These five players impressed enough to earn their place in the roll call after another intense week BKT EuroCup action.
Round 9 roll call: Stars and role players left their marks
Stats
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Niziol set career-highs to lead Slask
Forward Jakub Niziol led Slask Wroclaw to a historic road win at Turk Telekom Ankara on Tuesday in which he set career-highs in scoring and three-pointers made with 25 and 4, respectively. He produced a steady supply of offense all game long, netting 12 first-half points and 13 after the break. A week after he scored 21 in a loss, Niziol upped his game to help Slask win its first EuroCup game in nearly a year and its first road game since December 2007.
Ribas rocked in the third quarter
Pau Ribas has done a thing or two in the eight seasons and 106 games he has played in the EuroCup. But rarely has he ever had a quarter like the one he put together after halftime on Wednesday for Joventut Badalona against Prometey Slobozhanske. The 36-year-old guard did not miss a shot as he sank 4 three-pointers and 2 free throws, all in the third quarter. He also recorded his only 2 assists of the game in that period. All told, he had a hand in 18 of Joventut's 29 points that quarter as it erased an 8-point halftime deficit to get back in the game.
Conti filled a key role for Trento
Luca Conti chimed in with his best game of the season on Wednesday to help Dolomiti Energia Trento edge Aris Midea Thessaloniki 69-67. The 22-year-old guard played a season-high 19:25 minutes and contributed 6 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal for a performance index rating of 12. The rebounds and PIR were also season-bests and the steal was his first of the campaign. Conti scored all of his points in the fourth quarter, too, making key contributions to help Trento take a step forward in the playoff race.
Cate rolled to career-best 20 points
Emanuel Cate set a EuroCup career-high in scoring with 20 points to help U-BT Cluj Napoca overcome 7bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys in overtime on Wednesday. While he certainly had the hot hand, Cate did not allow his success to change his effective mode of play. The big man took all of his shots from the paint, hardly ever more than a meter from the rim. Cate made 9 of 10 two-point shots for the game. He also had a +/- of plus-10, while contributing 4 rebounds and 1 block for a season-best PIR of 21. It was a true special effort for the big man.
Klepeisz ignited Ulm's offense in defeat
ratiopharm Ulm suffered its first home defeat of the season, an 84-89 decision against JL Mincidelice Bourg en Bresse, but not without a fight. Ulm got big contribution from its young guns, but also one seasoned veteran, Thomas Klepeisz. The 32-year-old guard scored a game-high 20 points, netting a career-best tying 5 triples on 7 attempts. With Ulm down 23 points at halftime, Klepeisz scored 14 points after the break and was a big reason Ulm got back in the game, although the hosts ultimately came up short in their comeback attempt. Klepeisz also had 3 assists, 2 steals and 2 rebounds for a PIR of 26.