Xavier Moon's double-double fires Maxima past Reyer

Maxima Roma fended off a determined effort from Umana Reyer Venice to claim a 90-79 victory in Round 4 of the BKT EuroCup on Wednesday. While the final margin reached 11 points, the hosts had to work hard for the result as Reyer repeatedly battled back into the contest before Maxima finally created separation in the second half.

Xavier Moon and Miro Bilan led the way for the winners, finishing with 22 points apiece. Moon paired his scoring with 10 assists and a game-high PIR of 29, orchestrating Maxima's offense throughout the night, while Bilan controlled the paint and recorded a PIR of 26. Giovanni Veronesi added 16 points, including a three-pointer at the final buzzer, and Hunter Tyson got 13, as Maxima placed four players in double digits.

Moon and Bilan consistently delivered whenever Reyer threatened to swing momentum. Carl Wheatle also made an important contribution with 6 points, 8 rebounds and a PIR of 13, helping Maxima maintain control on the glass during key stretches of the game.

Maxima established the early advantage behind Veronesi and Moon, leading by as many as 11 points in the opening quarter before late three-pointers from Leonardo Candi and Erick Green reduced the deficit to 23-18. Reyer continued its comeback in the second quarter as Green caught fire offensively and helped erase the gap entirely, with the teams going into halftime deadlocked at 45-45.

The game remained close after the break. Every time Maxima appeared ready to pull away, Reyer found an answer through Glynn Watson, Ky Bowman and Green. However, a strong finish to the third quarter allowed Maxima to create some breathing room, turning a one-possession game into a 64-57 lead entering the final 10 minutes.

Reyer refused to go away. Octavio Maretto and Watson made sure the visitors remained within striking distance, and Watson finished with a team-high 20 points. Green added 13 points, while Louis Olinde collected a game-high 10 rebounds.

Still, Maxima's star duo proved too much to handle. Bilan and Moon combined for crucial baskets throughout the fourth quarter as the hosts steadily increased their advantage. Reyer continued to compete until the final minute, but Maxima's offensive leaders closed the door and secured a hard-earned 90-79 victory.

“I think it’s a big win because it’s a team win, we played very well sharing the ball, we played a solid game in defense, we fixed problems during the game by talking to each other,” Maxima coach Matteo Cotelli said postgame. “It’s an important win because, for the second game in a row, we’ve shown that playing together and sticking together makes the difference. I’m really happy, not just with the win, but with what we did on the floor.”