Budivelnik edges Banvit in decisive thriller

In a decisive thriller that went down to the last shot, Budivelnik Kiev took a crucial step to reach the Eurocup eighthfinals in Last 32 Group M by edging Banvit Bandirma 60-59 in the Ukrainian capital on Wednesday. Budivelnik improved to 3-2 and will make it to the next round if it beats Union Olimpija Ljubljana on the road next week. Banvit dropped to 2-3 and can only qualify if it beats Hapoel Migdal Jerusalem and Olimpija downs Budivelnik. Janis Strelnieks paced the winners with 13 points. DaJuan Summers added 10 for Budivelnik. E.J. Rowland led Banvit with 16 points. Sammy Mejia added 14 while Keith Simmons had 10 for the guests. Rowland and Ermal Kuqo shined early to give Banvit a 4-9 lead. Strelnieks and Summers fueled an 8-0 run that gave Budivelnik its first lead, 17-13. Artur Drozdov and Blake Ahearn struck from downtown in a 10-0 run that boosted Budivelnik's lead to 27-16 early in the second quarter. Simmons and Rowland brought Banvit within 32-28 but Strelnieks nailed a triple for a 35-28 Budivelnik lead at halftime. Mejia and Chuck Davis led Banvit's comeback, bringing the guests within 48-45 after 30 minutes. A three-pointer by Simmons put Banvit back ahead, 56-59, in the next-to-last minute. Darjus Lavrinovic made free throws and a jumper by Minard allowed Budivelnik to win the game, as Mejia missed the game-winning shot for Banvit at the buzzer.

Kuqo got Banvit going with a layup and fed Cehver Ozer for his first basket. Strelnieks and Drozdov stepped up for Budivelnik but Rowland and Erkan Veyseloglu kept Banvit ahead, 4-9. Minard shined with a three-point play and Lavrinovic added a put-back basket but Rowland gave the guests a 9-13 lead. Strelnieks and Summers fueled an 8-0 run that put Budivelnik ahead, 17-13. Rowland and Drozdov traded triples for a 20-16 score after 10 minutes. Back-to-back layups by Michailis Ansimov and Lavrinovic forced Banvit to call timeout at 24-16. A three-pointer by Ahearn made it a double-digit game, 27-16, after a 10-0 Budivelnik run. Simmons took over with 6 unanswered points but Ahearn followed a triple with a layup to give Budivelnik fresh air at 32-23. Kuqo scored again and got help from Rowland and Veyseloglu to bring Banvit within 32-28. Strelnieks buried a three-pointer to give the hosts a 35-28 edge at halftime.

Summers hit a jumper after the break and a dunk by Drozdov restored a 39-28 Budivelnik lead. Rowland tried to change things with a layup and a dunk by Davis gave Banvit hope at 39-32. Summers hit a jumper but Mejia stepped up with consecutive layups and Simmons soon brought Banvit even closer, 41-37. Budivelnik went scoreless for more than 3 minutes until Summers found space for a layup. Strelnieks added free throws but a three-pointer by a red hot Mejia and a layup-plus-foul by Davis brought Banvit as close as 45-43. Free throws by Anisimov gave Budivelnik a 48-45 edge after 30 minutes. Aniismov scored again but Davis and Rowland made it a one-point game, 50-49, with 7 minutes left. Minard and Kuqo traded baskets and Strelnieks made Banvit call timeout at 54-51. Mejia tied the game with a three-pointer and even when Summers scored again, Rowland and Simmons completed the guests' comeback, 56-59, with 1:05 left. Lavrinovic made free throws and a jumper by Minard put Budivelnik back ahead, 60-59, with 15 seconds left. Banvit had a chance to win the game but Mejia missed around the basket at the buzzer.