Virtus secured their 13th win of the season. Luca Banchi’s team defeated Bayern 85:83 in the 18th round of the EuroLeague.
In this game, for the team led by head coach Luca Banchi from the bench, Ognjen Dobric, Devontae Cacok, and Jordan Mickey were unable to play due to injuries, with Mickey being absent for a longer period. On the other hand, the Bayern team played with a full roster.
Neither team managed to establish a significant lead in the first quarter. Both teams excelled in shooting from a distance, with Daniel Hackett leading with three successful three-pointers. Bayern, fueled by outstanding performances from Carsen Edwards and Serge Ibaka, managed to take the lead, which they maintained until the end of the first half, concluding with a score of 46:42 in favor of the visitors.
Iffe Lundberg for the win! ๐ฏ
— Basketball Sphere (@BSphere_) January 3, 2024
Virtus is unstoppable. โซโช#EuroLeague #Virtus pic.twitter.com/RYKCeb0UIk
Unstoppable was Carsen Edwards, who reached 22 points already in the third quarter, while on the other side, Tornike Shengelia’s brilliant play managed to keep Virtus at a reasonable deficit. The visiting team continued to score from a distance, and with a three-pointer by Andreas Obst at the beginning of the last quarter, they extended their lead to +8. Nevertheless, as has been the case many times this season, Virtus did not surrender. They managed to overturn the result through Belinelli and Isaiah Cordinier. Iffe Lundberg sealed the win with a mid-range shot, securing a triumph over Bayern with a score of 85:83.
The top scorer for the winning team was Tornike Shengelia with 18 points, closely followed by Marco Belinelli with 16 points. In the away team, Carsen Edwards stood out the most with 22 points, accompanied by Serge Ibaka with 15 points and 13 rebounds.
After this game, Virtus is in second place with a record of 13 wins and 5 losses, while Bayern is in twelfth place with 8 wins and 10 losses. In the next round, Virtus will face another German team, Alba Berlin, while Bayern will conclude their tour in Italy with an away game against Milano.
VIRTUS – BAYERN 85:83 (22:24, 20:22, 23:23, 20:14)
Arena: Virtus Segafredo Arena, Bologna
Referees: Nikolic, Majkic, Baena
Virtus: Cordinier 11, Lundberg 9, Belinelli 14, Pajola 8, Mascolo 0, Lomazs 0, Shengelia 18, Hackett 15, Polonara 3, Zizic 1, Dunston 4, Abass 0
Bayern: Weiler-Babb 4, Francisco 12, Edwards 22, Giffey, Radoncic 2, Bonga 5, Bolmaro 5, Lucic 0, Obst 12, Ibaka 15, Brankovic 0, Booker 6