Jones, Gibson star as Rome runs past Oktyabr

Virtus Rome started its Last 32 campaign with an impressive 82-66 home victory over Krasny Oktyabr Volgograd in Group I. Kyle Gibson led the way for Rome with 19 points while Bobby Jones scored 18 points. Rok Stipcevic and Maxime De Zeeuw both added 11 points for the winners. Krasny Oktyabr, which made just 2-of-19 three-pointers (10 percent), was paced by Romeo Travis’ 23 points and seven rebounds while Randy Culpepper chipped in 12 points.

Gibson scored the first four points of the game before Lamont Hamilton finally got the Russian side on the scoreboard after three minutes of play. Jones nailed a three-ball and Gibson scored another basket to push the margin to 9-2. Hamilton answered with a long-ball and Culpepper made it 9-7. The guests struggled offensively while Jones and Gibson both completed three-point plays and Melvin Ejim hit a three-pointer in a 13-1 run over the final five minutes to take a 22-8 lead after one quarter. Travis opened the scoring in the second quarter but Brandon Triche hit a triple and Jones scored to make it 27-10. After Travis scored two baskets to trim the gap to 27-14, De Zeeuw hit two threes and Daniele Sandri also connected from long range in a 12-2 surge for a 39-16 cushion. Culpepper stopped the run with two free throws and Hamilton and Artem Komissarov both made two free throws as well to get the deficit down to 39-22 at intermission.

Travis’ basket to open the second half had the gap down to 15 points. But De Zeeuw hit another three-ball and Gibson converted a three-point play and Ejim’s dunk made it 49-28 with six minutes left in the third quarter. Travis would not let Krasny Oktyabr go down without a fight, scoring six points in an 0-10 run to make it 49-38. And the advantage was only 53-44 after Cuthbert Victor put back his own miss and Culpepper made two free throws. But Jordan Morgan also hit two free throws and Triche knocked down a three-pointer late in the quarter for a 58-46 lead after 30 minutes. Travis started the fourth quarter with a three-point play only to see Stipcevic hit a three-ball. But Deandre Liggins followed with a triple to make it 61-52. Rome just had too many weapons as Jones and Gibson both hit three-balls in a 9-0 run for a 70-52 lead. Jones later hit back-to-back three-pointers and Virtus was up 76-56 with five minutes left. Krasny Oktyabr tried one more comeback with Donnie McGrath scoring four points and Culpepper scoring to make it 77-66 with 38 seconds remaining. But Stipcevic made five free throws down the stretch for the winning margin.