Ognjen Askrabic scored 15 points to lead Triumph Lyubertsy to a key 75-65 win over visiting KK Buducnost in the Group E top-class match on Tuesday. Triumph now sits alone atop the Group E table with 5-1 record, while Montenegrin champion Buducnost falls to second place at 4-2. The game was closer than the finals core would indicate, as the visitors led 29-38 late in the second period. Triumph came back in the third period, but Buducnost was still ahead by 1 point heading into the fourth quarter. However Fedor Dmitriev, Terrell Lyday and Mire Chatman authored an 8-0 run to give Triumph a 68-58 lead that would hold up till the end. Uros Slokar added 14 points for Triumph and Lyday 12, while Chatman collected 11 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists for Triumph. Nemanja Gordic led Buducnost with 16 points, Vladimir Micov set a double-double of 12 points and 12 rebounds while Ivan Maras and Vladislav Dragoljovic contributed with 11 points apiece.

A mid-range jumper from Gordic gave Buducnost a slim 8-9 advantage, but Igor Zamanskiy fueled the hosts, converting an offensive rebound to stay in front, 13-11. The match remained balanced, as Nikola Otasevic’s steal and fastbreak made it 17-17. Dragoljovic fixed the scoreboard on 18-19 for the visitors at the end of the first quarter. Lyday opened fire from downtown in the second quarter, but then a Micov three-point play of sparked a Buducnost surge, which saw the visitors go ahead 24-30 behind Ivan Maras. After Slokar and Bojan Bakic exchanged threes, Maras also hit from downtown to give Buducnost its biggest cushion, 29-38, with two minutes left till halftime. Chatman and Nikola Vasic highlighted a 6-0 run to cut the difference to 36-38 at halftime. A three-point play by Askrabic opened the third quarter and restored Triumph’s lead, which Vasic increased to 46-41. Gordic kept Buducnost close only to see Micov post back-to-back buckets to put Buducnost in front 49-50. Vasic answered from downtown, before Gordic made it 52-53 for the visitors after 30 minutes. Askrabic also started the last quarter on fire with 4 consecutive points. Gordic and Maras kept Buducnost on track, but Dmitriev, Lyday and Chatman authored an 8-0 run to give Triumph a 68-58 advantage. Buducnost did not give up, but despite a big effort from Gordic, Lyday and Zamanskiy scored from the foul line to seal the win for Triumph Lyubertsy.