Ulm tops Spirou in overtime thriller

In a thriller than needed overtime to know its winner, ratiopharm Ulm registered a good-as-gold road win by downing Proximus Spirou Charleroi 80-86 at the Spiroudome on Wednesday. ulm stayed undefeated after 2 games, tying with three-time Eurocup champion Valencia Basket for first place in Group C. Spirou dropped to 0-2. Per Guenther and Augustin Rubit led the winners with 16 points apiece. Rubit added 10 rebounds for a double-double. DeAndre Kane and Raymar Morgan each added 15 for Ulm. Jimmy Baron led Spirou with 27 points. His brother Billy Baron added 14, Pavel Pumprla had 12 while Kevin Tumba got 11 and 10 rebounds for the hosts. Ulm led 20-23 but Jimmy Baron and Loic Schwartz fueled a 13-1 run which helped Spirou get a double-digit lead, 45-33, at halftime. Spirou still led 60-50 late in the third quarter but a 0-16 run which Salva Arco capped with a three-pointer gave Ulm a 60-66 lead. It went down to the wire, as a free throw by Kane tied the game and Billy Baron missed a shot from downtown at the end of regulation. Ulm improved its defense in overtime, as Kane and Guenther allowed the guests to get the win.

Jimmy Baron got Charleroi going with a three-pointer but Kane, Morgan and Rubit combined for all points in a 0-10 Ulm run. The Baron brothers rescued Spirou with 5 quick points but a three-point play by Morgan quickly restored an 8-15 Ulm lead. Jimmy Baron stayed unstoppable and Pumprla added consecutive baskets but Spirou did not get closer, as Guenther and Kane gave the guests a 14-21 margin. Pumprla and Billy Baron split free throws and back-to-back baskets by Jimmy Baron brought the hosts back to life, 20-23, after 10 minutes. Sacha Massot and Rubit traded baskets early in the second quarter and free throws by Arco restored a 22-27 Ulm lead. Seamus Boxley and a dunk by Michael Fusek allowed Spirou to get the crowd involved at 26-30. Ulm kept struggling to score while Jimmy Baron and Boxley completed the hosts' comeback, 34-31. Schwartz took over with an off-balance three-point play to cap a 13-1 run. Kane and Schwartz traded baskets and Jimmy Baron hit a close shot for a 41-33 Spirou lead. Billy and Jimmy Baron gave Spirou a 45-33 lead at halftime.

Guenther and Morgan stepped up for Ulm after the break and a three-pointer by Kane brought the guests within 47-42. Billy Baron connected with his brother Jimmy for another basket and a three-point play by Pumprla boosted Spirou's lead to 52-42. Spirou kept excelling on defense and running its offense through Jimmy Baron. Ulm called timeout at 56-42 and tried to ignite a comeback with a put-back basket by Rubit. he got help from Philipp Neumann and Da'Sean Butler, who gave Ulm hope at 58-50. Tumba scored around the basket but Guenther beat the buzzer with a wild three-pointer that kept Ulm within 60-53 after 30 minutes. Spirou struggled to score early in the fourth quarter. Meanwhile, David Brembly and Neumann fueled a 0-16 run which Arco capped with a three-pointer to give the guests a 60-66 margin. Tumba rescued Spirou with a three-point play and Billy Baron added a layup-plus-foul that brought the hosts back to life, 66-68. Boxley tied the game but Brembly and Guenther restored a 68-73 Ulm lead in the next-to-last minute. Morgan soon gave the guests a 71-75 lead but Billy Baron followed a triple with free throws and Pumprla scored off a steal for a 78-77 Spirou lead. Kane split free throws to tie the game and Billy Baron missed from downtown at the buzzer.

Rubit opened the extra period with free throws while Kane split attempts right before hitting a three-pointer which sealed the outcome, 78-84. Spirou needed more than 2 minutes to score until Tumba stepped up with a basket but Guenther erased it with free throws for an 80-86 lead. Ulm started to run the clock down by using long possessions, as Spirou missed its final 5 shots. After a great back-and-forth battle, Ulm went back home with a valuable road win.