Lenovo Tenerife Achieves First Place in Group with Victory over Cholet in Basketball Champions League

Lenovo Tenerife beat Cholet (85-91) to achieve first place in their group in the Basketball Champions League, avoiding having to play a previous qualifying round in January, something that would have been a problem given the busy competition calendar.

The more the ball was burning, Marcelinho and Jaime were decisive and, despite the ups and downs in the islanders’ game, they were fair winners.

Bad start to the match by both teams. Txus Vidorreta decided to discard Dusan Ristic again, replacing Shermadini very soon to play with the Doornekamp-Abromaitis couple who were decisive against the fast interiors (5-9).

Lenovo Tenerife’s defense also caused up to five turnovers in its opponent in the first five minutes of play, meaning that its best players practically had no option to come into contact with the ball.

All that was left was for the outside shot to appear and it didn’t take long either. A triple by Cook and another by Doornekamp caused the first timeout of the duel (5-15).

Given their inability to score from outside, the locals began to load the offensive rebound, but Lenovo Tenerife’s quality continued to make the difference at the end of the first quarter (12-22).

Cholet began to score those outside shots that, until now, had resisted them, tightening the score (22-26). Between the triples scored and their two-point percentage (69%), the French managed to even the duel by trying to impose a very high pace of play.

Emmanuel Nzekwesi continued to punish in the zone and two triples from Salaun allowed the locals to turn the score around (42-40) when it came to halftime. Cholet played with one more gear,

Lenovo Tenerife tried to show the face of the first round, but the French also wanted first place in the group. The first six minutes took place in an exchange of baskets (54-52) in which the local offensive rebound continued to punish the Canaristas.

In the final stretch of the quarter, with Marcelinho on the court, the Aurinegros seemed to have a little more judgment in attack, but everything was going to be decided in the last ten minutes (59-59).

With two bases on the track, Lenovo Tenerife got off to a good start going forward. Between Marce and Bruno they scored five goals (62-66) and made their team take a step forward, with Abromaitis scoring from outside when Cholet was most threatening (66-70).

But Cholet’s main virtue, also when there were only four minutes left to play, was never to collapse against an opponent with greater potential (73-73). But Lenovo Tenerife has Marcelinho Huertas. The Brazilian makes a difference in the Endesa League and in the Champions League and, with a rebound in attack with a subsequent assist for Jaime, who hit three, plus a three-pointer of his, he put his team on the scoreboard (73-79) in a game with short differences .

The last local victory came with just over two minutes remaining, at 78-80, but they faced Jaime Fernández. A free throw and a three-pointer from Madrid sealed the duel (78-84). The final score of 85-91 represents a respite in the form of a somewhat more relaxed schedule for Lenovo Tenerife in its fight to try to win the title of the Basketball Champions League.

2023-12-19 18:49:35
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