Bilbao defeats Oldenburg, advances to Last 32

Dominion Bilbao Basket advanced to the Last 32 after pulling out 73-68 win over the visiting EWE Baskets Oldenburg on Wednesday night. It is fourth straight win for Bilbao which improved to 6-2 in a share of the first place of Group A with Dolomiti Energia Trento. Meanwhile, Oldenburg holds 3-5 record in a share of the fourth place. It looked like Bilbao was in control, holding 64-48 lead late in the third quarter, but the visitors replied with a 2-20 spurt that bridged third and fourth quarters, re-taking the lead. But Bilbao scored the last 7 points of the contest, and advanced to the next round as Dairis Bertans led the way with 15 points. Alex Mumbru and Raul Lopez scored 12 apiece, while Giorgos Bogris amassed 9 points and 14 rebounds. Vaughn Duggins scored 18 for the visitors, Brian Qvale had 17, while Rickey Paulding added 12 in defeat.

Qvale opened the game with 6 straight points, and a three-point play from Paulding made it 2-9. Bilbao got it going through Mumbru, who was all over the place, and strung together 6 points to tie it at 12-12. Duggins replied, scoring 7 points in a short span for the visitors, and a basket from Robin Smeulders gave them 15-23, but Bilbao scored last five points of the first, and first seven to open the second quarter, with Dejan Todorovic and Alex Ruoff each contributing with 5 points, 27-23. Klemen Prepelic hit a triple to snap a 12-0 run, and after Bertans and Chris Kramer traded threes, Paulding’s triple gave Oldenburg 30-34. Mumbru answered from downtown himself, but Paulding and Smeulders made sure Oldenburg goes into the break with 37-40 margin.

Bilbao erased the deficit quickly, as a triple from Lopez made it 45-44. Lopez and Todorovic extended the run, before Bogris and Bertans helped Bilbao to 54-47. A three-pointer from Bertans extended the margin to 57-47, before more baskets from Bogris and Todorovic, and a triple from Clevin Hannah opened 64-48 in the final minute of the third quarter. Duggins finished the quarter with a three-point play, snapping a 22-4 spurt, but also starting a big Oldenburg run. The visitors scored first 9 points of the fourth, and Qvale strung together 9 points, then added a put-back during a 2- 17 run that put Oldenburg in front 66-68 on a fastbreak basket from Duggins. Mumbru ended the hosts’ drought with a three-pointer, and Ruoff scored a second-chance basket to make it 71-68. Bilbao made a pair of defensive stands, and Lopez made free throws to seal the victory.