Travis Diener hit a shot just before the buzzer as Dinamo Banco di Sardegna Sassari edged Elan Chalon sur Saone 80-82 for a key win on Tuesday. Win improves Sassari to 6-2 in at least a share of the first place in Group B, while Chalon drops to 3-5 and will be eliminated if Oldenburg wins (keeps slim chances of advancing). Sassari hit 11 of its 14 triples in the first two quarters, and held 46-54 halftime lead. Despite only 28 second-half points, the visitors held the lead until A.J. Slaughter tied it to 80-80 with 7 seconds remaining. After a timeout, though, Travis Diener sunk a game-winner to give a big boost to Sassari’s chances for the Last 32. Caleb Green scored 19 points, Drake Diener had 16, Omar Thomas netted 15, while Travis Diener finished with 13 points and 6 assists. Slaughter scored game-high 24 for Chalon, Kris Joseph netted 15, while Clint Capela collected 13 points plus 10 rebounds in defeat.

Caleb Green hit couple of triples for Sassari, but Joseph sunk a pair from downtown for Chalon and 8-8. The hosts converted 4 of the next 5 possessions, and with couple of baskets and an assists from Clint Capela took 16-12 lead, but back-to-back triples from Thomas and Caleb Green put Sassari up 18-20 before back-to-back three-pointers from Drake Diener helped make it 22-28 after 10 minutes. Manuel Vanuzzo continued the visitors’ three-point barrage at the start of the second quarter, hitting team’s seventh shot from downtown, before Thomas made basket-plus-foul and Brian Saccheti hit another triple, helping to 26-42. Chalon answered with 9 consecutive points, back-to-back threes from Joseph and Ilian Evtimov, before a basket-plus-foul from Capela. Sassari answered with back-to-back threes from Drake Diener and Caleb Green for 37-48, before Slaughter strung together 7 points, including a three-pointer. That got Chalon within 5 points, but Travis Diener ended the second quarter with Sassari’s 11th shot from long range for 46-54 halftime advantage. The margin was unchanged throughout the third quarter, as Sassari did not lead by more than 9 points. Baskets from Drake Diener and Caleb Green extended it to 50-59, but a dunk from Joseph and a triple from Steed Tchicamboud cut it to 57-62. The visitors held 61-66 after three quarter, and Travis Diener nailed a triple early in the fourth for 63-71. Baskets did not come often, A.J. Slaughter’s triple cut it to 3 points, and Tchicamboud also nailed a triple for Chalon, but a three from Marques Green and a basket-plus-foul from Caleb Green made it 71-77. The hosts found a way to get to the free throw line in the final minute, and with a dunk from Slaughter tie it 80-80 with 7 seconds to go. After a timeout, however, ball went to Travis Diener who’s shot gave the visitors win that get them on the verge of the next round.