Last 16 Game 1 MVP: Cedomir Vitkovac, KK Buducnost Voli Podgorica

An outstanding individual performance in a winning effort ended with a bonus for Cedomir Vitkovac of KK Buducnost Voli Podgorica as he claimed Last 16 Game 1 MVP honors. Vitkovac led Buducnost to a 90-69 home win against BC Triumph Lyubertsy with a performance index record of 40, which tied him for the third-greatest individual performance in Last 16 history. Vitkovac tied Nando De Colo, Hrvoje Peric and Darius Washington on that impressive list. Only Devin Smith of Benetton Basket Bwin (index 47) and Torin Francis of Panellinios Athens (44) have had better index ratings than Vitkovac in this tough stage. Vitkovac led Buducnost with 24 points on 7-of-12 two-point shooting. He drew 10 fouls and converted 7 of 8 free throws. The veteran forward also collected 12 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals and a block. Rafa Martinez of Valencia Basket and Walter Hodge of Stelmet Zielona Gora were next on the list of Last 16, Game 1 studs; each amassed a 34 index in victories. Martinez led Valencia to a come-from-behind 86-82 home win against VEF Riga with 27 points, 3 assists, 5 fouls drawn and just 1 missed shot. Martinez also became Valencia's all-time three-point shots leader in European competitions. Hodge led Zielona Gora to a 76-67 home win against Cajasol Sevilla with 27 points on 7-of-7 two-point shooting, 6 assists and 6 fouls drawn. Rado Rancik of CEZ Basketball Nymburk, who had a 30 index, and Aleks Maric of PBC Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar, Igor Rakocevic of Crvena Zvezda Telekom Diva, E.J. Rowland of VEF Riga and Chuck Eidson of Unics Kazan, each with a 29 index, complete the top individual performances in Last 16 Game 1. 


Individual highs: Stefan Markovic of Valencia Basket ties Last 16 assists record 


Rakocevic was this week's top scorer with 32 points, helping Zvezda to collect a 95-100 road win against ratiopharm Ulm. Axel Hervelle of Uxue Bilbao Basket, John Bryant of Ulm and Vitkovac each grabbed 12 rebounds this week. Markovic was the only player to reach double digits in assists by dishing 11 against VEF. He tied the Eurocup Last 16 single-game assists record with his performance. Dontaye Draper and Tutku Acik had both previously dished 11 assists in a Last 16 game too. Kaspars Berzins of VEF collected 4 steals, more than anyone else this week. Chuck Davis of Banvit Bandirma BK, Zach Wright of Spartak St. Petersburg and Daniel Theis of Ratiopharm Ulm each had 3 blocks this week. Bryant (20 points, 12 rebounds), Vitkovac (24 points, 12 rebounds), Elton Brown of Zvezda (18 points, 10 rebounds), Latavious Williams of Cajasol (10 points, 10 rebounds) and Markovic (10 points, 11 assists) registered respective double-doubles this week.