BC Budivelnik Kiev became the Group A champion by toping BC Preinai 73-84 in Lithuania on Wednesday. Budivelnik won Group A with a 4-2 record, advanced to the Last 16 and will face KK Buducnost Voli Podgorica, BC Triumph Lyubertsy and Banvit BK Bandirma in the next round. Prienai was fourth in Group A at 2-4. Michail Anisimov paced the winners with 16 points on 8-of-8 two-point shots and 8 rebounds. Malcolm Delaney added 14 points, Artur Drozdov had 12 while Leo Lyons got 11 for Budivelnik. Gintaras Kadziulis led Prienai with 18 points. Arturas Valeika added 17, Arnas Labuckas had 14 and Arturas Milaknis got 10 for the hosts. Delaney and Anisimov fueled a 4-16 run that allowed Budivelnik to get a double-digit lead, 14-26, at the end of the first quarter. Budivelnik boosted its margin to 35-51 at halftime and then again to 37-56 right after the break. Labuckas and Valeika brought Prienai within 56-63 but a rain of three-pointers allowed Budivelnik to stay way ahead from that moment until the final buzzer.
Georgi Tsintsadze got Budivelnik going with a layup and free throws by Lyons gave his team a 0-4 edge. Valeika stepped up with a dunk and Kadziulis struck from downtown to give Prienai its first lead, 5-4. Lyons shined with a put-back layup and Delaney soon put the guests back ahead, 6-8. Kadziulis and Drozdov traded layups and Valeika tied it at 10-10. Anisimovas hit a jumper and back-to-back three-pointers by Delaney boosted Budivelnik's lead to 12-18. Anisimov scored again and free throws by Dainius Salenga made it a double-digit game, 12-22. Another basket by Anisimov and a layup by Frank Robinson gave the guests a 14-26 edge after 10 minutes. Anisimov and Milaknis traded baskets early in the second quarter and a layup by Sergey Gorbenko boosted Budivelnik's margin to 16-30. Milaknis kept pacing Prienai with a three-pointer but a put-back basket by Anisimov and a triple by Gorbenko broke the game open, 19-35. Lyons capped a 0-7 run with a layup and Robinson scored again for a 21-39 Budivelnik lead. Valeika and Labuckas combined for all points in a 7-0 Prienai run. Anisimov kept finding easy points in the paint and got some help from Lyons and Kostiantyn Anikiienko for a 33-49 Budivelnik lead. Free throws by Kadziulis and a layup by Delaney fixed the halftime score at 35-51.
Lyons nailed a three-pointer immediately after the break and Anikiienko matched Zygimantas Janavicius's jumper with a slam for a 37-56 Budivelnik lead. Kadziulis and Milaknis tried to change things with back-to-back bombs from downtown but a dunk by Drozdov silenced the crowd at 43-58. Janavicius kept pacing Prienai with a put-back basket but Delaney and Salenga kept Budivelnik way ahead, 45-61. Labuckas joined the three-point shootout and a layup by Siim-Sander Vene gave the hosts some hope at 50-61. Salenga hit free throws but Labuckas and Vene combined for all points in a 6-0 run that forced Budivelnik to call timeout at 56-63. Anisimov and Paulius Ivanauskas traded baskets for a 58-65 score after 30 minutes. Drozdov and Gorbenko struck from downtown in a 0-8 run that sealed the outcome, 58-73, early in the fourth quarter. Valeika tried to ignite the hosts' comeback with free throws but Tsintsadze joined the three-point shootout and a jumper by Salenga kept the guests way ahead, 63-78, midway through the fourth quarter. Three-pointers by Drozdov and Delaney kept Budivelnik out of trouble until the final buzzer.
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
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