EUROCUP – Veremeenko leads Unics to win at Caserta; Cedevita thrill home crowd

CASERTA (Eurocup) - Unics Kazan rode the back of big man Vladimir Veremeenko to a 90-84 first-leg triumph at Pepsi Caserta in the Eurocup quarter-finals on Thursday.

Veremeenko poured in a career-high 30 points and corralled 12 rebounds as Unics claimed the upper hand in the last-eight tie.

The Belarus international was voted Eurocup quarter-finals Game 1 MVP.

Stefano Sacripanti, the Caserta coach, believed another Unics player was equally crucial for Kazan.

"I think that Terrell Lyday was the key to the game in the last 10 minutes with his drives into the paint," the Italian tactician said.

Lyday finished with 16 points.

"I think we still have chances to reach the Finals," Sacripanti said.

Cajasol Sevilla have a huge first-leg advantage against Budivelnik.

The Ukrainian side travelled to Spain and lost 67-49.

Benetton Treviso, who will host the Eurocup Finals, drew 66-66 at BG Gottingen in Germany while Cedevita Zagreb played in a full Drazen Petrovic Arena and defeated Estudiantes 90-81.

In that game, Cedevita trailed by 17 points in the first half but came back to stun Estu.

Cedevita always put up a lot of three-pointers and Wednesday was no exception.

Seven different players made shots from the arc and they finished 12 of 29 (41.3%).

"We played in a fantastic atmosphere, but what is more important is we refused to give up when we were down by 17," said Cedevita coach Aleksandar Petrovic, the brother of the late Drazen Petrovic.

Estu coach Luis Casimiro warned: "We are behind nine points, but that is possible to overcome."

The second legs will be played on March 30.

FIBA