Dominion Bilbao Basket wins in Munich to shake up Group G

Dominion Bilbao Basket edged FC Bayern Munch 88-90 to deny the home team a ticket to the eighthfinals – at least for now. Dominion BB improved to 2-2, but was unable to claim a potential tiebreak advantage over Bayern, which also won by 2 when they met last week in Bilbao. Bayern is tied with Banvit Bandirma atop the group at 3-1. The hosts rallied from 13 down in the fourth quarter to tie it in the final minute, but Alex Mumbru scored the go ahead basket with 30.6 seconds left and after Bayern missed its next 2 shots, Dairis Bertans iced the win from the line. Bertans finished with 24 points on 4-of-4 three-point shooting and Mumbru scored 22 to lead the winners. Axel Hervelle added 10 points and Giorgos Bogris posted 9 points and 10 rebounds. Alex Renfroe paced Bayern with 23 points and Paul Zipser added a career-high 22; each only missed 1 shot! Justin Cobbs and Nihad Djedovic added 13 each in defeat.

Dominion started strong with back-to-back Bertans triples and a Dejan Todorovic basket to lead 0-8. After Anton Gavel split free throws for Bayern’s maiden point, Bertans fed Mumbru for a 9-point lead. It didn’t take long for Bayern to race back; Deon Thompson scored twice in an 8-0 run to bring the hosts within 11-12. Zipser gave Bayern its first lead, 15-14, and added another score plus a triple for a 21-17 advantage after 10 minutes. Djedovic started the second quarter with a three before Cobbs’s basket-plus-foul gave the home team a double-digit advantage, 27-17. Mumbru and Bertans revived Dominion. John Bryant scored 5 quick points to keep the hosts in control at 34-26, midway through the quarter. The visitors used threes from Mumbru and Axel Hervelle with 3 Clevin Hannah free throws in between to tie it at 37-37. After Dusko Savanovic and Zipser restored the Bayern lead, Alex Suarez became the fifth Dominion player to make a three when he closed the gap to 41-40 at the break.

Gavel opened the second half with a three-pointer and Renfroe’s three-point play put the hosts up 5. But after Suarez sank a three, Mumbru tied that game at 47-47 and Bogris free throws put the men in black ahead. Cobbs tied It only to see Mumbru and Bertans drill triples. Zipser fought back to bring the hosts within 1, however Bogis, Bertans and Alex Ruoff led a 0-7 charge for a 56-64 Dominion advantage through three quarters. Zipser had Bayern within 4 in the first minute for the fourth quarter. A put-back by Bogris and a Dejan Todorovic triple gave the visitors more breathing room. Hervelle helped Dominion pull away with 5 points to make it 65-78 midway through the quarter. Zipser and Renfroe led the Bayern charge, but they alone were not enough. Just when it seemed all was lost, Zipser’s bucket was followed by back-to-back Djedovic threes to make it 81-83 inside the final minute. Bertans split free throws and Cobbs’ tied it with a basket-plus-foul. Mumbru scored inside for an 84-86 Dominion lead with 30.6 seconds to play. Bayern missed its next two shots and Bertans made it a two-possession game with free throws with 11.2 seconds remaining. Renfroe again drew Bayern within 2, but Bertans iced it from the line.