CSU Asesoft beats Banvit to close in on Last 32 berth


CSU Asesoft Ploiesti snapped its three-game losing streak in Group E with an 84-74 victory at home over Banvit Bandirma and moved a step closer to the Last 32. Marius Runkauskas hit 6 three-pointers in scoring a team-high 22 points for Ploiesti, which improved to 4-4 in the group. The Romanian champion will advance next week if it beats Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem in the Israeli capital. Dee Brown added 19 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists while Gerald Lee and Dragan Labovic both chipped in 11 points in the win. Banvit, which had previously qualified for the next stage, fell to 6-2. Chuck Davis was the top scorer for Bandirma with 18 points while Sammy Meija had 14 points, Keith Simmons 11 and Vladimir Dragicevic 10 points in the defeat.

Mejia gave Banvit its first lead at 2-4 and Labovic and Cevher Ozer swapped triples to put the guests up 7-9. Lee and Labovic continued to produce throughout the first five minutes to keep Ploiesti ahead 15-13. Banvit went more than three minutes without a score while Alhaji Mohammed and Jonte Flowers both buried triples to give the hosts a 21-13 lead. Davis got the margin down to 21-16 with a three-point play just before the end of the first quarter. Davis scored again to start the second and the deficit was 21-18. Runkauskas answered with two triples and Christopher Cooper converted an alley-oop from Brown for a 31-20 Asesoft cushion. Another Davis three-point play and a long-ball from Simmons got Bandirma to within 33-28. And back-to-back baskets from Dragicevic and Davis made it 38-34. But Runkauskas nailed two straight three-pointers to push the hosts’ advantage to double digits at 44-34. Brown hit a three-ball of his own and another score to increase the lead to 53-38. CSU Asesoft was leading 53-42 at intermission.

Lee started the second half with a free throw to make it 54-42 but Safak Edge got Banvit on the scoring board with a three-ball and Dragicevic cut it to 54-47. Lee continued his strong third quarter to try to keep Banvit at bay but the guests got to within 60-55 on another Davis inside basket. After three quarters the gap was 63-57. Banvit didn’t score in the first three minutes of the fourth quarter and watched as Brown knocked down two three-pointers to increase the lead to 71-57 with less than seven minutes to play. Cooper’s two scores gave CSU Asesoft a 75-60 cushion with five minutes to play. The guests refused to give up and Vladimir Veremeenko’s layup made it 75-67 inside the three-minute mark. But Runkauskas drained a three from the wing and Jarvis Hayes hit a jumper in the lane for an 80-68 lead with less than two minutes to play and Banvit was finally defeated.