Stipcevic, Rome rally past Krasny Oktyabr in OT

Virtus Rome rallied from an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit to upend Krasny Oktyabr Volgograd 86-88 after overtime on Wednesday in Group I. Rome now controls its own destiny and will reach the eighthfinals if it wins next week or if Cedevita defeats CAI Zaragoza later Wednesday. A pair of late Melvin Ejim threes helped Rome rally in the fourth quarter and Bobby Jones’s three-point play tied the game. Cuthbert Victor missed a chance to win it late for the hosts. Then Rok Stipcevic came up with 5 key points late in the overtime session and Krasny Oktyabr was unable to respond in time. Stipcevic missed just 2 shots en route to 19 points for the winners. Jones finished with 18 points and 8 rebounds, Kyle Gibson scored 15 and Jordan Morgan 14. Lamont Hamilton paced the Oktyabr attack with 24 points, Victor scored 18 on 4-of-4 three-point shooting, Donnie McGrath tallied 17 points and 9 assists and Randy Culpepper finished with 14 points in defeat.

Stipcevic’s triple gave the visitors a 0-5 start, but McGrath hit back-to-back three-pointers and Culpepper added 7 points in Oktyabr’s 13-0 response. Brandon Triche and Stipcevic closed the gap to 2 points. McGrath free throws and a Triche jumper ended the first quarter at 18-15. Artem Komissarov three-point play protected the Oktyabr cushion. Morgan scored twice to draw Rome within 28-26, but McGrath nailed his third three of the game late in the quarter and Komissarov converted another basket-plus-foul for a 39-31 halftime advantage.

Hamilton gave the hosts a 10-point lead with the first basket of the second half. The lead reached 11 several times; Jones scored 5 in a row to bring Rome within 49-43, but back-to-back threes by Hamilton and Victor soon boosted Oktyabr’s lead to 14. Rome benefitted from threes by Gibson and Stipcevic to get back in the game. Gibson brought Rome within 6 before Romeo Travis split free throws to end the third quarter at 59-52. After a Victor triple and McGrath layup, it was 66-55. Jones capped a 0-6 Rome spurt, but McGrath’s triple made it 69-61 with five minutes remaining in regulation. Back-to-back threes by Ejim and Gibson followed by an Ejim jumper tied the score. Hamilton gave the hosts a 74-71 edge inside the final minute, but Jones managed to tie the game with a basket-plus-foul and Victor missed a chance to win it at the end of regulation.

Morgan’s layup to start the overtime scoring gave Rome its first lead since the opening minutes. Moragn added free throws and Lorenzo D’Ercole scored in transition for a 75-80 cushion. Jones nailed a three for a promising 6-point lead, but back-to-back triples by Victor tied the game at 83-83 with 33 seconds to go. Stipcevic nailed a clutch three before trading free throws with Culpepper. The Oktyabr guard went to the line down 3 in the closing seconds, but missed the first and made the second allowing Rome to return home victorious.