February 08, 2012
ULEB Cup draw profile: Pamesa Valencia
Pamesa Valencia The 2003 ULEB Cup champion Pamesa Valencia booked its spot in the Final 32 by grabbing first place in Group D with an 8-2 record. The Spanish club Valencia trailed Khimki for much of the regular season but snatched the lead in Week 10 as it beat Khimki at home and took top honors with a higher cumulative scoring difference for the entire regular season. Head coach Fotis Katsikaris team opened the Group D campaign with four convincing wins over Skyliners, Nancy, Anwil Wloclawek and Azovmash Mariupol - with an average winning margin of 16.2 points. Pamesa then dropped its first game, losing at Khimki by three points on a three-pointer at the buzzer. Valencia bounced back with a win at Deutsche Bank Skyliners and then relinquished a 10-point fourth quarter lead but held on to knock off Nancy by one point at home. Katsikaris's men fell to 6-2 by losing at Anwil as the team shot just 45% from the floor and forced just 8 turnovers. But Pamesa rebounded again as 19-year-old power forward Victor Claver scored 16 points Ruben Douglas - Pamesa Valenciaincluding the game-winning three-pointer in the final seconds to beat Azovmash by one point on the road and set up the first place showdown at home with Khimki. And Valencia overcame a poor start to the Week 10 game and won by three points as veteran forward Dejan Milojevic had 20 points and 8 rebounds. Milojevic was the team's second leading scorer with 12.7 points and a team-best 5.4 rebounds. Shooting guard Ruben Douglas paced Pamesa with 14.4 points while playmaker Shammond Williams averaged 11.7 points and 5.6 assists. Valencia also saw shades of brilliance from Claver, who three times scored more than 12 points in averaging 5.7 points a game - including a share of those in crunch time. Katsikaris knows the balance of his team is its top strength. And Pamesa Valencia definitely must be considered as a serious contender for its second ULEB Cup trophy.
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POST-DRAW REACTIONS

Pamesa Valencia executive president, Manuel Llorente:"We didn't expect to face a team like Panionios in the first round, but this was the outcome to the draw. It is a tough team to face and let's see what happens in the series. We survived a tough regular season group against teams like Khimki or Azovmash, so we hope to continue carry on doing well from now on. The only goal we have is to make it to the Final Eight and once we get there, reach as high as possible."
Friday, January 25, 2008
ULEBCup.com
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