Stelmet Zielona Gora came from a 15-point deficit to shock Cajasol Seville 81-85 on Tuesday night. Although both teams had already been eliminated from quarterfinals contention, the victory improved Zielona Gora to 2-3 and secured them third place in Group K, while Cajasol remained winless in the Last 16. The hosts led by as many as 31-16 in the second quarter, but Walter Hodge rallied Zielona Gora for a 3-14 run that bridged the halves and tied it the score at 43-43. Zielona Gora did not lead until midway through the fourth quarter, however, and finished the game with a 0-9 run to complete its comeback. Hodge had another brilliant performance, scoring 31 points en route to victory. Oliver Stevic scored 18 points and grabbed 7 rebounds, while Dejan Borovnjak collected 11 points plus 7 boards. John Holland netted 15 for Cajasol, Brian Asbury scored 12, Beka Burjanadze 11 and Luka Bogdanovic 10 in defeat.
Cajasol started the game on a 9-0 run as Holland, Bogdanovic and Roderick Blakney all hit three-pointers. After Kamil Chanas opened visitors' account, Borovnjak got Zielona Gora going from inside the paint, although Holland and Juan Jose Triguero kept Seville’s margin in double figures. The visitors came within 6 points after a basket-plus-foul from Stevic, but Burjanadze sunk a triple at the end of the first quarter for a 26-16 Seville advantage. Joan Sastre's three early in the second quarter capped a 10-1 run for the hosts’ biggest lead of the night, 31-16. Hodge, though, had his engines started on the other end, stringing together 11 points, including 2 three-pointers that brought Zielona Gora within 37-29. Holland answered with a triple, but Lukasz Seweryn hit twice from downtown and a dunk from Stevic cut the margin to 3 points before teams went into halftime at 43-39.
Zielona Gora continued its run at the start of the third quarter as Borovnjak and Stevic tied up, 43-43. Cajasol went back in front 55-48 with Sastre first hitting a triple then converting a basket-plus-free throw, while Ondrej Bank made couple of dunks. But the visitors answered with a 0-7 run for another tie. After Holland helped Seville end the third quarter up 61-58, Burjanadze sunk back-to-back triples in the first minute of the fourth for 67-58 Seville advantage. Hodge, however, scored 7 points in a 0-11 run that gave Zielona Gora its first lead of the night, 67-69. Cajasol re-took the lead with triples from Holland and Bogdanovic, and buckets from Asbury made the difference 5 points again. But Zielona Gora finished the game on a 0-9 run. Hodge and Stevic came up with key layups, steals and offensive rebounds, before Marcin Sroka scored inside for an 81-82 lead with 66 seconds remaining. The visitors held the lead the rest of the way as Hodge and Seweryn sealed the deal from the free throw line.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Eurocupbasketball.com