Pinar Karsiyaka claims Last 32 spot by beating Buducnost

The trio of Jon Diebler, Bobby Dixon and Juan Palacios combined for 52 points as Pinar Karsiyaka Izmir topped Buducnost VOLI Podgorica 86-78 to clinch a spot in the Eurocup Last 32. Karsiyaka improved to 5-2 in Group F, while dropping Buducnost to 2-5. It was Karsiyaka’s second win this season over the Montenegrin champs. The game came down to a series of runs. Baris Hersek scored 8 in a 12-0 first-quarter run that gave the hosts the lead for good. It reached 15 in the second quarter as the hosts stayed in total control until Suad Sehovic took charge and keyed a 3-14 start to the fourth quarter to bring Buducnost within 69-67. But Karsiyaka turned to Dixon who scored 7 in an 11-0 run that wrapped up the outcome. Diebler finished with 18 points and Dixon and Palacios had 17 each; Dixon also dishe d6 assists for Karsiyaka. Sehovic tallied 20 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists for Buducnost, while Vladimir Dasic and Bojan Subotic added 12 points apiece.

Sehovic and D.J strawberry traded threes to start the scoring before the visitors jumped ahead 5-9 on the former’s free throws. Karsiyaka took over from that point with a 12-0 run; Hersek scored 8 points to lead the run. Sehovic revived Buducnost with 3 free throws, but Diebler sank a triple before Palacios gave the hosts a 22-12 lead after 10 minutes. Nikola Ivanovic scored a three-point play and then a three-pointer to close the gap to 23-18. Triples by Dasic and Aleeksa Popovic kept Buducnost in the picture at 29-24. Karsiyaka pushed ahead to a 10-point lead on a Mutlu Demir free throw. Omar Cook scored his first points for Buducnost from the charity stripe only to see Demir put Karsiyaka up 40-30. Yunus Sonsirma added a three and Diebler free throws to extend the lead to 15. Cook free throws left the score at 45-32 at halftime.

A pair of threes from Subotic and another from JR Reynolds carried Buducnost within 48-41 early in the second half. Cedmoir Vitkovac’s unsportsmanlike foul on Hersek gav the momentum back to the hosts and a Dixon three put the hosts up 13. Sehovic and Dixon traded threes and Diebler and Cook did the same. After Diebler’s third three of the quarter, Subotic scored twice to bring his team within 10, but a Kenny Gabriel triple made it 66-53 through three quarters. A three-point play by Dasic and Subotic bucket inside made it an 8-point game. A determined Sehovic pushed the visitors with a layup, an assist to Dasic and a three to draw his team within 69-67. Baskets by Diebler and Palacios protected the Karsiyaka lead and Dixon hit a jumper and then 2 free throws to put the hosts up 77-70. A Gabriel dunk and Dixon triple capped an 11-0 run that sealed the outcome with just over a minute to go. Buducnost had a late flurry to close the gap, but the result was no longer in doubt.