Umana Reyer Venice led from start to finish in beating Buducnost VOLI Podgorica on the road Wednesday and its strong play inside made all the difference.
Telling numbers: Great shooting, rebounding key Reyer
Reyer converted 24 of 35 two-point shots in the game. That 68.6% was the second-highest ever for Reyer in a EuroCup game. Five players had perfect shooting on twos: Jeff Brooks with 3 baskets, Michael Bramos and Austin Daye with 2 each and Victor Sanders and Michele Vitali with 1 apiece. Aside from Mitchell Watt, who was 6 of 10, no player made more than 3 twos or tried more than 5 two-point shots. The only time Reyer ever shot better from two-point range came against JL Bourg-en-Bresse last season. Reyer was 23 of 33 that night (69.7%), thought it lost 76-86.
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Nine different Reyer players collected rebounds in helping the team win the battle of the boards 26-33. Brooks was the lead man with 9 and Bramos added 6. On the defensive end, Reyer held Buducnost to just 4 three-pointers and without a reliable threat from the perimeter from the hosts, Reyer could focus its efforts inside. Reyer made twice as many threes and its 32% shooting from downtown was much better than Buducnost’s 28.6%. When one team shoots better from the field and controls the glass, the victory is all but assured.