2008-09Last 16Round 4
February 24, 2009 CET: 20:45
Local time: 20:45 LA CASILLA

Iurbentia Bilbao took a big step to reaching the Eurocup Final Eight with a thrilling 82-78 overtime victory at home over Spirou Basket in Group L. The victory improved Bilbao's record in the Last 16 group to 3-1 while Spirou dropped to 2-2 with its second straight loss against Bilbao. Spirou's Justin Hamilton made two free throws on the final play of regulation to send the game to overtime. In the extra session, Jonathan Tabu of Spirou committed an unsportsmanlike foul in the closing seconds as Janis Blums iced the game with a free throw. Earlier in the game, Spirou took control in the first quarter with a 4-12 run and the guests' lead was 8 points in the second half. Damir Markota scored 17 of his game-high 23 points in a 24-10 run spanning the second and third quarters for a 7-point Bilbao lead. Spirou answered with a 1-13 run and the rest of the game was close. Marko Banic scored 14 points for Bilbao while Salva Guardia added 10 points. Hamilton led Spirou with 17 points and 5 assists while Dwayne Broyes had 15 points and 6 steals and Jerry Johnson and Len Matela both added 12 points. Sacha Massot chipped in 9 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 steals.

After Hamilton opened the game with a three for the guests, Banic's basket made it 6-3. Jure Lalic scored three straight points to give Spirou back the lead at 8-9. The lead switched hands four more times as Andre Riddick's second score had Spirou up 12-13. Johnson would drain a triple and Broyles would throw down a dunk and hit a three-point shot as well before Massot's offensive rebound and put-back of an offensive rebound finished a 4-12 run for a 16-23 lead. Luke Recker cut the margin to 18-23 after one period. Broyles hit another three early in the second and back-to-back baskets by Tabu and Matela gave Spirou its biggest lead of the game - 22-30. Guardia converted a three-point play after an offensive rebound and Predrag Savovic drained a triple as Bilbao fought back to within 30-32. Johnson hit twice more and the gap was back to seven points, 33-40. But Markota took over the game, scoring five points in a 10-1 run, which included a Recker three as Bilbao went into the break ahead 43-41 after holding Spirou to just one free throw in the final four possessions of the half.

Massot's three to start the second half gave Spirou back the lead but Markota continued where he left off, knocking down two three pointers and three more baskets. All told, Markota scored 17 points in a 24-10 run spanning the second and third quarters for a 57-50 lead. But Spirou answered right back as Hamilton's triple started a 1-13 run including a Broyles score to make it 58-63. Guardia made it 60-63 after three periods. Two Banic baskets pushed Bilbao back ahead and the lead was 67-65 after Renaldas Seibutis's three-point play. The fourth quarter highly intensive and low-scoring as Hamilton made it 71-70 before Seibutis's triple just inside the final minute had Bilbao ahead 74-70. Johnson's layup made it a two-point game. After Salgado missed a three which would have iced the game, Hamilton rebounded Tabu's missed three-point shot and was fouled and hit two free throws on the final play of regulation to send the game to overtime at 74-74.

In the extra session, Matela twice scored for Spirou to offset Bilbao scores and tie the game 78-78. A Seibutis free throw and Salgado basket made it 81-78. Tabu missed a three-pointer but then stole the ball from Blums only to then commit an offensive foul. Broyles then stole the ball from Seibutis but missed a layup after which Tabu committed an unsportsmanlike foul in the closing seconds as Blums made one of two foul shots to ice the game.

Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Eurocupbasketball.com
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Referees: KOUKOULEKIDIS, STELIOS; PATERNICO, CARMELO; BISSANG, JOSEPH
Attendance: 5000
By Quarter1234Extra 1
iurbentia Bilbao182517148
Spirou Basket231822114
End of Quarter1234Extra 1
iurbentia Bilbao1843607482
Spirou Basket2341637478
iurbentia Bilbao
  Rebounds Blocks Fouls
# Player Min Pts 2FG 3FG FT O D T As St To Fv Ag Cm Rv PIR
8 GUARDIA, SALVA 17:33 10 3/4 0/1 4/5 2 1 3 2 1 1 1   3 3 13
9 RECKER, LUKE 28:02 9 1/1 2/4 1/2   1 1 1 1 1     1 2 9
10 SEIBUTIS, RENALDAS 34:31 9 2/5 1/1 2/3 1 2 3     6 1 1 3 3 2
11 SAVOVIC, PREDRAG 12:20 4   1/3 1/2   1 1             3 5
13 BANIC, MARKO 34:13 14 6/7   2/2 2 5 7 3   4 1   2 6 24
14 SALGADO, JAVI 24:06 4 1/1 0/5 2/2   1 1     3     2 1 -4
19 VAZQUEZ, PACO 12:17     0/1         1         1 1  
20 LEWIS, QUINCY DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
24 PASALIC, DRAGO 11:50 2 1/3       1 1   1 1 2   1   2
25 MARKOTA, DAMIR 25:18 23 6/7 2/3 5/7 2 2 4     1     1 5 26
45 BLUMS, JANIS 24:50 7 3/5 0/2 1/2       4 2 3   1 3 4 5
Team           3 3 6   2 1         7
Totals 225:00 82 23/33 6/20 18/25 10 17 27 11 7 21 5 2 17 28 89
        69.7% 30% 72%
Head coach: VIDORRETA, TXUS
Min: Minutes played; Pts: Points; 2FG M-A: 2-point Field Goals (Made-Attempted); 3FG M-A: 3-point Field Goals (Made-Attempted); FT M-A: Free Throws (Made-Attempted); Rebounds: O (Offensive), D (Defensive), T (Total); As: Assists; St: Steals; To: Turnovers; Bl: Blocks (Fv: In Favor / Ag: Against); Fouls: Cm (Commited), Rv (Received); PIR: Performance Index Rating
Spirou Basket
  Rebounds Blocks Fouls
# Player Min Pts 2FG 3FG FT O D T As St To Fv Ag Cm Rv PIR
5 JOHNSON, JERRY 37:20 12 4/7 1/3 1/2   1 1 3   3   2 1 3 7
6 BROYLES, DWAYNE 35:17 15 3/5 3/6   1 2 3 1 6 4     3 2 15
7 HAMILTON, JUSTIN 39:10 17 3/3 2/4 5/8 1 3 4 5 3       5 5 24
8 BARAC, PANKRACIJE 3:43                   1     3   -4
9 TABU, JONATHAN 24:50 3 1/5 0/3 1/2 2 1 3 5 1 4   1 3 1 -3
10 RIDDICK, ANDRE 19:41 6 3/5               1 1   5   -1
11 WILKINSON, WES 5:28           1 1           2   -1
12 MASSOT, SACHA 28:38 9 3/6 1/2 0/2 4 5 9 2 3     1 1 1 16
13 LALIC, JURE 10:34 4 1/1   2/2           2     1 3 4
14 MATELA, LEN 20:19 12 6/8       3 3   2 2 1 1 4 1 10
15 MAJOR, GERRIT DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Team           2   2   3 2         3
Totals 225:00 78 24/40 7/18 9/16 10 16 26 16 18 19 2 5 28 16 70
        60% 38.9% 56.3%
Head coach: ANZULOVIC, DRAZEN

Head Coaches

VIDORRETA, TXUS
iurbentia Bilbao
"We faced a rival who put a lot more pressure on us than it did in Charleroi, and that caused us to commit errors at the start of the game. In the third quarter, when we were four points ahead, we gave life to Spirou by committing more errors in decisive moments. We achieved a hard-fought victory in the end that adds value to the won we achieved in Charleroi. I am very satisfied despite the errors that almost cost us the game. Now, we depend on ourselves to make it to Turin, and we want to make it happen as soon as possible, in Germany next week against Artland, so that we don't have to suffer through another game like today's when we play Lietuvos Rytas the following week."
ANZULOVIC, DRAZEN
Spirou Basket
"We played a much better game than the one we played in Belgium, but we made a lot of mistakes that I don't want to call stupid, but still the cost us the game because they let iurbentia Bilbao come back when it was having a lot of trouble. We will search for our opportunity to make the Final Eight next week in Lithuania. If we are at the same level we played at today, I believe we can achieve it."
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