Budivelnik remained undefeated in Eurocup Group C after downing KK Buducnost 70-56 on Tuesday night. Zach Morley scored 18 of his 25 points in the first half to push the hosts to a 40-27 halftime lead. And Andy Betts scored 7 of his 11 points in the closing minutes – mostly after Morley had fouled out – to help seal the win. In between, Lamayne Wilson amassed 16 points and Michalis Anismovas scored 11 for the Group C leaders. Vladimir Dragicevic paced Buducnost with 14 points and Bojan Dubljevic added 11 as the Montenegrin champs dropped to 1-2. Buducnost will hope to exact revenge when the teams meet next week in Montenegro.

Buducnost struck first with Dubljevic down low before Anismovas got Budivelnik on the scoreboard. The tandem of Dragicevic and Dubljevic went to work in the paint and carried the visitors to a 4-9 lead. Budivelnik toughened up on defense and took control with four baskets from four different players. Buducnost had no answer for Morley, but kept it close through points from Nikola Otasevic and Dragicevic. A Wilson triple made it 21-16 after 10 minutes. Vladimir Mihailovic knotted the score early in the second quarter, but after that Buducnost was silenced for several minutes. In the meantime, Wilson, Leonid Stefanyshyn and Morley led a 13-2 charge that put the home team in total control. Even after Dubljevic scored a second-chance basket, Morley continued to stretch the lead. Mihailovic’s jumper could not do much as Wilson made it 40-27 at halftime.

Anismovas put the hosts up by as many as 14 early in the third quarter, but Buducnost did not throw in the towel. Nemanja Gordic sank a three to revive the visitors, however Morley pumped the lead all the way to 50-35. Baskets by Dragicevic and Dubljevic and free throws from newcomer Aleksandar Mitrovic cut the deficit to 54-44 at the end of the quarter. Mitrovic and Marko Simonovic continued to push the visitors and Dragicevic brought his team within 56-50, putting some fear into the home crowd. Andriy Agafonov helped calm the Budivelnik faithful with a basket and soon Andy Betts from the line and Wilson with a steal and layup helped rebuild a double-digit cushion. A final Buducnost push including points from Mitrovic and Mihailovic got the gusts within 62-55, however Betts showed his experience with valuable points that restored the 11-point edge and secured an important win for the hosts.