 Stelmet Zielona Gora registered its first-ever win in the Eurocup Last 16 by downing Cajasol Seville 76-67 in Group K on Wednesday. Walter Hodge paced the winners with 27 points on 7-of-7 two-point shots and 6 assists. Dejan Borovnjak added 16 points, Oliver Stevic had 12 while Quinton Hosley got 11, 7 rebounds and 8 assists for Zielona Gora. John Holland led Cajasol with 17 points. Joan Sastre added 15 while Latavious Williams had 10 and 10 rebounds for the guests. Holland and Williams shined early to give Cajasol a 6-17 lead midway through the first quarter. Zielona Gora answered with a 13-0 run which allowed the hosts to get a 19-17 edge early in the second quarter. Williams and Ondrej Balvin fueled a 0-11 run that made Cajasol regain the lead, 32-39, at halftime. Zielona Gora rallied after the break and a dunk by Stevic tied it, 57-57, after three quarters. A three-poiinter by Sastre gave Cajasol its last lead, 63-64. Hodge and Hosley struck from downtown in an 8-0 run that sealed the outcome down the stretch.
Hodge got Zielona Gora going with a four-meter jumper and Stevic scored down low but Holland singlehandedly gave Cajasol a 4-5 lead. Tomas Satoransky and Milenko Tepic swished back-to-back jumpers, as the hosts struggled to score early until Hodge stepped up with a six-meter shot. Williams followed a mid-range jumper with a slam for a 6-13 Cajasol lead. Rod Blakney hit a stop-and-pop shoot and a jump hook by Luka Bogdanovic made it a double-digit game, 6-17, after a 2-14 run. Stevic scored around the basket and a jumper by Hodge brought Zielona Gora within 10-17. Marcin Sroka struck from downtown and a backdoor layup by Borovnjak got the hosts even closer, 15-17, after 10 minutes. Hodge followed a driving layup with free throws to put Zielona Gora back ahead, 19-17, after a 13-0 run. Sastre tried to change things with a triple but Borovnjak made the hosts regain a 21-20 edge. Holland joined the three-point shootout and Balvin followed a dunk with free throws to restore a 23-27 Cajasol lead. Williams sank foul shots and a corner three-pointer by Holland gave Cajasol some fresh air at 23-34, after a 0-11 run. Borovnjak hit a jump hook and free throws by Hodge brought Zielona Gora within 27-34. Blakney and Hodge traded triples, Holland dunked it and a jumper by Hosley fixed the halftime score at 32-39.
Borovnjak nailed a jump hook immediately after the break and Hosley soon brought Zielona Gora within 38-39. Holland and Stevic traded baskets and a reverse layup by Sastre gave the guests a 40-43 edge. Borovnjak scored again, Holland shined with a driving basket and a jumper by Hodge made it a one-point game, 44-45. Satoransky struck from downtown but Kamil Chanas matched that with free throws and Stevic completed the hosts' comeback, 49-48. Brian Asbury stepped up with a back-to-back jumpers but Hodge and Borovnjak led a 6-0 Zielona Gora lead that forced Cajasol to call timeout at 55-52. Sastre buried a triple, Williams added a tip-in but a dunk by Stevic tied it at 57-57 after 30 minutes. Sastre kept pacing Cajasol with 4-of-4 free throws but Borovnjak and Stevic tied the game again, 61-61. Borovnjak hit a mid-range shot that Sastre bettered with a three-pointer. Rob Jones downed a turnaround jumper and Hodge sank a triple that made it a four-point game, 68-64, with 4:10 left. Cajasol switched to a 2-3 zone defense that Hosley punished with a three-pointer that sealed the outcome, 71-64. Bogdanovic answered from downtown, Hodge scored in penetration and Cajasol missed three shots from beyond the arc in the final minute. A buzzer-beating three-pointer by Hodge allowed Zielona Gora to seal its win in style.
Wednesday, January 09, 2013
Eurocupbasketball.com
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