The first phase of the EuroChallenge is done and the list of 16 clubs to contend for the title is set.

Only two teams remained undefeated in the final line of the Regular Season. Cholet Basket easily defeated BC Sumikhimprom while Belgacom Liege edged Energa Czarni on the road.

Four of the teams who qualified only in the last day did it in style. BC Kyiv, Dexia Mons-Hainut, Galatasaray Cafe Crown and Cajasol Sevilla hosted a game they had to win to qualify and all four won by huge margins. The smallest margin of those four games was the 30 point win of Dexia 99-69.

All four Russian teams found their way to the Top 16 to keep Russia as the country with the most representatives in the competition. Next on the list are Germany, Belgium and Holland with two clubs each. Ukraine, Turkey, Cyprus, Spain, Italy and France hold their hopes in a single spearhead to bring a title back home.

Manuchar Markoishvili had a big night for BC Kyiv.

Same score, different feel

Last week Rostov suffered an aching 65-66 home defeat to Cholet Basket. It didn't cost them the Top 16 spot, but kept them away from the first spot in the group. Back then they kept Cholet scoreless for over two minutes, but missed two chances to win the game with the last ball. This week it was what Seinfeld defined as "Bizzaro World" in Rostov, as the locals went scoreless in the last 92 seconds, saw the visitors miss the last shot in the game and eventually won 66-65.

Two type runs

BC Kyiv wrote a 32 point triumph, 78-46, over D. Bank Skyliners of Frankfurt to lock in their spot in the next phase. The Ukrainian club used two runs on their way to the win, each of them was of a different type. Three minutes inside the game the score was a 3-3 tie, but then the locals hit 12 unanswered points. Four different players took part in that celebration, that sent a clear message to the visitors. Midway throughout the third quarter the gap was 17, but still somehow manageable, but then came a 13-0 run that settled the battle. This run was more of a one man show. It started with a three-point shot by Clay Tucker, but then Manchuar Markoishvili took over. In a span of less than three minutes he dunked three times in a row, added a bonus from the line and capped with a three-pointer that set the score on 60-30.

The offensive glass

Several records were set when Cholet Basket completed a perfect Regular Season run in a 100-77 home win over BC Sumykhimprom. The game mattered nothing for both sides, and that's always a chance to improve the stat lines. 23 year-old forward Randal Falker took it to an extreme. Coming into the game his season averages contained 4.1 points and 3.6 rebounds per game and no more than a total of seven offensive rebounds. In 27 minutes on Tuesday night he scored 10 points without a single miss from the field, and set a season high for offensive rebound with no less than 11, a vast majority of his 18 rebound performance - 2nd best of the season. He tied the EuroChallenge all-time record for offensive boards set by Art Long and Travon Bryant in the 2004/05 season, and set the pace for his team-mates who also set two team season highs with 52 rebounds, 26 of them on offense.

The Bad News

The shooter takes it all

SAOS Hyeres welcomed Telekom Basket of Bonn in their home court for a "winner-takes-it-all" game. Since the Germans won in the first leg, they had the tie-breaker on their side in case of a win, and the final 86-72 result in their favor got them the ticket. The club from Toulon can blame only themselves, for not showing up, and were down by 13 already at the half. SAOS Hyeres hit only four of 23 attempts from distance, and the mass damage was done by three players - Pierre Pierce and Cedric Ferchaud who went one out of six each and Austin Nichols who scored 20 but from distance hit only two shots on 25%. On the other side of court, in front of unfamiliar rims, Telekom felt more comfortable than ever making 13 three-pointers.  No less than five players scored twice or more from behind the arc, in a clutch time offensive performance coach Michael Koch deserves all the credits for.

Three 8's

Ventspils displayed one of the worst defensive efforts in the second leg. Liege scored 89 over them and Energa Czarni 88, but in both games they managed to score back, and even win one of the games. It put them in a position to qualify to the Top 16, but all they needed to do was to win in Sevilla against Cajasol. Well, until the tip-off things were OK, but that's about it. After eight minutes Cajasol held a 21-2 lead, and knocked out the guests completely. The Spanish side missed only two shots in that run while Ventspils missed eight shots and committed eight turnovers in eight minutes to lose their chances earlier than expected. 

Almost Kalev

BC Kalev Cramo of Tallin, Estonia had a chance to become the big Cinderella of the EuroChallenge, but missed two chances to rock the surface of the competition. In the first leg, when visiting Moscow to face Triumph they were still up by three with 8:30 to play, but then saw the locals go on a 22-3 run to lose by 16. That loss narrowed their chances to qualify, but also in the second leg, in front of their fans, they managed to sting the richest team in the competition. Entering the last 60 seconds of the game Kalev held a five point lead with the ball in their hands. Three missed shots from the field and two from the line allowed Triumph the chance for to 21 year-old point guard Pavel Sergeev to tie the score from distance with the buzzer, it turned out to be his only field goal of the night. In overtime the Russians woke up, and ended up with an 81-87 victory, to take first place in Group H.