Bizkaia Bilbao Basket became the first team to reach the 2010 Eurocup Quarterfinal when it downed Brose Baskets Bamberg 76-66 on Tuesday. Bilbao remained undefeated this season and improved to 4-0 in Group K, guaranteeing it at least second place in the group. Meanwhile Bamberg dropped to 1-3 and saw its chances of reaching the Quarterfinals suffer a blow. Brose Baskets hung around for a long time and tied the game at 48-48 late in the third quarter, but Bilbao went on an 11-0 charge that bridged the third and fourth quarters in which Chris Warren scored 5 points to take control for good. Marko Banic shook off a slow start to score some big baskets to wrap up the win early. Jerome Moiso paced the Bilbao attack with 14 points on 7-of-8 shooting, Alex Mumbru added 11 points and Renaldas Seibutis had 10. Brian Roberts led Bamberg with 18 points, Elton Brown posted 13 points and 9 rebounds and Casey Jacobsen added 12 points in defeat.

Brose Baskets won the opening tip and opened the scoring through Predrag Suput. Moiso corrected his own miss to get Bilbao on the scoreboard and then added a slam on the next play before Janis Blums put the hosts up 7-2 from downtown. Tibor Pleiss scored in the paint only to see Axel Hervelle and Warren continue to push the hosts. Hevelle made it 18-11 from the line before Bamberg heated up. Newcomer Mark Worthington scored his first points for the club, Roberts drilled a triple and Brown scored inside to tie the score. Mumbru had the last word, though, hitting a three to give Bilbao a 21-18 lead after 10 minutes. Moiso continued his excellent play in the paint with a pair of baskets that stretched the lead to 7. Damir Markota and again Moiso were accurate to keep the margin at 7. However a Roberts basket and assist to Robert Garrett for a three suddenly made it a 2-point game. Garrett matched Markota’s next basket, but Paco Vazquez came through with a clutch three. Roberts ended the half with a basket to get Brose Baskets within 38-35.

John Goldsberry opened the second half with a steal and layup and soon Brown fed Jacobsen to put Bamberg up 1. The lead traded hands several times over the enxt several possessions Bilbao went up by 3 only to see a Goldsberry triple make it 46-46. Mumbru and Worthington matched free throws before Seibutis scored a pair of baskets to give the hosts a 52-48 lead heading into the fourth quarter. Markota fed Banic for the latter’s first basket and Warren scored 5 in a row to cap an 11-0 charge and make it 59-48. Jacobsen ended the Bamberg drought with a free throw, however Banic soon made a free throw to make it a 13-point game. Jacobsen made a three to give Bamberg hope, but Banic also hit from behind the arc as did Markota as Bilbao wrapped the win and a quarterfinal berth.