* After years as teammates at North Carolina, Ed Cota and Ademola
Okulaja met as rivals in Euroleague action last week when Okulaja's
Unicaja Malaga (Spain-ACB) hosted Cota's team from Lithuania -- Zalgiris
Kaunas.
The game featured a dramatic ending. According to the Euroleague
game report, Unicaja led 77-76 with 23 seconds to play. As time ran
down, former Duke star Chris Carrawell, now with Zalgiris Kaunas, missed
a shot for the lead, but Ed Cota grabbed the mis and tossed the ball in
the basket with just two seconds remaining to put Zalgiris ahead 78-77.
Unicaja then missed a shot from halfcourt by inches and Zalgiris left
Spain with a Euroleague Group B victory.
Ed Cota finished with 13 points, 9 assists and 4 rebounds over 36
minutes. Ademola Okulaja had a fever at game time, but played 18 minutes
and posted 2 points and grabbed 5 rebounds.
Okulaja and Cota will meet again on January 8 when Unicaja Malaga
travels to Kaunas, Lithuania.
* Former Tar Heel and now ALBA Berlin 10-year veteran, Henrik Rodl, has
reached the 5,000 point milestone.
With a field goal last week in a Euroleague game versus Benetton Treviso
(Italy), Rodl brought his ALBA Berlin career points total to 5,001 and
got a standing ovation from an appreciative Max Schmeling Hall home
crowd. Rodl is just the second player in ALBA Berlin history to reach
5,000 points.
* After a short stay in England with Birmingham, Steve Bucknall has
relocated to Thessaloniki, Greece. This time Bucknall will play for
Iraklis Thessaloniki of the Greek A1 League.
* Kris Lang continues his strong showing in Poland with Anwil
Wloclawek (6-1).
After seven games in the Polish League, Lang is shooting 35-for-56 (63%)
from the field, and is averaging 13.1 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.