Bennet Cantu increased its lead over Armani Jeans Milano in the race for second place on Sunday when Cantu won and Milano lost. Cantu bested Angelico Biella 82-77 as Nicolas Mazzarino and Maarten Leunen drilled threes in a 9-0 run early in the fourth quarter that gave the hosts the lead for good. Ben Ortner posted 22 points and 10 rebounds and Mazzarino tallied 20 points and 5 assists as Cantu improved to 20-6. Meanwhile Cimberio Varese defeated Armani Jeans 82-71. Kristjan Kangur scored 11 fourth-quarter points, including the go-ahead three early in the period, to lead the hosts to the win. Phil Goss led Varese with 22 points and 7 rebounds and Kangur added 16 and 12. Ibby Jaaber and Jonas Maciulis led Milano with 13 points apiece. Varese remained tied with Air Avellino and Canadian Solar Bologna for fifth place after they both won too. Avellino downed Pepsi Caserta 75-83 behind 20 points from Szymon Szewczyk and 19 points and 13 boards from Linton Johnson. Bologna beat Vanoli-Braga Cremona 88-95 led by K.C. Rivers’s 23 points. Dinamo Sassari edged Lottomatica Roma 86-85 on a pair of James White free throws. White led the hosts with 24 points, while Ali Traore carried Roma with 30 points and 12 rebounds. The showdown between defending champ Montepaschi Siena and Benetton Bwin Treviso was postponed due to the latter playing in the Eurocup Finals.
