ALYTUS, Lithuania ? Former Bradley men's basketball player J.J. Tauai (Verona, Mo./Verona H.S.) showed little rust after a year off from the game, turning in 18 points, 11 rebounds and four assists in his professional debut while leading Panevezys Techasas to an 87-70 road victory at Alytus Alita in the opening round of the Baltic League Challenge Cup Wednesday.
According to a Eurobasket News report, Techasas trailed by two at halftime and by five points at the end of the third quarter, but outscored Alytus 33-11 in the final period. Demarious Bolds (Missouri Western) led Techasas with 22 points.
With a road win secure in the first round of the Baltic League Challenge Cup, Techasas will begin regular-season play in the Lithuania Basketball League Oct. 8 by visiting Sakalai Vilnius.
Tauai, who remained in Peoria last year after his 2007 graduation, was a four-year letterman for the Braves from 2003-07, helping Bradley to the 2006 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 and 2007 MasterCard NIT second round. In his final career home game, the 6-foot-3 guard ripped down 17 rebounds in Bradley's 90-78 overtime victory versus Providence in the first round of the 2007 NIT.
In other European basketball news involving former Braves, James Gillingham (Guelph, Ontario/St. James Secondary) missed the season opener, but played 25 reserve minutes in TBB Trier's second-round game against ENBW Ludwigsburg, an 88-83 loss Saturday. Former Creighton player Dane Watts scored 11 points off the bench for ENBW Ludwigsburg. Trier (1-1) will host Paterborn Saturday in third-round action.
Two more Braves ? Jeremy Crouch (Pekin, Ill./Pekin H.S.) and Will Franklin (Houston, Texas/Alief Hastings H.S.) -- are still looking for their first Bundesliga win as teammates for New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig. Crouch started in his pro debut Sept. 20, hitting a pair of 3-pointers for six points in a 79-69 loss to Eisbaeren Bremerhaven. Franklin, a second-year pro, contributed nine points, six rebounds and five assists in 36 minutes off the bench in his Bundesliga debut. While Franklin had seven points and three rebounds in a second round, 84-56 loss Saturday to Ratiopharm ULM, Crouch scored two points and grabbed two rebounds in 24 reserve minutes. The duo will be back in action Saturday when New Yorker Phantoms (0-2) hosts BG 74 Goettingen (1-1) in a third-round game.
