EUROCUP - Iverson-less Besiktas slump to third defeat; four new teams seal Last 16 spots

VRSAC (Eurocup) - Besiktas had to play without Allen Iverson on Tuesday night at Hemofarm Vrsac in the Eurocup with the American guard suffering from an apparent knee injury and lost 101-100.

UNICS Kazan, Aris, Galatasaray and Pepsi Caserta all won their games on Tuesday night and have clinched places in the next phase of the competition.

Benetton Treviso and Alba Berlin, having already guaranteed their progression before this week, also won the fifth time in as many games.

One team that expected to be advancing was Besiktas after they signed 35-year-old Iverson to a two-year deal worth a report $4million.

Without the former NBA MVP in their Group B game against Hemofarm, Besiktas got 43 points from Mire Chatman but it wasn't enough as they lost for the third time in four games.

Hemofarm had come from behind to beat Besiktas in Iverson's first game in Istanbul on November 16.

Trailing by one with nine seconds left after two made free-throws by Hemofarm's Miljan Pavkovic, Ismail Cevik had a chance to win it at the end for the visitors but missed a jump shot from several feet away.

Boris Savovic had 23 points and Serbia international Milan Macvan 22 for Hemofarm (3-2).

Asvel Basket claimed a 78-76 win at Gottingen to improve to 2-3 in the pool and drop the Germans to 3-1.

UNICS, who are led by former CSKA coach Evgeny Pashutin, won easily over EWE Baskets Oldenburg in Group A, 88-64.

Terrell Lyday tore apart Oldenburg with 25 points as UNICS raised their record to 4-1.

Le Mans are in second place and just a game behind at 3-2 after a 67-59 win over Banvit.

France international Antoine Diot, who missed the FIBA world Championship while recovering from a back injury, had 19 points, seven assists and six rebounds.

Fellow Frenchman Alain Koffi added 12 points and seven boards.

UNICS are assured of first place in the group. They split their two meetings with Le Mans but have a better goal differential in those two games.

Nothing is decided in Group C but Gran Canaria are in pole position at 4-1 after a 72-66 victory at Budivelnik.

The loss by the Ukrainian side has improved the chances of Montenegrins Buducnost, who moved into second place at 3-2 with an 83-66 demolition of visiting Siauliai.

In Group D, Aris punched their ticket to the next round with an 82-77 victory over Azovmash in Ukraine.

Cedevita Zagreb also won a pivotal game, 84-73 at Hapoel Gilboa.

Aris are 4-1 and Cedevita are second at 3-2.

Azovmash are 2-3 and taking on Cedevita next week in Croatia, having lost the first meeting by three points in Mariupol.

Therefore, they need a four-point triumph to leapfrog Cedevita into second place and to qualify for the next round.

Gilboa have no chance of moving on at 1-4.

In Group E, Galatasaray Crown Cafe stormed into the Last 16 with an 85-58 mauling of GasTerra and Panellinios took over second place at 3-2 by edging Bennet Cantu (2-3), 59-54.

Like Gala, Benetton Treviso sealed their place in the next phase with a fifth win in as many games.

They prevailed 84-79 at Chorale Roanne, who had already been eliminated from Last 16 contention.

Estudiantes are now a disappointing 2-3 after falling 77-72 at PAOK (3-2) in Greece.

Should Estu win at home against Roanne next week and PAOK fall against Benetton, the Spanish outfit would finish second and advance.

In Group G, VEF Riga scraped a 74-71 win over Hapoel Jerusalem and CEZ Nymburk won 89-68 at Cajasol Sevilla.

All four teams still have a chance of moving on to the next round, with Hapoel (3-2) at home to Cajasol (2-3) next week and Nymburk (3-2) hosting Riga (2-3).

In Group H, Alba remained unbeaten at 5-0 by routing Anwil Wloclawek 92-73 and Caserta improved to 3-2 by thrashing Krasnye Krylia (2-3), 94-67.

Anwil have lost all five of their games.

FIBA