EuroView: Landale making a consistent impact

The consistency that Jock Landale delivered for Saint Mary's in college basketball is now translating to the professional level, with the 6'11 centre delivering night in and night out for Partizan in Europe as we wrap up the Aussie men in Europe from the past week.

Unfortunately for Landale, Partizan suffered a 5 point loss to Ankara in the EuroCup, with a slow start costing them dearly. They trailed by 14 points at quarter time, and while they outscored Ankara by 9 in the second half, they were never able to get their noses in front. Landale played 25 minutes and was 2 points shy of a double-double, with 8 points, 14 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals. The 72-77 loss leaves Partizan with just the 1 win from 5 contests.

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A 24-15 opening term set the way for Partizan to account for Mega Bemax 81-74 in the Adriatic League. Australian centre Jock Landale was one of five Partizan players to score in double digits, adding 13 points (6-9 FG) with 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks (and a massive dunk) in 25 minutes. His side inflicted Mega Bemax's first loss of the season, and in doing so enabled Partizan to creep back into the top 4.

FMP are right on the heels of Partizan however, also boasting a 3-3 record. Power forward Duop Reath experienced a quieter outing however, as FMP took care of business 85-74 against Igokea. A commanding 27-12 final period ensured victory, with Reath able to compile 4 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists in 28 minutes.

In the Basketball Champions League, Brose Bamburg stormed home over the top of Lithuanian side Lietkabelis to steal an 82-77 victory. It was an impressive 25-15 final term that got them over the line, with young Australian point guard William McDowell-White earning a chance to play some important minutes. The Queenslander played almost 9 minutes, and while he did not attempt a shot, he dished out 3 assists and pulled down 2 rebounds as he continued his development.

Back in the German Bundesliga, McDowell-White was sparingly used in Brose Bamburg's 66-92 capitulation to Löwen Braunschweig in what proved to be a massive upset. The competition heavyweights were undone by a poor shooting night against one of the cellar dwellers, with big performances from Braunschweig duo Scott Eatherton (23 points) and DeAndre Lansdowne (21 points) doing the damage. While it was not the result they expected, Brose Bamburg remains entrenched in the top eight.

Crailsheim played two games over the weekend, dropping both in vastly different ways. In a contest featuring Australians on both sides, it was Rasta Vechta and Venky Jois who managed to earn a narrow two-point win over Ben Madgen and the Merlins. Crailsheim gave up an early fourth quarter lead, with Rasta Vechta finishing over the top to take the 70-68 win on a last second game-winner. Jois came off the bench to add 8 points on 4-of-5 shooting with 4 rebounds and 1 assist and 1 steal in 13 minutes. Madgen shaded Jois with 9 points (2-9 FG) with 3 rebounds and 3 steals in almost 26 minutes, but could not help his side earn the win.

The Merlins ended their double-header weekend with a tough 71-96 loss to Bayern Munich. They were out pointed in each quarter, including 7-22 in the final term to be blown out. Madgen again logged 26 minutes for 9 points and 2 rebounds, with his team relegated to second last in the standings.

Xavier Cooks and s.Oliver Würzburg fared better in their outing against Ludwigsburg, earning an 80-75 victory. After a hotly contested opening half, it was Würzburg who emerged to take out the third and fourth quarters, with Cooks again playing a prominent role. The 6'8 forward gathered 12 points (4-7 FG) with 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks in another all-round performance in just under 22 minutes. His side hit 12-26 from long-range, with Cooks draining 2-of-3 from deep to demonstrate his versatility.

Earlier in the week, Würzburg came away from their FIBA Europe Cup encounter with Dutch side Leiden with a 75-65 win. Cooks was solid in contributing 6 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks in 20 minutes, doing a bit of everything.

Brock Motum played just 9 minutes off the bench as Anadolu Efes Istanbul went down to Milan 80-81 in a thriller in the EuroLeague. It was a tough game for Motum who is one of the leaidng scorers on the team, forced from the court with what looked like an injury. Efes had an opportunity to seal the game with Vasilije Micic at the line for two with his side up by 2 points. However Micic would miss both, giving Milan one last chance to steal the win. With the last touch of the game, Mike James hit the game-winning triple to steal the win.

Back in Turkey, the close finishes would continue, with an extra time required to separate Efes in the game against undefeated side Fenerbahçe. Two free throws made by Shane Larkin in the final seconds to send the game into overtime. Jan Vesely and Kostas Sloukas came up big in the extra period, guiding Fenerbahçe to an 86-79 win, with Motum missing the game.

In Italy, Vanoli Cremona enjoyed an 80-73 win against Dinamo Sissari in the Serie A. Centre Mangok Mathiang played a role in the victory, pulling down rebounds in 18 minutes. He was not a focal point on offense, not taking a shot, but defensively he made his presence felt. With just 1 loss, his side sits in third place behind unbeaten sides Venezia and Milan.

Obi Kyei remains a consistent contributor for Força Lleida in the Spanish second division. In their latest win, a 70-62 result against Ourense, Kyei posted a team-high 15 points with 4 rebounds in another good performance.

Josh Wilcher delivered a sublime performance for Plymouth in a 77-72 win against Glasgow in the British Basketball League. Wilcher poured in 17 points with 4 rebounds and 9 assists as he helped guide his side to a 3-4 record.