Turkish Cup semifinals
The Turkish Cup final will pit Fenerbahce Istanbul against Darussafaka Dogus Istanbul after both teams won their respective semifinals Friday in Bursa. Fenerbahce defeated Pinar Karsiyaka Izmir 72-82 in the first semifinal. Luigi Datome scored 21 points on 5-of-8 three-point shooting, Bobby Dixon added 18 points and 6 assists and Jan Vesely posted 12 points and 9 rebounds for the winners. Lazeric Jones helped Karsiyaka jumped out to a 9-2 start, which reached 16-4 on a Kenny Gabriel triple. Dixon and Melih Mahmutoglu each hit a pair of threes as Fenerbahce closed to 21-20 after 10 minutes. After multiple lead changes, Jones helped Karsiyaka to a 39-36 halftime lead. The score was tied seven times in the third quarter alone, but Ricky Hickman it back-to-back threes to help Fenerbahce to a 60-68 advantage at the end of the quarter and then gave his team an 11-point lead early in the fourth. Karsiyaka closed the gap to 67-73, but could get no closer as threes from Bogdan Bogdanovic and Datome sealed the outcome. Jones paced Karsiyaka with 22 points and 11 assists and Gabriel scored 17 in defeat.
Darussafaka edged Banvit Bandirma 74-76 behind 25 points and 10 rebounds from Milko Bjelica. Manuchar Markoishvili added 16 points and Scottie Wilbekin tallied 11 points and 6 assists. Darussafaka used a 0-14 run to take a 10-20 first-quarter lead and led 13-25 after 10 minutes. The lead peaked at 13 in the second quarter before Banvit when on a 24-3 charge to take control 41-33 at halftime. Darussafaka rallied back with 9 unanswered points to get within 55-52 late in the third quarter and pieced together 11 straight points for a 57-63 advantage midway through the fourth. A Bjelica triple made it 60-68, but Dominique Johnson rallied Banvit to within 1 and set up an exciting finish. Markoishvili split free throws with 5 seconds left to give Banvit a chance to win or tie on the final possession, but Courtney Fortson missed a desperation three at the buzzer. Johnson paced Banvit with 22 points, Fortson added 16 points and 6 assists and A.J. Slaughter, who was the hero of Banvit’s quarterfinals victory, scored 15.
Spanish Cup quarterfinals, Day 2
It will be an all-Euroleague semifinals in the Spanish Cup when Real Madrid and Laboral Kutxa Vitoria Gasteiz square off on Saturday in La Coruna. Madrid routed Montakit Fuenlabrada 101-84 on Friday night behind a well-balanced attack. Jaycee Carroll led seven Madrid players in double figures with 18 points. Gustavo Ayon scored 10 first quarter points to put Madrid ahead 25-21 and K.C. Rivers extended the advantage to double figures early in the second quarter. Free throws by Ivan Paunic and Josip Sobin closed the gap to 32-29. Jeff Taylor scored 9 points in a 19-3 Madrid run that broke that game open as Los Blancos cruised to a 54-34 halftime edge. The lead reached 25 in the third quarter as Madrid coasted the rest of the way.
Laboral edged the tournament host Rio Natura Monbus Obradoiro 77-79 behind 20 points on 6-for-7 three-point shooting and 8 rebounds from Adam Hanga, as well as 19 points from Fabien Causeur. Eight points from Causeur, and triples from Kim Tillie and Hanga fueled Laboral’s 4-24 first-quarter run that made it 10-24. Rio Natura rallied, using triples from Alec Brown and Tyler Haws to cut it to 30-35 at halftime, before a 10-0 third-quarter run gave the hosts their first lead of the night, 51-47. Rio Natura stayed in front until the midway point of the fourth quarter when Hanga hit his fifth three-pointer to tie it at 65-65, nailed his sixth shot from downtown to put Laboral back in front with 2:10 to go, before Darius Adams’ layup-plus-foul made it 70-75. A three-pointer from big man Brown gave the hosts hope in the final 20 seconds, and Adam Waczynski had a chance to tie the game with 3.5 seconds left, but only split free throws as Laboral prevailed. Adams contributed with 14 points in victory, while Brown had 14 to lead six Rio Natura’s double-digit scorers.
