FIBA Europe - Hot-shooting Cardenas eyes Spanish role

MADRID (EuroCup) - Estudiantes guard Sergio Sanchez Cardenas is hoping his strong play in the FIBA EuroCup can help him force his way into the reckoning for the Spain national team.

The 25-year-old played a starring role as Estudiantes beat CSU Asesoft 117-111 in overtime on Tuesday, scoring 26 points off the bench as the Madrid team maintained their 100% start to the competition in Group A.

Now Cardenas has set his sights on a higher level of competition, but knows it will not be easy.

"Spain are the world champions. It’s not easy to get into the team, but I’ll keep working and I hoping for an opportunity," he told PA Sport.

Estu had looked like suffering their first defeat in this season’s EuroCup as they trailed Asesoft 95-87 with one minute 37 seconds of regulating time remaining.

But a Carlo Suarez three-pointer then sparked a 7-0 run that brought Estu back to within one point at 95-94, but Asesoft still looked clear favourites to take the spoils when a Sasa Ocokoljic free throw put them ahead 102-99 with just two seconds remaining.

There was then a late twist in the tale as a personal foul from Darius Hargrove on Marlon Garnett sent the American guard to the free throw line needing to sink all three of his efforts to take the game into overtime.

Despite knowing that one mistake would likely spell defeat for his side, the 31-year-old Garnett coolly downed each of his shots to tie the game up at 102-102 at the buzzer.

That was a desperate blow for Asesoft, who had to go into overtime with Bojan Obradovic, who had fouled out after contributing 33 points and eight rebounds.

They were duly overpowered, and Suarez and Garnett both finished with 19 points for Estu.

Cardenas credited his team-mates for the victory.

"I felt very comfortable on the court, but I needed support from Carlos and Garnett because there were so many points scored in the game," he said.

"In a game like this, you need a very strong team union.

"Our team is very united and we are progressing in our understanding of each other."

Cardenas admitted it was a tough game, but insisted the result was all that mattered.

"It was a complicated game, and we had to react to our opponent’s intentions, but it was spectacular," he said.

"These wins show that we are going in the right direction, and we just need to follow this path."

Great Britain international Roger Huggins and Karim Souchu combined with 21 points each as Liege Basket stunned last year’s EuroCup Final Four hosts BC Kyiv in Group E.

The Belgians, playing before their own fans, trailed 55-50 at the end of the third quarter and then had a remarkable finish.

They held Kyiv to just seven fourth-quarter points while scoring 30 themselves in a most unexpected concluding 10 minutes to the game.

After the game, Kyiv coach Viktor Berezhnoi fumed about his team's lack of fight on the boards.

Liege won that battle 48-28, with both Ellis and Francois Lhoest pulling down 10 apiece.

"Our team allowed 17 offensive rebounds to Liege Basket," he said.

"This was the same thing in Tallin, and we lose that game, too. If you lose rebounds, you lose the game.

"I was a little bit surprised because they changed some players. I've tried to wake up my guys but it didn't work."

Andre Riddick had 18 points and eight rebounds as Spirou Charleroi qualified for the next stage of the EuroCup with a 70-63 victory over Khimik Yuzhny in Group B.

The victory has left the Belgian side with three wins from four games, and it also completed a double over 1-3 Khimik.

Khimik led 21-18 early in the second quarter but were unable to protect that advantage with the hosts reeling off eight straight points.

Khimik recovered to stay in touch, but got no closer than 57-52 with 7:05 to play.

Dynamo Moscow Region made it four wins from four after hammering Group B strugglers BC Barons Riga 80-61.

In Group C, Sergey Toporov and Kresimir Loncar led from the front as Lokomotiv Rostov put Atomeromu SE to the sword in a one-sided match.

Toporov and Loncar both poured in 17 points each while three more of their team-mates scored in double-figures as Lokomotiv hammered Atomeromu 102-58.

That victory puts Lokomotiv on a 3-1 record for the tournament, while Hungarians Atomeromu have now lost all four of their matches.

ASK Riga contributed to the feelgood factor in Latvian basketball by winning their third game in four by beating CEZ Nymburk 77-67 in Group F.

Curtis Millage has been influential in all of their games and this one was no exception with the American point guard scoring 21 points, handing out three assists and coming up with four steals.

Maroussi Athens returned to the top of the group with an 80-62 win over KK Vojvodina.

Markos Kolokas led Maroussi with 16 points.

Ural Great Perm secured their second Group G victory with a hard-fougth 93-79 win over Bulgarian outfit PBC CSKA Sofia as Stanislav Makshantsev scored 23 points.

Virtus Bologna completed a Group H double over Amsterdam Astronauts with a 90-47 rout behind 21 points from Guilherme Giovannoni.

The group’s other game saw Turk Telecom beat Greek high-fliers Panionios 82-75.

PA Sport