CAI Zaragoza survives a thriller in Venice

CAI Zaragoza registered what could be a key road win, edging Umana Reyer Venice 77-79 on Wednesday. CAI improved to 4-1 in the second place of Group C, while Venice dropped to 2-3 in the fourth place. CAI dominated on the glass, outrebounding the hosts 24-47, including 21 offensive rebounds. But still, teams traded leads several times in the second half, and the game went right down to the wire. Joan Sastre and Drake Diener hit key three-pointers for the visitors in the final minutes, but the hosts had a chance to send the game into extra session, however Mike Green missed free throws in the final second. Stevan Jelovac amassed 17 points plus 11 rebounds in victory. Diener netted 15 on 5 of 7 shooting from long range, while Sastre had 14 points on 4 of 6 from long range. Henk Norel added 10 points with 7 rebounds in victory. Michael Bramos scored 18 points, shooting 6-for-9 three-pointers. Jeff Viggiano had 15 points and 7 rebounds, Josh Owens scored 14, while Green and Phillip Goss each had 11 in defeat.

Three-pointers on consecutive trips down the floor from Diener and Tomas Bellas opened 2-8 early CAI lead. Owens got the hosts going, before Goss strung together 7 points, run capped by a triple that made it 14-14. A three-pointer from Viggiano gave Venice its first lead, 17-16, but Jelovac and Norel made sure the visitors held 19-20 after the first quarter. After Isaac Fotu hit a triple for CAI to open the second, Viggiano replied with a three-point play and Stefano Tonut added a triple to the hosts' tally, 25-25. However, Sastre and Halil Kanacevic scored all points in a 0-9 run, which included a triple from Sastre, as CAI pulled away to 25-34. Diener's three made it a 10-point game, but Goss and Bramos with a three-pointer, cut the margin to 32-39 going into the break.

Jelovac made the margin 11 points early in the third, and after Bramos and Diener each hit a triple, Nate Linhart extended it to 35-48. However, Viggiano hit couple from downtown for Venice, and Bramos added another one to the tally, as the hosts got within 46-50. Couple baskets from Owens and a basket from Jarrius Jackson put the hosts in front 52-51. Sastre snapped a 17-3 run with a triple, giving CAI lead at the end of the third quarter. Bramos hit his fifth three-pointer early in the fourth, but Fotu scored twice, 55-60. However, Venice regained the lead midway through the fourth with Bramos’ sixth triple, and a three-point play by Mike Green, 61-60. Sastre and Viggiano traded triples, and Jackson hit from long range for Venice, 67-63. But Sastre hit his fourth, making it 69-68, and after a basket from Green, free throws from Jelovac and a triple from Diener gave CAI 71-73 in the final minute. Green tied the game with 30 seconds left, but Diener hit his fifth from long range, 73-76. In the final 19 seconds, Green and Jelovac hit 2 of 2 free throws each, and Goss made a pair from the foul line, 77-78. Jelovac made only 1 of 2 with 6 seconds left, and Green drew a foul in the final second, getting a chance to force overtime. But he missed the first, purposely missed the second free throw, too, and Jelovac secured rebound and victory for CAI.