| 14.03.2007
Azovmash destroyed DTL EKA AEL Lemesos in the opening quarter on Wednesday to storm into the EuroCup Final Four.
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Khalid El-Amin scored 11 of his 26 points in the first quarter
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| Playing at home where they had won their previous 10 EuroCup games dating back to December of 2005, the defending Ukrainian champions outscored the Cyprus club 31-7 over the first 10 minutes and cruised to a 97-69 victory.
Igors Miglinieks' Lemesos were unrecognisable from the side that stunned Azovmash in Game Two last week to force the quarter-final decider.
They had no answer for the trio of Khalid El-Amin, Kenan Bajramovic and Panagiotis Liadellis, with El-Amin pouring in 11 points in that incredible first period and Bajramovic and Liadellis scoring nine apiece.
El-Amin finished with a game-high 26 points, Bajramovic 19 and Liadellis 14.
Miglinieks must have sensed trouble after Liadellis and El-Amin began proceedings with back-to-back jump shots, and Bajramovic followed with two free throws.
Lemesos did not score until two minutes and 14 seconds had been played, with Ryan Randle sinking a jumper.
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Kenan Bajramovic had 19 points and 7 rebounds for Azovmash
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| The visitors couldn't stop Azovmash, however, with Bajramovic dunking and also hitting a jumper in another 6-0 run for a 12-2 lead.
Bajramovic was a handful.
After Michael King's three-ball trimmed the deficit to 12-5, the Bosnia-Herzegovina international replied immediately with a shot from the arc for a 15-5 lead.
Baskets from El-Amin and Liadellis followed for a 19-5 advantage and Azovmash eventually built a 24-point lead.
Lemesos did manage to go on a 13-4 surge over the first four minutes of the second quarter to trail 35-20, but they were unable to maintain the momentum.
Another El-Amin jumper started a 9-0 run for Azovmash which killed the game off.
The Azovmash shooting percentages shows just how dominant they were on the night.
Inside the arc, Rimas Girskis' men hit 63.6% (28 of 44) while from three-point range, they were eight of 15 (53.3%).
Lemesos were 26 of 66 (39.4%) overall, including six of 23 (26%) from long range.
At the free throw line, the visitors also struggled, making 11 of 18 (61.1%).
King had 13 points to lead the Lemesos scoring, although he was four of 13 from the floor, including three of nine from three-point range.
The hosts also won the rebounding battle, 38-31.
As BC Kyiv reached the last two final fours in the EuroCup, Azovmash's progression has made certain of Ukraine representation at the prestigious event for three years running. |