Buducnost handles Banvit in season opener

Buducnost VOLI Podgorica made a statement in its first Eurocup game of the season, downing visiting Banvit Bandirma 83-70 on Wednesday. Buducnost joined Trabzonspor Medical Park and Unics Kazan with 1-0 record in Group D after the opening round. Tadija Dragicevic scored 20 points to pace the hosts who also had Suad Sehovic finish with 16 points, 5 rebounds and 4 steals. Bojan Subotic had 11 points, while Omar Cook had 8 points and 12 rebounds in victory. Dominique Johnson led Banvit with 15 points, 5 rebounds and 4 steals, Courtney Fortson scored 11, while Gasper Vidmar collected 10 points plus 8 boards for the visitors who grabbed 18 offensive rebounds. But it was Buducnost that grabbed the lead for good in the first quarter, and went on to build a double-digit lead before halftime. After the break Banvit cut it to 63-57, but that is as close as they got.

A three-point play, followed by back-to-back triples from Adrien Moerman and Johnson gave Banvit an early 5-11 advantage. But Buducnost replied through Sead Sehovic and Robert Rikic, before a triple from Suad Sehovic helped tie the game at 14-14. A fastbreak layup from Sead Sehovic gave Buducnost the lead, and with baskets from Dragicevic and Ognjen Carapic, the hosts built 24-18 lead at the end of the first quarter. Keith Simmons and Vidmar opened the second quarter with baskets for Banvit, but Aleks Maric inside and Dragicevic from the outside made it 31-22 Buducnost. Moerman and Joseph Devoe traded threes, as Buducnost held on defensively and took 40-29 lead into halftime.

Banvit had a strong start to the third quarter, with a put-back from Vidmar and a fastbreak bucket from Johnson that cut it to 40-35. But Suad Sehovic got the hosts going, hitting a basket then assisting Cook for a three-pointer and 45-37. Cook returned a favor with an assist for Suad Sehovic’s fastbreak layup, then fed Subotic for a three-point play and 52-41. A.J. Slaughter hit a three, but consecutive baskets by Suad Sehovic extended the margin to 58-45. Banvit cut it to 59-50 to end the third, and A.J. Slaughter scored five points in the fourth to make it 63-57. But Sead Sehovic scored on a fast break, Dragicevic hit a basket of his own, before Subotic made 3 of 3 from the foul line and followed it with a three-pointer to push the margin to 73-59 with under 4 minutes left. Nurset Yildrim scored twice for the visitors, but Dragicevic nailed another three, then had a three-point play for 81-65, icing the game.