SAMOKOV (FIBA Europe Cup) - Nevezis lowered the boom on Rilski Sportist in the second leg of the FIBA Europe Cup Qualification Round 1 tie, registering a 29-point win on the road in Samokov to advance to the next phase of the competition.

The Ramunas Cvirka-coached team overturned their 5-point first-leg deficit in convincing fashion, blowing out the Bulgarian hosts 91-62 behind the terrific play of Vladislav Koreniuk and Valerii Likhodey.

Koreniuk led the team in scoring with 16 points, Likhodey had 14 points and 5 boards, while Malcolm Grant chipped in with 12 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists for Nevezis, who will now face Petrolina AEK in Qualification Round 2.

The road to the next round proved more windy for the fans of Balkan Botevgrad and Szolnoki Olaj, as their respective clubs just barely held on to their double-digit cushions to survive the late drama by the slightest of margins.

After beating CSM CSU Oradea by 16 points at home, Balkan were handed an 85-70 loss in Romania, avoiding overtime with a clutch free throw with seconds to spare to break the deadlock on aggregate.

Nemanja Milosevic set a FIBA Europe Cup season-high with a ranking of 43 after scoring 36 points and grabbing 10 rebounds, but it wasn't enough for the Romanian side to climb out of the hole they dug themselves into during the first leg.

Szolnok had to rely on their first-leg lead to the full extent as well with a 77-68 defeat against Trabzonspor still falling within their 10-point margin for error, with late-game heroics by David Vojvoda and Kendrick Perry saving the day.

Vojvoda led the winners in scoring with 19 points and 7 rebounds, Perry added 16 points and 7 assists, while Osiris Eldridge finished with a game-high 20 points and 7 rebounds in a losing effort for the Turkish side.

After inscribing an important road win over CSU Sibiu last week, Pardubice did not play around at home, breaking away early en route to a 77-64 victory behind a 24-point and 10-rebound double-double by Scott Martin. 

Elsewhere, Demir Insaat got revenge against Dnipro after being edged out in Istanbul by a single point with an 83-67 victory in Dnepropetrovsk, while Parma finished off the job against Rabotnicki by sailing to a 95-73 win in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia capital Skopje.

FIBA