LeDay’s record night boosted Partizan in Trento

Zach Leday recorded a double-double of 20 points and 13 boards in helping Partizan NIS Belgrade escape with a 63-79 victory from Trento.

Despite the 16-point difference at the end of the game, Partizan did not have an easy time against Dolomiti Energia Trento in the last round of the regular season. The hosts enjoyed slim margins in the first quarter and rallied back from a 13-point second-quarter deficit to go ahead 53-52 late in the third. It was LeDay who showed up each time Partizan was at risk.

He was the one to close the first quarter with a bucket that granted Partizan a 15-18 edge and continued rocking in the second with another 10 points that allowed his team to reach halftime comfortably in charge, 29-37. Later, when the hosts came back in the third quarter, LeDay contributed 4 points in a 0-9 run that calmed his team, 53-61, entering the fourth.

At the end of the game, LeDay finished with 20 points, 13 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals in just 25:44 on the court for a career-high PIR of 30. He also signed off a career-best in rebounding and tied his top mark in scoring.

“It was good to get a win, we needed to continue to win,” he said after the game. “We came together as a team today on the road, against an individually talented team. We followed the game plan and it helped us.”