Mazeika leads OT charge as Neptunas tops Oktyabr

Martynas Mazeika scored 7 points in an 11-0 run in overtime as Neptunas Klaipeda overcame Krasny Oktyabr Volgograd 99-90 in Group F on Wednesday. The victory was Neptunas’s first as it improved to 1-2, which is the same record Oktyabr now has. Daniel Ewing scored 22 points and dished 5 assists to lead the winning attack. Travis Bader scored 17 of 5-of-7 three-point shooting, while Donatas Zavackas added 15 points and Mazeika 13. JaJuan Johnson led the Oktyabr offense with 22 points and 13 rebounds, Jordan Hamilton scored 21 – including a put-back at the end of regulation to force overtime, Tony Mitchell added 16, R.T. Guinn 14 and D.J. Cooper amassed 13 points, 8 rebounds and 10 assists.

Arvydas Siksnius started things right for Neptunas with a three-pointer, but Johnson responded with a basket-plus-foul to keep things even. Johnson added a shot from behind the arc, however Zavackas’s jumped soon pushed the hosts ahead 7-6. The lead changed hands on three successive possessions until Hamilton scored twice to lift Oktyabr to a 9-14 advantage. A triple by Bader and an Arnas Butkevicius jumper made it 16-17 after 10 minutes. Guinn opened the second quarter with a three, but Bader’s second shot from downtown soon had Neptunas up 21-20. Bader went off for three more triples in the span of 90 seconds to help the hosts grab a 32-26 advantage. Hamilton scored twice to bring the visitors back within 36-35. The teams proceeded to trade shots until a triple by Guinn made it 43-42 at the break.

Cooper’s three-pointer tied the game at 45-45 just two minutes into the second half. Ewing got going with a jumper, a three and a free throw for a 52-47 lead, but Guinn and Hamilton quickly stormed back to within 1. Ewing did not cool down as the hosts pulled away to 59-52, though Hamilton and Johnson kept Oktyabr within striking distance. Mindaugas Girdziunas nailed a three for a 65-58 Neptunas advantage through three quarters. Mitchell heated up with baskets on three straight possessions to bring Oktyabr within 67-66 three minutes into the fourth quarter. A put-back by Guinn completed the comeback as Neptunas had been held scoreless for four full minutes. Ewing revived the hosts with a basket-plus-foul, however Cooper’s basket and assist to Mitchell for a three made it 70-75. Ewing tied things at 77-77 with a minute to go in regulation and Zavackas nailed a three for a 1-point lead with 30 seconds left. Neptunas denied Mitchell and Cooper on the ensuing possession, but Ewing split free throws with 8 seconds to go. Mitchell shot for the win and even though he missed, Hamilton was there with the put-back to tie the game at 81-81 and force overtime.

The teams remained neck and neck in the extra session until Viacheslav Zaytsev’s free throws gave Oktyabr an 86-88 edge. A Mazeika three-pointer triggered an 11-0 run in which Mazeika totaled 7 points and Oktyabr was left without an answer as the hosts ran away with the win.