17 points from 35 minutes on the floor, making him the surest shot for the Spanish side.
Canarias Basketball Academy took an early lead in the first quarter, including a dunk from Jito Kok that sent out a message of intent. Elan Chalon had only 9 points on the board -half of Canarias score- by the end of the first period, but made a great comeback through Clint Capele, David Michineau and Axel Bouteille. The relative equality was to be short lived, however, as the Spaniards put down six points without response before half time to go 35-24 up.
Elan Chalon didnt find a way to contain CBA in the third quarter either, as a consistent Canarias attack continued with 17 additional points. The French team relied heavily on the scoring touch of Bouteille and Michineau to keep them in the game. Their persistence almost paid off in the fourth quarter as they outscored Canarias for the first time. It was a late scare for the winning team, who had their early baskets to thank for going 1-0 in the tournament.
Friday, February 10, 2012
Duncan Bishop, Euroleague.net