ULEB Cup - Red Star rally to eliminate Treviso

Eurosport - Thu, 28 Feb 07:58:00 2008

Red Star Belgrade overcame a close second leg to rally into the last 16 of the ULEB Cup and knock out Benetton Treviso with a series sweep after an 83-82 away win in Italy.

BASKETBALL Benetton Treviso Mensah Bonsu - 0

The Serbian side came into the contest with a ten-point first-leg lead, but trailed by 15 points with nine minutes left to play before storming to victory and booking their place in the next round.

Red Star will now face Besiktas Cola Turka after the Turkish side eliminated Hapoel Jerusalem 73-53 to win 146-141 on aggregate.

Galatasaray also advanced in dramatic fashion, holding off Asvel Basket 76-75 at home after staving off disaster with a 16-0 third quarter run to spark a comeback.

The Turkish side will now face Gran Canaria after Cuneyt Erden scored six points in the final 30 seconds and iced the game with a pair of free throws to secure the one-point margin of victory following the 69-69 first leg draw.

Spain's Gran Canaria eased into the last 16 with an 86-66 demolition of KK Bosna to easily overturn an 89-82 first-leg loss.

Khimki had an equally easy time beating Köln 99ers 96-69 in the second leg for an impressive sweep after winning the away leg 91-72.

They will next face DKV Joventut after the Spanish side overcame a difficult first half to beat Swans Gmunden 77-56 and ease into the last 16.

KK Zadar beat Azovmash Mariupol 77-60 to overturn a two-point first-leg deficit and ease into the next round. They will now meet Pamesa Valencia, who beat Panionios On Telecoms 82-61 to overturn an 11-point first-leg deficit.

On the other half of the draw holders Dynamo Moscow eased through with a 92-83 victory over ASCO Slask Wroclaw to win by 16 points on aggregate.

The Russians will now face Bulgarians Lukoil Academic, who drubbed BK Ventspils 73-55 on the road for an impressive 140-119 aggregate victory.

BC Kyiv defeated Telindus Oostende 68-60 for a series sweep to set up a duel with PGE Turow Zgorzelec who squeaked past CEZ Basketball Nymburk 68-66 to earn a two-point aggregate victory.

Akasvayu Girona reached the last 16 with a 78-57 drubbing of Elan Chalon to overturn an eight-point deficit and set up a match with Hemofarm Stada, who advanced by 21 points on aggregate despite a 78-73 road loss to Buducnost in Montenegro.

Perrenial European contenders Unics Kazan also reached the last 16 despite a second leg 96-93 loss to Turk Telecom, advancing 184-161 on aggregate.

The Russians will face debutants Artland Dragons, who advanced on the basis of a 81-75 first-leg victory despite an 82-80 second-leg loss to Triumph Lyubertsy.

Watch LIVE video coverage of the ULEB Cup on Eurosport 2 and www.eurosport.yahoo.com! Eurosport is available on Sky 410 and Virgin Media 521; Eurosport 2 is available on Sky 411 and Virgin Media 525.

Jeremy Stahl / Eurosport