12/04/2006
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RUS - Dynamo clinch ULEB Cup title
CHARLEROI (ULEB Cup) - Dynamo Moscow held off a determined fightback from Aris Thessaloniki to win the ULEB Cup final in Charleroi on Tuesday night.
Dynamo had established a 37-28 lead by half-time but Aris battled back to tie the scores up at 44-44 with just over a minute left in the third quarter.
Dynamo flexed their muscles again in the final period though and ran out deserving 73-60 winners in the end to earn themselves a spot in the 2006/07 Euroleague.
It also gave yet another title to legendary Yugoslavian coach Dusan Ivkovic, who can add this success to an impressive list of accolades which includes victories in the World Championships, European Championship and the forerunner of the Euroleague, which he won with Aris's Greek rivals Olympiacos in 1997.
Dynamo came into the game looking to win their first European trophy while Aris were hoping to claim their fourth.
But while Aris had history on their side, it was Dynamo who had the form with the Russian side having convincingly made their way into the final.
In contrast Aris had been pushed all the way by both Panionios in the eighth-finals and Hemofarm in the semi-finals, and they had also lost successive games in the Greek league since reaching the final.
However, Aris kept pace with their opponents early on in front of a sold-out 6,500 crowd at the Spiroudome and only trailed by one point at the end of the opening period at 19-18.
Dynamo, who crashed out of last season's ULEB Cup in the eighth-finals, took control after that though and stretched their lead to nine points by the midway point of the match.
Aris' fightback in the third period made things interesting but Dynamo showed their class late on, winning the final period 25-15 to secure the trophy, much to the disappointment of the predominantly Aris-supporting crowd.
Ruben Douglas won the MVP award and paced Dynamo with 17 points while Bojan Popovic also poured in 17 points for the victors.
Antonios Fotsis, who added the ULEB Cup crown to the Euroleague title he won in 2002, only scored four points and failed with all seven of his three-point attempts but he claimed 12 rebounds.
Dynamo's success on the boards proved a key part of their success, the Russian side claiming 46 rebounds compared to just 29 for Aris.
For Aris, guard Terrel Castle scored 17 points but Ruan-Eugene Stik and Giorgos Sigalas, who both scored 10 points, were the only other players to get into double figures.
PA Sport
Dynamo had established a 37-28 lead by half-time but Aris battled back to tie the scores up at 44-44 with just over a minute left in the third quarter.
Dynamo flexed their muscles again in the final period though and ran out deserving 73-60 winners in the end to earn themselves a spot in the 2006/07 Euroleague.
It also gave yet another title to legendary Yugoslavian coach Dusan Ivkovic, who can add this success to an impressive list of accolades which includes victories in the World Championships, European Championship and the forerunner of the Euroleague, which he won with Aris's Greek rivals Olympiacos in 1997.
Dynamo came into the game looking to win their first European trophy while Aris were hoping to claim their fourth.
But while Aris had history on their side, it was Dynamo who had the form with the Russian side having convincingly made their way into the final.
In contrast Aris had been pushed all the way by both Panionios in the eighth-finals and Hemofarm in the semi-finals, and they had also lost successive games in the Greek league since reaching the final.
However, Aris kept pace with their opponents early on in front of a sold-out 6,500 crowd at the Spiroudome and only trailed by one point at the end of the opening period at 19-18.
Dynamo, who crashed out of last season's ULEB Cup in the eighth-finals, took control after that though and stretched their lead to nine points by the midway point of the match.
Aris' fightback in the third period made things interesting but Dynamo showed their class late on, winning the final period 25-15 to secure the trophy, much to the disappointment of the predominantly Aris-supporting crowd.
Ruben Douglas won the MVP award and paced Dynamo with 17 points while Bojan Popovic also poured in 17 points for the victors.
Antonios Fotsis, who added the ULEB Cup crown to the Euroleague title he won in 2002, only scored four points and failed with all seven of his three-point attempts but he claimed 12 rebounds.
Dynamo's success on the boards proved a key part of their success, the Russian side claiming 46 rebounds compared to just 29 for Aris.
For Aris, guard Terrel Castle scored 17 points but Ruan-Eugene Stik and Giorgos Sigalas, who both scored 10 points, were the only other players to get into double figures.
PA Sport
