ESP - Scola stars as Tau tan Maccabi

VITORIA (Euroleague) - Luis Scola inspired Tau Ceramica to top spot in Group D on Wednesday evening with a convincing 94-73 triumph over Maccabi Elite.

Power forward Scola became the competition's all-time leading scorer with a 25-point haul as Tau completed a tournament record 26th consecutive home victory.

The Spanish side won the first quarter 25-15 and never looked in danger of relinquishing their cushion, going on to seal the win which ensures home advantage in the quarter-final play-offs.

The other Group D encounter was a much more closely-contested affair, with Pau-Orthez eventually taking the spoils 74-69 against Lottomatica.

Melvin Sanders led the victors with 17 points, while Michael Wright and Cedric Ferchaud also made valuable contributions of 15 and 14 respectively.

Two free throws from David Hawkins had hauled the visitors to within a point of their hosts at 70-69 in the dying stages, but Sanders then netted twice from the charity stripe before Hawkins' lay-up sealed the win.

Dejan Bodiroga and Roberto Chiacig managed 14 points apiece in a losing cause for the Italian outfit.

CSKA Moscow advance to the quarter-final play-offs from Group E after John Robert Holden's 17-point haul helped them register a 73-65 away win over DKV Joventut.

The hosts were 13 points adrift at the end of the third quarter and managed to reduce the deficit in the fourth, but edging the final 10 minutes 20-15 was not enough to get them back in the game.

Alex Acker led Olympiacos to a 79-75 win over Partizan, the American pouring in 25 points including the match-winning three-pointer.

The victory improves the Greeks' record to 2-2 and keeps them in the hunt for a quarter-final play-off berth. end

Tom Ross
FIBA