Polish Cup quarterfinals, Day 2
Stelmet Zielona Gora made a first step in attempt to win its second consecutive Polish Cup title with 86-62 quarterfinal win over Asseco Gdynia. Dee Bost netted 15 points with 6 assists in 18 minutes in victory. Nemanja Djurisic collected 12 points and 8 rebounds, while Mateusz Ponitka also scored 12 in victory. Zielona Gora led 43-33 at halftime, extended the lead to 18 points in the third, and cruised to victory. In the semifinals, Zielona Gora will play Anwil Wloclawek which rallied in the second half to beat Polfarmex Kutno 75-66. Robert Skibniewski and Chamberlain Oguchi had 17 points apiece in victory. In the other semifinals it will be a clash between Rosa Radom and Energa Czarni Slupsk, two teams that won their quarterfinal thrillers on Thursday. Rosa Radom rallied to edge Polski Cuker Torun 67-65 behind 18 points and 10 rebounds from C.J. Harris. Slupsk held off the host MKS Dabrowa Gornicza 69-71 with Demonte Harper collecting 27 points, 10 assists and 9 rebounds.
Slovenian Cup semifinals
Krka and Lastovka will square off for the 2016 Slovenian Cup after each won its semifinals duel on Friday. In the first game at Hala Tivoli in Ljubljana, Krka took care of Tajfun 87-75. Krka led from tip to buzzer after scoring the game’s first 9 points and going ahead 20-5 before cooling down. Tajfun closed the gap to 5 in the second quarter and it was 43-35 at halftime, but a 10-1 third-quarter run restored a more-comfortable Krka advantage and Tajfun never threatened in the fourth. Mirko Mulalic paced Krka with 17 points and Ive Ivanov added 15. Dragisa Drobnjak led Tajfun with 15 points and 8 rebounds. Lastovka claimed its spot in the final by beating Zlatorog Lasko 61-72. Lastovka led by 2 at halftime, but Dejan Mlakar hit a pair of threes in a 0-8 run for a 36-46 Lastovka advantage and Zlatorog never got closer than 8 after that. Semen Shashkov paced the victors with 24 points and Mensud Julevic added 17. Dejan Jeftic led Zlatorog with 14 points.
French Leaders Cup quarterfinals
ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne and Chalon/Saone started the French Cup quarterfinals at Disneyland Paris with respective victories and Monaco and Strasbourg joined them in the semifinals with victories in the late games. ASVEL and Chalon will meet in the first seminal on Saturday followed by Monaco versus Strasbourg. ASVEL started the event by beating JDA Dijon 76-69 in the early afternoon game. Trent Meacham scored 19 points and David Lighty 15 to pace the winners. Dijon led by double figures in the second quarter, but ASVEL closed the gap to 34-37 at halftime and used a 14-2 third-quarter run to take a 54-45 lead. Dijon closed to within 5 at one point and 8 at the end of the third quarter, but ASVEL held on in the fourth with the margin never coming below 6 the rest of the way. Chalon ousted Le Mans Sarthe Basket with a 79-87 win. Chalon trailed by 6 at halftime, but scored 33 in the third quarter to tie the game. Le Mans took a 69-67 edge early in the fourth quarter before Ilian Evtimov hit back-to-back triples to cap a 0-14 charge that paved Chalon’s way to victory. Jeremy Hazell led Chalon with 20 points, Devin Bookers posted 14 points and 10 rebounds and John Robertson added 13 points and 10 assists. Tywain McKee led Le Mans with 19 points.
Strasbourg took control early and held on the rest of the way in beating Gravelines-Dunkerque73-83. Rod Beaubois led the way with 22 points on perfect shooting, Jeremy Leloup added 12 points and Matt Howard posted a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds. Strasbourg started strong, led 5-13 after six minutes, 12-19 after 10 and by as many as 18 in the second quarter before taking a 27-41 advantage into halftime. Gravelines scored the first 7 points of the third quarter to get back in the game and twice came within 5, however Mardy Collins and Kyle Weems put Strasbourg back in control. Pape Sy made it a 6-point game three minutes into the fourth quarter, but threes by Beaubois and Leloup all but secured the victory at 63-78 with time to spare. Steven Gray scored 21 and Andrew Albicy 20 for Gravelines in defeat. Monaco eliminated JSF Nanterre with a 70-68 victory. D.J. Cooper scored 13 and Adrian Uter 12 for the winners. Monaco used a 19-0 run that bridged the first and second quarters for a 26-12 lead, but Nanterre fought back to within 40-32 at halftime and came within 1 in the third quarter to set up an exciting finish. T.J. Campbell’s free throws gave Nanterre a 65-66 lead with less than four minutes left. The lead switched hands on the next three scores with Cooper giving Monaco a 70-68 edge with a minute and a half to go and neither team scored after that. Mam Jaiteh led Nanterre with 19 points and 9 rebounds.
