Game-hero Echenique wins a thriller for Ostend

Gregory Echenique made last-second free throws, lifting Telenet Ostend to a dramatic 84-82 win over Artland Dragons Quackenbrueck and improving its chances to advance to the Last 32. The Belgian champ moved to 4-4 in the third place of Group B standings, while Dragons are eliminated as they dropped to 1-7. The visitors spent most of three quarter with the lead, but four consecutive triples to start the fourth quarter, two by Quentin Serron, put Ostend up 72-69. The game went down to the wire, and with score tied at 82-82 both teams had multiple possessions to go in front, but it was Echenique who fought hard on the offensive glass and got the foul line to win it for the hosts. Serron finished with 20 points, John Prince netted 18 on 4 of 5 from three-point range, and game- hero Echenique had 10 points and 6 rebounds. Dusan Djordjevic had 9 points and 7 assists in victory, while Anthony King scored 14 for the Dragons. Dennis Horner and Antonio Graves scored 12 apiece in defeat.

Brandon Thomas hit back-to-back from long range in an early 0-11 run that put the Dragons up 7-15. Horner and Prince traded triples, and Pierre-Antoine Gillet had a put-back to cut into the deficit, but King made sure the visitors remain in front 19-24 after the first quarter. King scored 8 more points to start the second, and extend the lead to 25-33, but Prince nailed three three-pointers, and had a fastbreak dunk during a 13-2 run for 38-35. But Artland Dragons had a strong finish to the half, with layups from Thomas and Horner, and the team going 6 of 6 from the foul line for 42-47 halftime lead.

Wes Wilkinson and Serron helped Ostend re-take the lead at the start of the third. The visitors answered with three-pointers from David Holston and Graves, but Serron and Prince got Ostend back in front, 54-53. Basket were few and far between, with Horner making a basket-plus-free throw for the visitors, and Holston hit a jumper, then added a last-second triple to make it 59-65 after three quarters. Gillet started the fourth with a triple for the hosts, Serron followed with a pair, and Wilkinson also hit from long range for 72-69. The visitors quickly recovered, Lawrence Hill had a dunk, before Bastian Doreth and Graves hit three-pointers for 78-77. A basket-plus-foul from Andreas Seiferth put the visitors in front, but Echenique tied it at 82-82 from close range with under 2 minutes to go, before the same player caught an offensive rebound, drew a foul, and sank both free throws in the final second of the game, winning it for Ostend.