CEZ Basketball Nymburk got closer to reach the elimination rounds in Group F by downing Beghelli Bologna 82-70 in front of a record-breaking audience of 7,120 fans in the Czech Republic on Tuesday night. Nymburk improved to 4-3 and is on a two-game winning streak, while Beghelli dropped to 3-4 and visits Oostende in a do-or-die game for both teams on January 8, 2008. Nymburk also overcame the 11-point loss in Bologna earlier in the regular season and will have an important advantage if both teams tie at the end of this round. Radoslav Rancik led the winners with 25 points on 12-for-13 free throws. Arthur Lee added 21 points and 7 assists, Petr Benda had 14 points while Monty Mack dished 9 assists for Nymburk. Horace Jenkins led Beghelli with 20 points and 6 steals. Oscar Torres added 17 points while James Thomas had 11 and 9 rebounds for the guests. Nymburk used a 12-0 early lead to control the game in the early going, as an outstanding Rancik allowed the hosts to get a 21-14 lead after 10 minutes. Beghelli tied the game at 23-23 on a big basket by Dalibor Bagaric and then again at 32-32 on a three-pointer by Iker Iturbe. Benda and Lee led an 11-1 run that made it a doubole-digit lead, 43-33, at halftime. Torres singlehandedly brought Beghelli back to life, 52-48, but Rancik and an unstoppable Benda boosted the hosts' lead to 63-55 after 30 minutes. A three-pointer by Ladislav Sokolovsky and a layup-plus-foul by Lee sealed the outcome, 75-59. Both teams fought for points differential in the final minutes, but rancik adn Lee allowed Nymburk to get an important 12-point win.

Iturbe got Beghelli going with a triple but Rancik had 4 points and fed Radek Necas for a three-point play in a 12-0 Nymburk run that once again Necas capped with free throws. Beghelli had already called timeout and Thomas stepped up with a tip-in. Davide Lamma stroke from downtown, igniting a 0-7 run that Torres capped with consecutive baskets for a 14-12 Fortitudo deficit. Lee hit a triple while Benda and Rancik stepped up to keep Nymburk ahead, 21-14. Lamma buried a corner three-pointer to get Beghelli within 21-17 after 10 minutes. A 0-6 run that Bagaric capped with a big basket tied the game at 23-23. Sokolovsky sank a corner triple, igniting a 7-0 run that Lee capped with a fast break layup for a 30-23 Nymburk edge. Thomas followed a power layup with free throws and by the time Iturbe buried another triple, Beghelli had tied the game again, 32-32. It didn't last long, as Benda and Lee led an 11-1 Nymburk run that Rancik capped with free throws to give the hosts their first double-digit margin, 43-33, at halftime. Torres tried to ignit the guests' comeback with 5 quick points after the break but Rancik followed a triple with free throws and soon added a fast break layup for a 50-38 Nymburk lead, after a 7-0 run. Torres kept pacing Beghelli with a three-pointer and soon added another to bring his team back to life, 52-48. Sokolovsky scored from downtown and Benda added a layup to give Nymburk some air, 57-50. Rancik kept pacing Nymburk while a fast break layup by Benda gave his team a 63-55 lead after 30 minutes. Benda scored again while Lee added a fast break layup to make Nymburk restore a double-digit lead, 67-57. Time was running our for Beghelli and the guests switched to a 2-3 zone defense that Sokolovsky punished with a triple. Lee sealed the outcome with a three-point play, 75-59, but both teams kept fighting for points differential. Lee and Rancik rounded an important home win for Nymburk.