Logan, Varnado lead Sassari to home win

Dinamo Banco di Sardegna Sassari improved its chances to make it to the elimination series in Last 32 Group N by downing Szolnoki Olaj 90-74 at home on Wednesday. Sassari, Galatasaray Odeabank Istanbul and CAI Zaragoza all have a 3-2 record in Group N with one game left to play. Sassari visits Galatasaray in a do-or-die battle to make it to the next round - Sassari needs a win to qualify. Szolnoki dropped to 1-4 and mathematically ran out of chances to go through. David Logan led the winners with 21 points. Joe Alexander added 19, Jarvis Varnado had 16, Brent Petway got 12 while Tony Mitchell contributed 10 for Sassari. Stanley Burrell led Szolnoki with 23 points while David Logan added 16. Logan and Alexander shined early and a dunk by Varnado made Szolnoki stop the game at 14-6. Burrell tried to change things for Szolnoki but an alleyoop slam by Petway kept Sassari way ahead, 24-13, after 10 minutes. Logan stayed unstoppable early in the second quarter but Jarrod Jones and Vojvoda brought the guests within 42-36 at halftime. Vojovoda and Burrell kept Szolnoki within 61-56 after 30 minutes but Rok Stipcevic, Alexander and Petway took over early in the fourth quarter to make Sassari seal the outcome, 75-60, long before the final buzzer.

It took Peter Kovacs 2 seconds to get Szolnoki going with a layup. Alexander shined with an alleyoop layup which Logan followed with a fast break slam for a 4-2 lead. Alexander scored down low, as Szolnoki kept missing shots against Sassari's great defense, led by Varnado. Logan struck from downtown to cap a 9-0 run, as Milos Borisov stopped it with a jumper. Burrell nailed a six-meter shot that a red hot bettered with his second triple. A wild dunk by Varnado made Szolnoki stop the game at 14-6. Burrell tried to change things for the guests but a three-point play by Mitchell kept Sassari way ahead, 17-9. Burrell scored again, Petway nailed one from beyond the arc and a layup by Alexander made it a double-digit game, 22-11. An alleyoop dunk by Petway fixed the score at 24-13 after 10 minutes. Goran Vrbanc and Logan traded three-pointers early in the second quarter. Vrbanc downed a mid-range jumper and an unstoppable Burrell struck from downtown to keep Szolnoki within 27-21. Giac DeVecchi joined the three-point shootout and so did Burrell and Logan for a 33-24 score. Boris scored down low and another off-balance triple by Logan forced the guests to call timeout at 36-26. Jones nailed a jumper, Logan and Varnado made free throws but a jumper by Vrbanc kept the guests within 40-30. Jones scored down low and Vojvoda found his first points to bring Szolnoki even closer, 40-34. Krisztian Wittmann scored in peneration but free throws by Rok Stipcevic restored a 42-36 Sassari lead at halftime.

Vojvoda scored around the basket soon after the break but Alexander answered with a mid-range jumper. Vojvoda kept pacing Szolnoki with free throws and a one-handed floater that made it a two-point game, 44-42. Alexander rescued Sassari with a dunk and Varnado copied him right after that for a 48-42 lead. Vojvoda nailed an eight-meter triple off the dribble, Varnado answered with a jump hook and a three-point play by Alexander gave the hosts fresh air at 53-46. Burrell nailed a three-pointer but Logan and Alexander made free throws for a 57-50 score. Burrell hit foul shots, Mitchell and Matteo Formenti split attempts and Alexander restored a 61-52 Sassari lead. Wittmann scored again and a dunk by Dino Gregory brought Szolnoki within 61-56 after 30 minutes. Stipcevic nailed a triple early in the fourth quarter and fed Mitchell for an alleyoop slam that made Szolnoki call timeout at 66-56. Petway shined with a three-point play, Jones and Alexander traded mid-range jumpers and free throws by Akos Keller gave the guests hope at 71-60. Sassari improved its defense and Petway stepped up with a jump hook and a wild alleyoop slam that sealed the outcome, 75-60. Szolnoki never gave up but all Sassari fans had plenty of time to celebrate a big win.