February 04, 2012
Power Electronics Valencia
Valencia is Eurocup king!!!
Power Electronics Valencia Champ Eurocup! - Finals 2010 Vitoria-Gasteiz
Power Electronics Valencia is the Eurocup champion for the second time in club history. Power Electronics became the second club to lift the Eurocup trophy twice on Sunday when it beat Alba Berlin 44-67 in the title game in Vitoria, Spain. With the victory, Valencia earned the right to play in the 2010-11 Euroleague. Valencia, the competition's original champion back in 2003, set a new Eurocup final record by allowing just 22 points in the first half. Pushed by a sea a orange and purple fans, Valencia used outstanding defense to seal the outcome long before the final buzzer and denied Alba the chance to win its first European club title since 1995. Matt Nielsen was named Eurocup Finals MVP and his frontcourt mate, Kosta Perovic, paced the winners with 17 points. Head coach Neven Spahija, who has lifted five different domestic league trophies all over the continent and reached the ULEB Cup final in 2003, won his first European title - just like every player on his team's roster. Thomas Kelati added 13 points and Marko Marinovic 12 for the winners. Derrick Byars and Steffen Hamann scored 9 apiece for Berlin in defeat. A three-pointer by Nando De Colo ignited a 0-11 run in which Marinovic and Kelati also struck from downtown to give Power Electronics a 10-19 edge early in the second quarter. Byars and Julius Jenkins tried to change things for Alba, but Serhiy Lishchuk, an inspired Kelati and a wild buzzer-beating jumper by De Colo gave Valencia a 22-36 lead at halftime. Nothing changed after the break, as Valencia stayed strong on defense and boosted its lead to 33-48 after 30 minutes, enough to keep full control of the game until the final buzzer. It took Valencia seven years to lift the Eurocup trophy for a second time, but thousands of fans had the chance to celebrate that their team was once again a European champion. READ MORE
THE HEAD COACH: NEVEN SPAHIJA
Neven Spahija - Power Electronics Valencia
Having been close once before, Neven Spahija has a second chance to win the Eurocup after turning Power Electronics Valencia into one of the top trophy contenders this year. Spahija debuted as a head coach in 1996 with Pula in his native Croatia. He moved to Cibona Zagreb in 2000 and led the team to the Euroleague quarterfinals. In 2003, Spahija beat the odds by taking Krka Novo Mesto of Slovenia to the ULEB Cup Finals in the competition’s inaugural campaign, coming up short against Valencia. READ MORE
THE STAR: RAFA MARTINEZ
Rafa Martinez - Power Electronics Valencia
Although he may be relatively unknown around the continent, Rafa Martinez has quickly become a star for Power Electronics Valencia and is ready to prove his value at the Eurocup Finals. A late bloomer, Martinez started his basketball career in Manresa, Spain where he played his first full season in 2003-04. Although he immediately showed his defensive skills, determination and court sense, Martinez could not prevent Manresa from falling to the Spanish second division. Despite the drop, Martinez continued to climb higher. READ MORE


EUROCUP FINALS LATEST
· Eurocup Finals semis: Valencia shoots way to final!
· Eurocup Finals Interview: Kosta Perovic
· Eurocup Finals Blog: Thomas Kelati
· Power Electronics Valencia Eurocup Finals team profile
· 2009-10 All-Eurocup first, second teams
· Rising Star Trophy Victor Claver, Power Elec. Valencia
EUROLEAGUE FINALS SCHEDULE
April 17 vs. Panellinios Opap BC 92-80 W
April 18 vs. Alba Berlin, 44-67 W
TEAM STATS
TEAM PAGE
ROSTER
#
Name
Height
Pos.
-
184
G
-
196
F
7
217
C
9
206
F
10
184
G
12
210
F
13
185
G
14
183
G
16
205
F
17
190
G
20
202
F
22
195
G
23
202
F
24
195
G
44
208
C
55
208
C
Head Coach: Neven Spahija
WALLPAPER: Serhiy Lishchuk
TEAM SLIDESHOW
Kosta Perovic - Power Electronics Valencia - Finals 2010 Vitoria-Gasteiz