Italian Cup quarterfinals
Dolomiti Energia Trento and Vanoli Cremona started the Italian Cup quarterfinals with victories Friday at Mediolanum Forum in Milan. Sidigas Avellino and tourney host EA7 Emporio Armani Milan completed the semifinal picture with wins in the evening games. In the early game, Trento defeated Giorgio Tesi Group Pistoia 74-81 behind 18 points and 9 rebounds from Julian Wright. Pistoia led by 10 in the second quarter and 39-37 at halftime, but Trent Lockett scored 6 points in a 0-13 third-quarter run as Trento took a 45-57 advantage, which reached 49-63 after three quarters and Wright and Dominique Sutton buried threes in a 0-9 fourth-quarter push that secured the victory. Jamarr Sanders and Davide Pascolo added 13 and 12 points, respectively, for the winners. Aleksander Czyz paced Pistoia with 20 points. Cremona knocked out 2015 Cup winner Dinamo Banco di Sardegna Sassari 97-89 after overtime. Nicolo Cazzolato hit a three with 1.5 seconds left to go in regulation to tie it at 77-77 and force overtime. Then Cremona scored the first 10 points of the extra session to lick up the victory. Elston Turner scored 28 for the winners. David Logan posted 29 points and 8 assists in defeat.
Milan had little trouble knocking out Umana Reyer Venice 88-59. Rakim Sanders led five Milan scorers in double figures with 16 points and Krunoslav Simon added 13. Milan set the tone early and led 18-10 after 10 minutes and Jamel McLean extended the lead to double figures early in the second quarters. Jarrius Jackson’s triple closed the gap to 34-28, it was 38-31 at the break and Josh Owens scored the first two baskets of the second half to make it a 3-point game. That was as close as Venics would get as Milan took charge and rode Simon to a 66-44 lead by the end of the third quarter, from which Venice never recovered. Owens led the Venice attack with 12 points. Avellino bested Grissin Bon Reggio Emilia 87-94 behind 21 points from Benas Veikalas and 20 points and 7 assists from Joe Ragland. Amedeo Della Valle’s three-pointer put Reggio Emilio up 25-17 at the start of the second quarter, but Veikalas and Ragland hit threes in a 3-13 run as Avellino turned things around to take a 39-44 halftime lead. Reggio Emilio got as close as 53-56 late in the third quarter, but a 0-9 run to bridge the third and fourth quarter put Avellino back in control. Reggio Emilio rallied late and Pietro Aradori made it 74-78 and Achille Polonara made it 85-89 in the final minute, but Avellino held on down the stretch. Polonara paced six Reggio Emilio scorers in double figures with 15 points.
Lithuanian Cup quarterfinals
The favored teams all won in the Lithuanian Cup quarterfinals on Friday in Vilnius. Zalgiris Kaunas will face Vytautas in the first semifinal on Saturday and Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius takes on Neptunas Klaipeda in the second semifinal. Zalgiris waited till the second half to put away Nevezis and advance. After leading 33-29 at halftime, Zalgiris scored 27 in the third quarter in taking a lead in the 20s and cruising to victory. Martynas Pocius led the way with 14 points and Paulius Jankunas added 10 points for the winners, who are looking to defend the title they won last season. Neptunas routed Siauliai 96-58 in a one-sided affair. Trent Plaisted scored 14 points and Martynas Mazeika added 12 points and 8 assists for Neptunas. Rytas worked hard to hold off Lietkabelis 88-82. Lietkabelis rallied late to close a 12-point deficit to 4 in the final minute, but Zygimantas Janavicius knocked down a pair of free throws with 9 seconds left to secure the win. Janavicius and Deividas Gailius scored 14 points apiece to lead six Rytas scorers in double figures. And Vytautas edged Juventus 88-86 after taking a 70-53 lead into the fourth quarter. Juventus rallied to take an 80-81 lead on a Martynas Linkevicius basket in the final minutes, but Sarunas Vasiliauskas answered on the next play and later added a pair of free throws as Vytautas escaped with the win. Vasiliauskas finished with 21 points and Vytautas Sulskis posted 16 points and 10 boards for the winners. Spencer Butterfield led Juventus with 21 points.
Serbian Cup quarterfinals, Day 2
Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade started its defense of the Serbian Radivoje Korac Cup title with an 89-44 rout of Smederevo 1953 in the quarterfinal clash on Friday, and will now face its archrival Partizan Belgrade in the semifinals on Saturday. There was never doubt for Zvezda about the outcome against Smederevo, as it scored the first 11 points of the game, pulled away to 24-10 in the first quarter and never looked back. Against the opponents' zone defense, Zvezda made 16 three-point shots, with Nikola Rebic scoring 13, and Vasilije Micic contributing with 12 points to pace the team in victory. In the other Friday quarterfinal clash, Petar Rakicevic had a triple double of 25 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists helping Metalac Farmakom Valjevo beat Borac Cacak after overtime 96-86. It was 84-84 at the end of regulation after Borac's Bojan Stanojevic beat the buzzer with a reverse layup. However, a 10-0 run to end the extra session sent Metalac into the semis where it will play Mega Leks. Big man Nikola Jevtovic scored 27 in victory.