Ludwigsburg downs Venice, gets first-ever Last 32 win

MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg registered its first-ever Eurocup Last 32 win by downing Umana Reyer Venice 94-84 at home in Group L on Wednesday. Venice, Ludwigsburg and Stelmet Zielona Gora all have a 1-2 record in Group L, two wins behind undefeated leader Zenit St. Petersburg. Tekele Cotton led the winners with 17 points. Jon Brockman added 16 on 8-of-10 two-point shots, Kerron Johnson had 14 while Jason Boone got 11 for Ludwigsburg. Josh Owens led Venice with 17 points on 8-of-8 two-point shots. Mike Green added 16, Tomas Ress had 15, Mike Bramos got 13 while Phillip Goss contributed 11 for the guests. Bramos and Green shined early to give Venice a double-digit lead, 11-21. Brockman and Tekele Cotton helped Ludwigsburg get within 18-23 after 10 minutes. Owens, Green and Benjamin Ortner allowed the guests to stay ahead until halftime but a triple by Shawn Huff brought Ludwigsburg as close as 44-45 at the break. Venice led throughout the third quarter but the hosts found a go-to guy in Jason Boone, who had 6 unanswered points to give his team a 66-64 edge after 30 minutes. Cotton and Johnson took over early in the fourth quarter to boost Ludwigsburg's lead to 80-73 with over 4 minutes left. A three-pointer by Cotton sealed the outcome, 86-77, as Venice never recovered.

Brockman got Ludwigsburg going with a tip-in and got help from Johnson to give the hosts an early 6-2 lead. Bramos struck from downtown and an off-balance basket by Ress soon gave Venice its first lead, 6-7. Johnson kept pacing Ludwigsburg with a tip-in but Bramos hit a triple from the right corner. Green made free throws and even when Alvaro Muñoz downed a triple, Owens and Bramos allowed Venice to get an 11-17 edge. Mike Green swished a mid-range jumper and added free throws to make it a double-digit game, 11-21. Brockman scored down low and Johnson bettered Owens's jump hook with a three-point play. A fast break layup by Cotton brought Ludwigsburg even closer, 18-23, after 10 minutes. Brockman hit a running jumper early in the second quarter but Michele Ruzzier did better with a three-pointer. Cotton answered from downtown and Adam Waleskowski kept Ludwigsburg within 25-26. Ress joined the three-point shootout and soon made free throws but Waleskowski and Brockman kept the hosts within 29-32. Ortner found his first points and erased Brad Loesing's corner triple with a layup-plus-foul. Loesing insisted from downtown, Green answered with a floater and Ortner made the hosts call timeout at 35-41. Royce O'nealy and Brockman shined with consecutive put-back baskets and free throws by Cotton kept Ludwigsburg within 41-45. Huff nailed a three-pointer to fix the halftime score at 44-45.

Ress nailed another three-pointer soon after the break. Waleskowski scored down low and Johnson added free throws but back-to-back triples by Goss boosted Venice's lead to 48-54. Brockman stepped up with consecutive baskets which Cotton followed with a jumper for a 54-56 Ludwigsburg deficit. Goss sank another one from beyond the arc and Green restored a 54-60 Venice edge. Huff buried a turnaround jumper and Boone added a layup but Bramos gave the guests a 58-62 lead. O'Nealy stepped up with a quick basket and even when Ruzzier made free throws, 6 unanswered points by Boone allowed Ludwigsburg to get a 66-64 edge after 30 minutes. Boone scored again early in the fourth quarter and free throws by Cotton made it a six-point game, 70-64. Owens silenced the crowd with a huge dunk and matched Loesing's off-balance shot with a layup for a 72-68 Venice deficit. Green and Rocky Trice made free throws and Owens made it a one-point game, 74-73, with over 6 minutes left. Johnson sank 3-of-3 foul shots and Cotton swished a corner triple to make Venice call timeout at 80-73. Green stepped up for the guests with 4 quick points but Huff and Cotton buried back-to-back triples to seal the outcome, 86-77. Ress hit free throws but all Ludwigsburg fans had plenty of time to celebrate a historical win!