ratiopharm Ulm advanced to the Last 16 after storming back from a 24-point third-quarter deficit to beat Cibona Zagreb 81-86 on Wednesday night in the Croatian capital. The victory coupled with Cholet Basket’s loss to Spartak St. Petersburg lifted Ulm into second place in Group G and Last 16 Group L together with Crvena Zveda Belgrade, Unics Kazan and Lokomotiv Kuban. It was all Cibona after a 13-0 start to the second half made it 61-37, but Ulm rallied, first with a 12-0 push highlighted by a pair of Per Guenther threes to get within 12 entering the fourth quarter. Then 9 more unanswered points brough Ulm within striking distance. Cibona wilted in the final minutes and Steven Esterkamp iced the historic Ulm victory from the line. Esterkamp paced the winners with 15 points, Allan Ray, John Bryant and Lance Jeter added 12 apiece and Keaton Nankivil added 10. Tomislav Zubcic led Cibona with 21 points, Davor Kus added 20, Justin Hamilton 12 and D.J. Strawberry 10 in defeat.

The game was tight early and Kus knotted the score at 9-9 with a three-pointer, but back-to-back triples by Esterkamp and Ray put Ulm on top. Cibona took charge soon after. Strawberry and Zubcic highlighted a 14-0 Cibona run – which also included Dario Saric’s first Eurocup points – as the hosts soared to 25-17. Ulm closed the gap on a pair of threes by Nankivil and Jeter to make it 27-23 after 10 minutes. Phillipp Schwethelm carried the visitors within 2. Little changed during three scoreless minutes before Strawberry lifted Cibona to 31-25. Bryant and Esterkamp tried to ignite Ulm, however Kus heated up and then passed the baton to Zubcic, whose triple in the closing seconds of the half put Cibona ahead 48-37.

Cibona came out for the second half more determined. Zubcic scored first, but the game really swung in Cibona’s favor after a technical foul on Bryant left the Ulm center with 4 fouls early in the third quarter. Justin Hamilton and Kus added free throws and soon Hamilton capped a 13-0 start to the half for a 24-point lead. With its back to the wall, Ulm kept fighting and a pair of Guenther threes fueled a 0-12 Ulm charge to make it 63-51. Zubcic rescued Cibona and before long Strawberry had the hosts up 71-53. Daniel Theis and Nankivil made it 71-57 through three quarters. A determined Ulm clawed its back at the start of the fourth quarter. Jeter and Schwethelm each had 4 points in a 0-9 push. Bryant matched Kus free throws with a tip-in and Jeter made it 73-72 with four minutes to go. A steal by reserve Sebastian Bets led to a Dane Watts layup and an almost unthinkable Ulm lead, 73-74, after the team trailed since the opening quarter. Hamilton briefly put Cibona back on top with 2 free throws, but Bryant inside and Jeter outside made it 75-79. Hamilton countered, but Betz’s first points – a triple with 40 seconds to go – extended to lead to 5. Strawberry missed a hurried three and Esterkamp helped seal the win – and with it a ticket to the Last 16 – with 4 free throws in the final 30 seconds.