Euroleague basket Virtus stops in the final, Valencia wins

VALENCIA-VIRTUS 79-68
A bad last quarter condemns Virtus to defeat in Valencia, the fifth consecutive in this final part of the Euroleague. The match lived on the edge of equilibrium for thirty minutes, then the turnovers (20 total) by Bologna and the allowed rebounds in attack allowed the Spaniards to stretch in the last quarter. The excellent performance of Ojeleye (21 points) is not enough for Segafredo (without Teodosic, Belinelli, Pajola, Cordinier and Abass), while on the other side the best is Evans with 15 points and 6 assists in 15′.

In the first half Valencia got off to a better start with an unstoppable Jones for Hackett, but Virtus slowly got back on track with Ojeleye and the good impact from the bench from Weems and Mickey. The two Americans produce the maximum lead of the first half on 19-23, but the poor protection of the area by Jaiteh, who concedes five consecutive baskets to Alexander and Rivero, allows the Spaniards to get back ahead until 40-38 at the break thanks to Evans, in a second quarter with 6 turnovers from Bologna and 10/14 from two for the hosts. The point to point also continues in the second half, with Virtus clinging to Ojeleye and Valencia which has flashes of athleticism from Alexander and Webb to still remain ahead by a measure at the last break (58-57) before the balance breaks definitively . Turnovers are once again Segafredo’s problem, 7 of them arrive in the first 5′ of the last quarter when the Spaniards with the unleashed Evans score the break 15-0 (75-59) which puts the end credits on the match.

Valencia: Evans 15, Alexander 14, Jones 10.

Virtus: Ojeleye 21, Jaiteh 10, Mickey and Mannion 9.